MEDIA RELEASE - LABOR SWEEPS SERVICES AUSTRALIA SUPERANNUATION BUNGLE UNDER THE POLITICAL RUG

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

MEDIA RELEASE

24 November 2023

LABOR SWEEPS SERVICES AUSTRALIA SUPERANNUATION BUNGLE UNDER THE POLITICAL RUG

About 11,000 vulnerable Australians on income support payments have had their superannuation incorrectly assessed, with the public kept in the dark over the bungle, according to a confidential government brief.

The Minister for Government Services’ Question Time Brief, obtained under Freedom of Information laws by the Opposition, reveals that thousands of Australians may have received incorrect rates of payment because customers were having their superannuation incorrectly excluded from the income and assets tests assessment upon reaching the Age Pension age.

As a result, they may have received an incorrect rate of payment, resulting in either under or over payments.

Shadow Minister for Government Services Paul Fletcher said Government Services Minister Bill Shorten must apologise to impacted Australians and be honest with the public about what has happened.

“It’s deeply disappointing and concerning that it took a Freedom of Information request to find out about this processing disaster,” Mr Fletcher said.

“In fact, the Freedom of Information requested was initially refused because the Minister’s office had failed to engage with their own agency on the request.

“Now we know why: thousands of vulnerable Australians have been unfairly caught up in a Services Australia tech glitch during a cost of living crisis.

“The public should have been informed of a bungle of this kind, but what we’ve seen is Bill Shorten avoiding transparency and instead sweeping the problem under the carpet because his agency is in disarray.”

Serious questions remain that require an urgent explanation from Bill Shorten, including:

• Exactly how many Australians have been impacted by this bungle?
• Of those impacted, how many are yet to be supported by the agency through the ‘service recovery’ process?
• Have any debts been raised for impacted customers?
• How many staff are working on this issue?
• Have any waivers been applied for impacted customers?
• Have all affected customer records been remediated?
• Have any other payments been affected by similar such issues?
• Has Minister Shorten ordered a review into how this disaster came about and what interest processes changes has he directed be changed as a result?

Media contact: William Sparling | 0416 628 276 | [email protected]