A landmark inquiry in Australia has found an illegal welfare hunt by the previous government made victims feel like criminals and caused suicides.
Known locally as “Robodebt”, it was an automated government scheme which incorrectly demanded welfare recipients payback benefits.
People received letters saying they owed thousands of dollars in debt, based on an incorrect algorithm.
More than half a million Australians were affected by the policy.
The scheme which ran from 2016 until it was ruled illegal by a court in 2019 forced many into worse financial circumstances taking out loans, selling their cars or using savings to pay off a debt they were told they had to pay within weeks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the previous government’s scheme as a gross betrayal of citizens, which had harmed the most vulnerable.
