Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to incorporate in Hansard an answer to a question from Senator Williams asked of the Minister representing the Minister for Human Services on 15 September 2009.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

Question

Senator Williams asked the Minister Assisting the Minister for Human Services, in Parliament, on 15 September 2009:

(a) Will the minister inform the Senate how many people were detected breaching their obligation to look for work last financial year?

(b) Given that the Labor government has forecast a massive increase in the number of people seeking to claim unemployment benefits, will the minister explain why the government has not increased the resources to assess and audit these claims? Doesn’t this failure mean that the number of Justin Sheridans in our community is likely to increase?

(c) Will the minister reassure the Australian taxpayers that the subject of last night’s television program, Justin Sheridan, will be fully investigated by Centrelink for his wanton disregard of welfare payment rules?

Answer

SENATOR LUDWIG – The answer to the honourable senator’s question is as follows:

(a) In the 2008-09 financial year, 628,987 participation reports were investigated by Centrelink regarding potential breaches of job seeker obligations. This is made up of 562,777 participation failures and 66,210 serious failures.

(b) Under the Centrelink funding model the funding Centrelink receives varies in line with movements in customer numbers and is calculated using Government forecasts in the budget. This is later reconciled with actual customer numbers.

(c) Yes. Centrelink conducts investigations into any customers who come to their attention as potentially failing to meet the rules governing their entitlements.