Centrelink debt notices

William Shakespeare made this Freedom of Information request to Services Australia

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Services Australia should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

William Shakespeare

Dear Department of Human Services,

This Freedom of Information request relates to the debt notices sent out in late December which have attracted much criticism from the public.

I assume A DHS employee, or group employees, would have been responsible for creating the 'model' which data matched ATO data to DHS data, which produced a target population to be sent letters, many of whom are clearly not in any debt to the Commonwealth.

With respect to the particular 'model' that is relevant here, I request the following documents:

1. All documents which describe, or otherwise concern decision making and approval processes.

2. Any document which details why a more 'sophisticated' model was not considered, for example, one that considered data at the Centrelink reporting period level, rather than an aggregate annual earnings figure.

Yours faithfully,

William Shakespeare

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

2 Attachments

Hello Mr Shakespeare,

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request.

 

Kind regards,

 

FOI Legal Team

FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
Email: [1][email address]

[2]cid:image004.png@01D1B4D9.510E2740

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FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Shakespeare

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request (LEX 24877).

 

Regards

 

FOI Legal Team

FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division

Department of Human Services

* [1][email address]

 

[2]Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: cid:image001.png@01CD1993.20C1C870

This email is intended for the use of the addressee and may contain
information that is confidential, commercially valuable or subject to
Legal Professional Privilege. Privilege is not waived by the mistaken
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email you are notified that any use of dissemination of this communication
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error
please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email.

 

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William Shakespeare

Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

RE: FOI LEX 24877

Thank you for email.

I am happy to submit this revised request, limiting the scope.

Centrelink will be aware there has been significant media attention with respect to notices sent to large numbers of Centrelink clients recently, who were asked to confirm previous employment earnings. The letters to which I refer are detailed in articles such as this: http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-se...

It has been reported that Centrelink has data matched annual-based ATO data to fortnightly-based Centrelink data which I assume was previously provided to Centrelink by individuals in receipt of some Centrelink payments such as Newstart.

In undertaking this exercise, I assume it was authorised by an appropriate delegate(s), and following their decision(s), appropriate instruction must have been given to the relevant officers in a team involved in data analysis.

I therefore request the following documents:
1. The request sent to the delegate for approval to undertake this exercise.
2. The approval given by the delegate
3. All documents which give instructions and any specifications given to the data analysis officer(s) involved in the development of this data matching exercise.

I trust this revision of scope should reduce the number of documents in scope.

Yours sincerely,

William Shakespeare

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

The Department of Human Services acknowledges receipt of your
correspondence.

 

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FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Shakespeare

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request (LEX 24877).

 

Regards

 

FOI Legal Team

FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division

Department of Human Services

* [1][email address]

 

[2]Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: cid:image001.png@01CD1993.20C1C870

This email is intended for the use of the addressee and may contain
information that is confidential, commercially valuable or subject to
Legal Professional Privilege. Privilege is not waived by the mistaken
delivery of this email. If you are not the intended recipient of this
email you are notified that any use of dissemination of this communication
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error
please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email.

 

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1. mailto:[email address]

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Shakespeare

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request (LEX 24877).

 

Regards

 

FOI Legal Team

FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division

Department of Human Services

* [1][email address]

 

[2]Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: cid:image001.png@01CD1993.20C1C870

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

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William Shakespeare left an annotation ()

I have started another FOI process in order to analyse how the department of human services processed my request.

https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/c...

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Shakespeare,

 

Please see attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request.

 

Regards,

 

FOI Legal Team

FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
Email: [1][email address]

[2]cid:image001.png@01D283A6.C0D04490

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

 

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Bill Tarte left an annotation ()

I think their response to your other FOI about the process has attached here