Judging by the title this post could be about anything given the control and direction of Australia over the past decade. It’s not about NBN, global warming, Tech, Asylum seekers or back stabbing pollies it is about actions having an effect with seemingly no thought.

The ABC have said that over 2000 people have died from the Robo debt system. The Robo debt system was implemented in 2016 to track down and notify welfare (Centrelink) recipients who owed money. Knowingly or unknowingly committing fraud in receiving more payments those at the target of Robo debt system are vulnerable to begin with.

System shocker

Robo debt has been known to send false or notices on error. The sad thing is vulnerable people may have received a debt notice by mistake and taken their life. How does a government simply rely on a dodgy system in a sensitive environment?

notmydebt.com.au tracks these fake debt notices and as of now states over $6 million in fake debt requests.

Poor mental health, disabilities, addictions and injuries are the type of people who the government system targeted and piled pressure on to pay back money. It is these vulnerable people who when the pressure and tax collectors came ultimately ended their lives, over 2000 people according to the ABC.

Take into account that often the person who committed welfare fraud did it mistakenly or the system allowed for it. Centrelink has performed like the Government of recent times, poorly. The Government is more than happy to go after vulnerable people yet not look in their own backyard or large companies that pay $0 tax.

Ironeagle08 on Reddit commented this on the linked article:

I was an emergency responder at the time robo debt notices started. I personally went to 2 suicides that appeared linked to the robo debt. We were alerted to one incident because Centelink staff noticed how distressed a particular individual was. The staff cared enough but system didn’t.

Go figure, Poor judgement at its best but in this case its cost people their lives and unfortunately the whole situation is a mess.

Failure right throughout

It’s a kick in the guts to those who are already down and trying to get back up. Let down by their own government who just simply didn’t think this through. People are on Centrelink for a reason yet the whole idea of Robo debt hunting down and putting those in debt notice of needing to pay back thousands is incomprehensible.

Rounding of the situation is those who implemented the system, called for it and allowed it wont face any sort of consequence. Tax payer money paid for those to think up this shocking system and its beyond bent.