Post by Banjo on Dec 13, 2014 10:14:57 GMT 7
Black Saturday bushfires: Centrelink apologises for letters warning of welfare repayments
The Department of Human Services has apologised to victims of the Black Saturday bushfires for causing them distress over a possible demand for the repayment of welfare.
Earlier this year about 10,000 victims reached a record $500 million settlement with power company SP AusNet over the devastating fire that killed 119 people in the Kilmore East and Kinglake areas in 2009.
But it has been revealed many of them recently received letters from Centrelink warning them they may have to repay all their social security payments once they received the compensation money.
Under law, social security payments and compensation payments cannot be made for the same period, and Centrelink is required to recover any money they have paid.
Centrelink's general manager Hank Jongen said it should have been more sensitive.
"We apologise for the distress that this has caused," he said.
"We should have put more thought into how we could have communicated this in a more sensitive way.
"We felt that we had an obligation to ensure that those people understand the potential implications at a time when a decision by the court is made."
He said the department found thousands of people who could be affected.
"We felt we had an obligation to ensure those people understand the potential implications when compensation decision is made."
Mr Jongen said the letters did not intend to cause any further distress to the victims.
"Obviously it wasn't our intention to terrify or cause confusion or distress to people that have been horrifically affected by these bushfires," he said.
"You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.
"What we were trying to do was give those people a genuine early alert to the possible implications."
www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-12/black-saturday-bushfires-centrelink-apologises/5963170
The Department of Human Services has apologised to victims of the Black Saturday bushfires for causing them distress over a possible demand for the repayment of welfare.
Earlier this year about 10,000 victims reached a record $500 million settlement with power company SP AusNet over the devastating fire that killed 119 people in the Kilmore East and Kinglake areas in 2009.
But it has been revealed many of them recently received letters from Centrelink warning them they may have to repay all their social security payments once they received the compensation money.
Under law, social security payments and compensation payments cannot be made for the same period, and Centrelink is required to recover any money they have paid.
Centrelink's general manager Hank Jongen said it should have been more sensitive.
"We apologise for the distress that this has caused," he said.
"We should have put more thought into how we could have communicated this in a more sensitive way.
"We felt that we had an obligation to ensure that those people understand the potential implications at a time when a decision by the court is made."
He said the department found thousands of people who could be affected.
"We felt we had an obligation to ensure those people understand the potential implications when compensation decision is made."
Mr Jongen said the letters did not intend to cause any further distress to the victims.
"Obviously it wasn't our intention to terrify or cause confusion or distress to people that have been horrifically affected by these bushfires," he said.
"You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.
"What we were trying to do was give those people a genuine early alert to the possible implications."
www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-12/black-saturday-bushfires-centrelink-apologises/5963170
