Greens call to stop all welfare payment suspensions in light of damning ombudsman's report
Greens call to stop all welfare payment suspensions in light of damning ombudsman's report | Australian Greens Skip to main content Search Get Involved Join Donate Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Get Involved Join Donate Search Our plan Toggle Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action Policy principles & aims Our team Toggle Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Media releases Take action Toggle Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Our movement Toggle About the Greens Become a member Jobs Green Magazine All news Greens call to stop all welfare payment suspensions in light of damning ombudsman's report 2025-08-06 The Greens have called on Labor to stop all welfare payment suspensions immediately, following the damning Commonwealth Ombudsman’s report into the scheme today which found over 1,000 welfare recipients had their welfare payments unlawfully cancelled by the automated system over two years.
The call to end payment suspensions is echoed by the Anti-Poverty Center, Economic Justice Australia and the Australian Council of Social Services. While the Department has ‘paused’ the cancellation and reduction of payments under the scheme following legal advice that it was unlawful, tens of thousands of welfare recipients are still subject to payment suspensions every month.
As the Anti-Poverty Center has identified, nearly 350,000 payment suspensions were issued just in the first quarter of 2025, affecting more than 280,000 people out of the roughly 800,000 who had requirements during the period. The Ombudsman’s report slammed the Government for being slow to act on legal advice which suggested the TCF was unlawful, and that it took them almost a year to pause cancellations and reductions in welfare debts .
Harmful payment suspensions continue to this day. The report shows the government still holds a callous disregard for the impacts of their decisions on vulnerable welfare recipients and they have not learned from Robodebt. Lines attributable to Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens spokesperson for Social Services: “Have Labor learned nothing from Robodebt?” “The Greens are urging Labor to stop suspending people's welfare payments right now.” “If Labor won’t stop payment suspensions today, then people already living below the poverty line will go hungry tomorrow.” “It took the government almost 12 months to stop cancellations of payments from when they were told it was unlawful.
The department knew this was probably illegal but they continued it anyway.” “Now two years on, the Targeted Compliance Framework still means thousands of welfare recipients unfairly and routinely lose access to payments they need to put food on the table.” “Robodebt taught us these automated systems can’t be trusted with people’s lives.” “If Labor continues to allow welfare payment suspensions now, it shows they don’t really care about what happens to people on welfare, and they’ve learned nothing from Robodebt.” “It is clear that the TCF is an expensive hangover from a conservative government which has been heartlessly prolonged by this Labor government for far too long.” Facebook for the Australian Greens YouTube for the Australian Greens X for the Australian Greens Instagram for the Australian Greens Bluesky for the Australian Greens Privacy Members website Your safety Contact us Our plan Tax the 1% Tackle the cost of living Healthcare for all Fix the housing crisis Strong climate action In your language 2025 policy platform Policy principles & aims Our team Federal MPs State/territory MPs Officeholders Federal portfolios Federal media releases Take action Volunteer Donate Issues & campaigns Upcoming events Greens Shop Leave a bequest Green Magazine All news Our movement About the Greens Become a member Jobs Members website State/territory parties Contact us The Greens acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
We acknowledge that these lands were stolen and sovereignty was never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. The Australian Greens Authorised by Gemmia Burden & Caroline Atkinson, The Greens, 1 Anthony Rolfe Avenue, Gungahlin, 2912 Site & copyright information Privacy Your Safety View this site in High Contrast mode We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.
Find out more about how we use cookies and how you can avoid trackers online. Learn more No, thanks OK