Senate committee investigates Centrelink debt recovery

The federal Department of Human Services has defended Centrelink's much-criticised automated debt-recovery scheme before a Senate committee. The committee is conducting an inquiry into the effects of the system on hundreds of thousands of people who received letters indicating they might owe Centrelink money. Unions and social service groups have strongly criticised the so-called robo-debt program, and called for it to be axed. But as Yin Wu reports, the head of the department responsible says the scheme should continue, albeit with a few tweaks.

The Centrelink website. (AAP)