New information revealed yesterday by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations in senate estimates hearings suggests upwards of 100,000 people may have had their Centrelink payment unlawfully cancelled under the Targeted Compliance Framework – roughly 10 times the number the department has previously admitted to.
The Antipoverty Centre and others have sought information from the department about the true scale of unlawful cancellations since information was first publicly brought to light in November 2024. (See background information below)
Included below: comments from Antipoverty Centre spokesperson Jay Coonan; background information; survey for welfare recipients; crisis line contact information.
Previously DEWR published information indicating up to 9,510 unlawful payment cancellations or reductions under 42AF(2)(d) and 42AH of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.
Under questioning from Senator Barbara Pocock in estimates yesterday [VIDEO], DEWR’s taskforce lead Bronwyn Field said that work by the department following Economic Justice Australia analysis that identified 310,000 potential unlawful cancellations under section 42AM found “[the number of potentially unlawful cancellations] is in the vicinity of that”.
Field subsequently walked this back, saying some people whose payment was cancelled under section 42AM may have lost eligibility because they had paid work above the income threshold, with this potentially being between 55–70% based on data from an unrelated participant survey.
Taking the most conservative view of Field’s hearing evidence, it is estimated that at least an additional 93,000 people may have been subject to an unlawful payment cancellation on top of the 9,510 figure DEWR previously made public.
MEDIA CONTACT: 0413 261 362 / 0403 429 414 / media@antipovertycentre.org
Yesterday’s hearing followed last week’s much-hyped employment services announcement, which is set to lock the current “mutual” obligations rules in place. In the hearing, DEWR secretary Simon Duggan also confirmed there is no intention to change to the governing legislation – which was last overhauled in 2021 under the Morrison government – to enable the Albanese government’s planned reforms or to address the legal quagmire the system has faced since unlawful cancellations were discovered in mid-2023.
In response to questions about complaints data, DEWR was unable to provide information about the nature of complaints it has received, but confirmed they have not seen a reduction in complaints since a new complaints service was established 18 months ago. More than 8000 complaints were documented by the department between 1 July 2025 and 31 March 2026, however the complaints service has been plagued with long and unresolved wait times since mid-2025, increasing from an average of less than half an hour from when the service was established to over an hour in July and August 2025. Questions put to DEWR during estimates in December 2025 revealed more than 140,000 calls to the complaints line went unanswered between November 2024 and September 2025. The Antipoverty Centre is in contact with people reporting wait times 3 –7 hours long.
The person overseeing the complaints service, Lisa Schofield, also stated that issues with providers harassing participants for payslips – which they are not required to share – have been resolved, following a letter sent by DEWR to providers. She was unable to give a figure for the number of complaints DEWR received in relation to payslip harassment. The Antipoverty Centre has seen no reduction in issue in the support we provide to welfare recipients including multiple people we are assisting right now, and continue to see examples shared on social media.
Antipoverty Centre spokesperson Jay Coonan said:
Welfare recipients are not buying what Minister Rishworth is selling, people in our community were upset after her press club address and they’re even more upset after yesterday’s revelations.
Her so-called employment services “reform” does nothing but recycle old ideas we’ve heard a thousand times.
But flashy announcements have helpfully distracted the public from the real story – the continued use of punishments under the Targeted Compliance Framework in the wake of the Commonwealth Ombudsman raising the alarm 6 months ago.
People are still being harassed and penalised by providers who seem to feel they are completely beyond reproach for their mistreatment of poor people.
Yesterday it was confirmed that the legislative architecture that has punished millions of welfare recipients will remain unchanged. Minister Rishworth wants to change the packaging but keep the punishment.
The decision to keep this life-ruining system of coercion and punishment operating ignores the longstanding demands of participants – and more than a dozen civil society groups – who for years who have called for a new system that is voluntary and genuinely supportive.
Media contact: 0413 261 362 / 0403 429 414 / media at antipovertycentre.org
The Antipoverty Centre will be surveying participants subjected to compulsory activities, payment suspensions and outsourced welfare compliance to contribute to the government’s consultation process. Early responses to Rishworth’s announcement show participants are angry that, despite the government’s promises of transformation, they have heard all this before and will be punished by more of the same under the Targeted Compliance Framework. People who wish to contribute can access the survey here: bit.ly/MOs2026survey
We are hosting a public event where people in who have compulsory activities will share their views on how the system affects their lives and what alternatives should be created. Attendees will also receive information about what to do if they are affected by unlawful payment cancellations or suspensions. You can register to attend here: bit.ly/PFP-online
The TCF has been subject the subject of an investigation by the Commonwealth Ombudsman who raised serious concerns both about the department’s handling of backpay for people identified as having been affected by an unlawful cancellation, and the oversight of providers who issue payment suspension notices (roughly 2.5 million suspension notices are issued per year across the cohort of roughly 1 million people who have compulsory activities). After the discovery of around 964 potentially unlawful payment cancellations DEWR paused payment cancellations, however, despite concerns raised by the Ombudsman regarding payment suspensions in December 2025, this part of the system has continued to operate.
For more detailed information you can view our backgrounder here:
If you need support you can seek guidance, counselling or crisis help from the below organisations or talk to someone you trust.
Suicide Call Back Service – general: 1300 659 467
Roses in the Ocean – peer support: 1800 777 337
SANE Australia – general: 1800 187 263
13YARN – for First Nations people: 13 92 76
National Counselling and Referral Service – for disabled people: 1800 421 468
Headspace – for young people: 1800 650 890
QLife – fo LGBTQIA+ people: 1800 184 527
Full Stop – for people who have experienced sexual harassment and assault: 1800 385 578
Embrace Mental Health – multilingual service: embracementalhealth.org.au
MensLine – for men: 1300 789 978
Brother to Brother – for First Nations men: 1800 435 799
National Debt Helpline – assistance with negotiating reductions for overdue bills and debt: 1800 007 007
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