Centrelink Debt Recovery Scheme to Resume

Behold the Beauty: Pregnant Dreaming, ‘Dreams 2‘ by Rubén Belloso

In the pastel painting “Dreams 2,” an expectant mother, dressed in pure white and just a few weeks away from giving birth, nestles among cushions as if embraced by clouds that have gently lulled her to sleep. She looks content, with one hand resting gently over her baby, perhaps subconsciously ensuring her baby rests too.  “Dreams 2,” by Rubén Belloso. Pastel; 15.5 inches by 11.63 inches. (Courtesy of Rubén Belloso)The painting is the second image in a series that master pastel painter Rubén Belloso created of his wife’s pregnancy. The couple had had trouble conceiving and so when they discovered she was pregnant, they felt “extreme happiness,” Belloso says in his online artist statement. It was a time of immense inspiration for him, and he painted his wife’s portrait a…

Australians on welfare will soon be subject to Centrelink’s debt recovery program again, with the government ending the pause put in place because of the pandemic.

The program aims to claw back overpaid welfare payments.

From November 2, Services Australia will contact welfare recipients if they think people been paid too much.

Victoria will be excluded, as will other states if they’re in a state of disaster.

But the agency won’t start to try and get Australians to pay back the money until February 2021.

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said the delay would help people plan for the future.

“This could include adjusting the information they are reporting to Services Australia,” he said in a statement on Oct 28.

“As debt activity starts again, Services Australia will work with people to make the process as clear and simple as possible. The agency will explain how debts arose, where to go for more information, how to self-service and offer other support.”

Robert said people would be able to repay debts voluntarily prior to February if they had been given too much.

“It can be managed within their personal circumstances.”

The debt recovery program is no longer automated after blunders with the previous so-called ‘robo-debt’ system, which is facing a class action challenge.

The scheme was also ruled unlawful last year, with the Federal Court saying Centrelink could not have been satisfied debts raised were correct.

The scheme matched Australian Taxation Office and Centrelink data to claw back overpaid welfare payments.

The Morrison government is currently paying all debts raised through the system back to Australians, estimated at about $721 million.

Rebecca Gredley in Canberra

 

Focus News: Centrelink Debt Recovery Scheme to Resume

Cooking With Love, Paprika, and MusicalsCooking for the StarsThrill of a Good MealMusic and a Meal

Dinner and a movie is a popular plan for evenings at home. This concept goes beyond eating in front of the television when the recipe comes from the movie’s producer. Joe Pasternak, who made over 100 movies during his three-decade career, was called the “Cooking Producer” because he loved making Hungarian delicacies for his Hollywood friends. His culinary flair was captured in a 1966 cookbook called “Cooking With Love and Paprika,” which is much more than a collection of traditional European recipes. It is a collection of stories about golden era movie stars’ favorite pastime after working hours—eating! Joe Pasternak in 1957. He was known as the “Cooking Producer.” (Public Domain)A perfect Pasternak production to pair with a recipe from this book is “Thrill of a Romance” (1945), his first…