Robodebt class action to continue as vindicated recipients push for damages, ask for an apology

Jenny Cao will be receiving $4,500 from the Government in the coming months — but she's yet to receive an apology. Key points: People unfairly issued debts will continue to push for the Government to pay damages over robodebt They say the distress and financial hardship caused by the scheme needs to be remedied Yesterday the Government waived all debts and pledged to repay people who had already handed over money As one of 373,000 Australians to have received computer-generated debt notices from Centrelink, she says the stress and anxiety she suffered can't be fixed with money alone. But a class action against the Government, which Ms Cao is involved with, will continue despite the Government's major concession, pushing for damages to be awarded to hundreds of thousands of people for financial hardship and emotional distress. Class action will seek damages The robodebt scheme was first deemed unlawful last year, after a Victorian woman challenged a debt notice issued against her. "It doesn't resolve the class action, and it doesn't change the fact that the Government still needs to answer to claims of compensation and claims of damages and inconvenience and distress that this system has caused," he said.