Page:Government Response – Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme.pdf/10



The Government accepts this recommendation.

The Government supports the need for clear documentation that specifies the circumstances when an individual may be excluded from a compliance process.

Services Australia will produce clear documentation for any exclusion criteria when any cohort of recipients is intended to be excluded from compliance or debt related activities. This includes recording any associated exclusions within any compliance activity business process specifications and compliance program documents.

The Government accepts this recommendation.

The Government agrees that individual circumstances that might impact on an individual's capacity to engage with government services, or reviews of payments and services, should be taken into account during service delivery and customer engagements.

Disclosure of individual circumstances is voluntary in most cases, particularly when this detail may not be required to establish an entitlement to a payment or service. Noting this, in some circumstances it may not be possible for delivery agencies to proactively identify all circumstances that might affect a person's ability to engage with a compliance activity.

In recognition, Services Australia has developed internal guidance to support staff to engage with customers, build the agency's capability to identify customers experiencing vulnerability, and support customers to safely disclose their circumstances and access appropriate information, services and support. Issued in July 2021, the 'Our vulnerability strategy' is being implemented across Services Australia.