Sydney Family's $2 Million Welfare Rort

[icyfroth]

Thirty-eight members of a western Sydney family have been caught rorting $2 million of welfare payments from the government.

One person claimed benefits while depositing $750,000 over three years and another paid off a $300,000 mortgage in just over two years while claiming income support.

 A third person received rent assistance for a property they already owned, said the Department of Human Services on Thursday.

 A spokesman for the department says the family fraud was discovered from a tip-off that a man had failed to declare his income.

Nineteen family members have had their welfare payments cancelled after a wide-ranging investigation and another 19 have had their payments reduced.

Five members of the family have been referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and debts have been raised against the fraudsters.

She admitted there was one family member who had failed to report almost $1 million over 11 years, and her department is working closely with the Australian Tax Office and Australian Federal Police.

Entire Article Here

"The debts we currently have in relation to social welfare fraud investigations are $39 million," she said.

 She warned people who are rorting the system that "we will find you".

Oh really? It took a tip-off for them to find this lot!

What about the other $37mil?

Australia the bountiful, Centrelink the inept.

[village_person]

Marise Payne, who is doing an excellent job of impersonating an idiot, added a warning to rorters: "We will catch you". If it wasn't for a tip-off these rorters would still be at it. How is it that someone in receipt of a carer's allowance can be paid that allowance when the person they care for lives in another state? So much for the Dept of Human Services internal checking systems. I'll bet the Dept of Human Services is paying a pension to Ivan Milat because of stress related issues.

That well oiled machine that turns out hopeless politicians is humming along as usual. Ms Payne was chosen by the Liberal Party to replace Bob Wood who....wait for it...'wanted to spend more time with his family.' At one time Bob Wood's only functioning organ was his **bleep**. On the 60 Minutes program on Channel 9 we were told that Bob Woods, returning from his committments in Canberra, would bypass his matrimonial home in the Burwood area and drive to his lover's home somewhere in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Australian politicians don't seem to aim very high.

[sprinklespowerpuff]

I truly don't understand how that can happen, Icy. If I tried that I would be jumped on immediately. What's was their secret? As Poirot would say - order and method.  Must be a lot of not too bright or less than diligent CL staff around.

[***super_nova***]

I cannot see how 8 people can rort $2000 000.  I mean that makes it  $250 000 per person; that would have to be 20 years of dole at present level.  And some of these people were obviously eligible to some benefits, as their benefits were only reduced.  One claimed rental allowance on property he owned; well that is wrong, but isn't rental allowance only $40 (I think that was what somebody said in the topic about aboriginals getting more)?  Claiming $40 per week that you have no right to only makes it $2000 per year.  Long way from $2 000 000.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

I cannot see how 8 people can rort $2000 000.  I mean that makes it  $250 000 per person; that would have to be 20 years of dole at present level.  And some of these people were obviously eligible to some benefits, as their benefits were only reduced.  One claimed rental allowance on property he owned; well that is wrong, but isn't rental allowance only $40 (I think that was what somebody said in the topic about aboriginals getting more)?  Claiming $40 per week that you have no right to only makes it $2000 per year.  Long way from $2 000 000.

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   It was  38 people.... not 8.

[k0llectable5]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

I cannot see how 8 people can rort $2000 000.  I mean that makes it  $250 000 per person; that would have to be 20 years of dole at present level.  And some of these people were obviously eligible to some benefits, as their benefits were only reduced.  One claimed rental allowance on property he owned; well that is wrong, but isn't rental allowance only $40 (I think that was what somebody said in the topic about aboriginals getting more)?  Claiming $40 per week that you have no right to only makes it $2000 per year.  Long way from $2 000 000.

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As far as I know the maximum amount of rent assistance one can recieve is $165.00 per fortnight.  It works on how much rent you are paying.  Public housing recipients cannot recieve rent assistance 🙂

[boris1gary]

for a minute I thought gina, the queen of welfare, had finally been done for corporate welfare rorting and offshore money hiding....sigh.

[retailtherapist_8]

Pardon my ingnorance AND I dont mean to sound trite but how much is the Dole & do people get rent asistance on top of that?

I am just gobsmacked that a family of so many could all be welfare recipients and noone asked any questions letting them take $2mill from hardworking tax payers.  Outrageous.

[k0llectable5]

It is outrageous retailtherapist (great name btw :))  The Dole (Newstart allowance) is about $400-$450  per fortnight and yes they do get rent assistance on top of that.  

[gleee58]

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

I cannot see how 8 people can rort $2000 000.  I mean that makes it  $250 000 per person; that would have to be 20 years of dole at present level.  And some of these people were obviously eligible to some benefits, as their benefits were only reduced.  One claimed rental allowance on property he owned; well that is wrong, but isn't rental allowance only $40 (I think that was what somebody said in the topic about aboriginals getting more)?  Claiming $40 per week that you have no right to only makes it $2000 per year.  Long way from $2 000 000.

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   It was  38 people.... not 8.

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That's some mighty big family they've got happening there.