Turnbull’s changes to the pension, which came in on January 1, 2017, will cut payments for 330,000 Australians, and those moved off the pension will also miss out on various discounts linked to the pensioner’s concession card. About 230,000 Australians will have their pension reduced and 91,000 people will lose their pension altogether. (The Australian, December 28, 2016, p. 1)
All of this wickedness came from the 2015 budget, designed to save 2.4 billion over five years. This is a cruel budget that slapped older Australians in the face, but it was a budget that passed the Senate in June with support of the ever-politically correct Greens.
This penny pinching of older Australians goes on, while as Pauline Hanson publicised, Centrelink is paying spousal benefits to second and third wives of Muslim men: http://www.news.com.au/national/politics/pauline-hanson-on-centrelinks-polygamy-pay-weve-been-taken-for-fools/news-story/15ecdb893936c97ac885e42622470311
Apart from that, the Turnbull government is seeking $4.5 million each day, incorrectly paid to welfare recipients, of a total of $4 billion incorrectly paid. (The Australian, December 5, 2016, p. 1) While some of this is fraud and other parts due to people failing to update their information, there is also an undisclosed amount due to Centrelink error. For example, a person had received Family Payments in 2015. In 2016 the two children decided to return to the mother. He informed the Child Support Agency immediately and began paying Child Support. Centrelink as part of Human Services is supposed to be informed. Turns out that Centrelink was, but due to a sole administrative error, they continued one payment. This person did not notice the payment, until late in 2016 he received an unexpectedly large payment in his bank account that he did notice. He informed Centrelink. Even though they admitted that it was solely their error he has to pay them back.
The welfare system is in chaos and needs to be subjected to a Royal Commission.