Why prosecutions for welfare fraud have declined in Australia
- Written by Scarlet Wilcock, Lecturer, School of Law, University of Wollongong
Between 2009-10 and 2016-17, the number of social security fraud prosecutions in Australia fell by 80% as a proportion of Centrelink’s customer base. This is remarkable considering national dialogue continues to focus on punitive approaches to welfare fraud. The Department of Human Services, which absorbed Centrelink in 2011, has even...
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