A frontline Services Australia employee who claimed she spoke up about the “validity, unfairness and ethics” of the illegal robodebt scheme has alleged she was mistreated as a result.
Jeannie-Marie Blake, a compliance officer involved in the administration of the robodebt scheme, has brought a Federal Court lawsuit against the Commonwealth for the mistreatment she alleged she suffered after raising concerns with her superiors.
Between 2016 and 2019, the robodebt scheme raised more than half a million inaccurate Centrelink debts via “income averaging”, which Blake allegedly pushed back on because she felt it was “wrong to average incomes when we know that customers are earning different fortnightly payments from casual work”.
Around mid-2016, Blake alleged her team leader, Christine Barber, responded to her concerns with: “You have three options: to continue during the work you’re tasked with, to ask for a transfer to another team or department, or to find a job outside the public service.”
The averaging has since been found to be unlawful.
Blake also alleged the mistreatment worsened after she voluntarily gave evidence to the robodebt royal commission in January 2023.
In a further amended statement of claim, Blake said she spoke to the director of compliance, Andrew Thompson, about her intention to do so, and was allegedly warned to “cross your T’s and dot your I’s because this could cost you your job if you’re not telling the truth”.
After giving evidence, Blake alleged...
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