This audit would assess the effectiveness of Services Australia’s processes to ensure that payments are made in accordance with the law.

Services Australia delivers a wide range of services and payments on behalf of other Australian Government entities, including social security, child support, student payments, family assistance, aged care, and health programs. Services Australia operates under a legal framework that includes various pieces of legislation and regulatory commitments including the Human Services (Centrelink) Act 1997, Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988, Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989, Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, and the Commonwealth Fraud Control Framework. Services Australia operates a compliance program that aims to maintain the integrity of Australia’s welfare system and ensure that all operations are conducted within the legal framework. Components of the approach include payment reviews, data-matching and data mining, investigations, and various compliance activities, including identity checks and educating customers about their rights and obligations to support voluntary compliance.