Refund unlawful robodebt overpayments immediately, Shorten tells PM

Bill Shorten has demanded Prime Minister Scott Morrison refund the money taken from Australians in the unlawful robodebt scheme immediately.

The Shadow Minister for Government Services said the money taken in the robodebt scheme was "robbed" from vulnerable Australians.

"It is a good thing that Mr Morrison has apologised, but if he is truly sorry, he will today pledge to repay the unlawful robodebt debts to people straight away, and if he was truly sorry, Mr Morrison will pledge not to reboot robodebt, not to try to revive robodebt 2.0 by the backdoor," Mr Shorten said.

"Repay the money. Don't reboot robodebt."

Mr Shorten said the government "unjustly enriched itself" with the $1.5 billion taken in the unlawful scheme.

"Not next year, not at some point in the future, but if the government has taken people's money unlawfully, and they have said they have, pay it back now," he said.

"That is what you have to do if positions were reversed."

Mr Shorten criticised the government for not repaying the money with interest.

He noted that if Australians owe the government money, they would face a 7.5 percent interest rate.

He said it was a "shocking dereliction of duty" that the government continued the robodebt scheme even after being warned Australians were being forced to pay money they did not owe.

Yesterday Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised in parliament over the scheme.

"I would apologise for any hurt or harm in the way that the Government has dealt with that issue and to anyone else who has found themselves in those situations," he said.

Services Australia will begin repaying 470,000 debts in July.

The total value of those refunds is estimated to be $721 million.

Those affected should not have to do anything to receive their refunds, so long as their details are up-to-date.

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