Centrelink's use of 10% debt recovery fee could be unlawful, welfare groups say

'Robo debt' recovery system charged 97,300 welfare recipients the fee in the last six months of 2016 alone

Centrelink's indiscriminate use of a 10% recovery fee on welfare debts could be unlawful, welfare rights groups believe.

The "robo debt" system slugged almost 97,300 Australians with a 10% recovery fee in the last six months of 2016. The fee has been applied to two of every three debts raised under the robo debt system.