Australia: Centrelink Data-matching with Ebay

[Will27]

Gang,

Not sure if this is the appropriate forum for this so apologies if it's not.

Have just read an interesting article:

http://www.news.com.au/money/superannuation/pensions-paid-to-dead-aussie-expats-department-of-human-services-report-reveals/story-e6frfmdi-1226750864368

Some interesting points: Centrelink used data-matching with eBay to nab welfare recipients who failed to declare cash income from online auctions

** Dead Aussie expats have been sent taxpayer funded welfare cheques.

** The Human Services report shows "departure prohibition orders'' were used by the CSA 461 times to recover $6.7m in payments during 2012/13.

[simple1]

Will27: Also use data matching against purchase of vehicles to ascertain if ATO/Centrelink income declarations are valid

[Will27]

Will27: Also use data matching against purchase of vehicles to ascertain if ATO/Centrelink income declarations are valid

Woah, looks like Centrelink don't miss much these days.

I must admit to being surprised at the large number (461) of people

who were stopped from leaving the country due to CSA debts.

I knew it happened but didn't realize the amount was so high.

Some unhappy people at the departure gates methinks

[wombat]

"461 times to recover $6.7m during 2012/13"

High Flyers.

Edited November 1, 2013 by wombat

[fire and ice]

AFAIK Centreline will never issue any cheques and will only pay into an Aussie bank accounts directly?

Besides who in Australia uses cheques these days? I thought the only developed country that still uses cheques was the USA (and they call them "checks"); they are almost obsolete in Australia.

[harrry]

AFAIK Centreline will never issue any cheques and will only pay into an Aussie bank accounts directly?

Besides who in Australia uses cheques these days? I thought the only developed country that still uses cheques was the USA (and they call them "checks"); they are almost obsolete in Australia.

Centrelink will pay to the overseas account of people who aree overseas for more than one year.

[Mudcrab]

AFAIK Centreline will never issue any cheques and will only pay into an Aussie bank accounts directly?

Besides who in Australia uses cheques these days? I thought the only developed country that still uses cheques was the USA (and they call them "checks"); they are almost obsolete in Australia.

Centrelink will pay to the overseas account of people who aree overseas for more than one year.

Good luck with that...it all changed last year for "new clients" Forget the overseas pensions

Edited November 1, 2013 by Mudcrab

[harrry]

AFAIK Centreline will never issue any cheques and will only pay into an Aussie bank accounts directly?

Besides who in Australia uses cheques these days? I thought the only developed country that still uses cheques was the USA (and they call them "checks"); they are almost obsolete in Australia.

Centrelink will pay to the overseas account of people who aree overseas for more than one year.

Good luck with that...it all changed last year for "new clients" Forget the overseas pensions

I think you should reread the information. This may be true for people on benifits but not the OAP

[Chao Lao Beach]

And it used data-matching with eBay to nab welfare recipients who failed to declare cash income from online auctions.

I am not on eBay, but when I have had a look I have never seen anyones real name, allways bizare handles like here on Thai Visa. How would they know who is who anyway without a supena to get the private details of eBays clients?

[simple1]

And it used data-matching with eBay to nab welfare recipients who failed to declare cash income from online auctions.

I am not on eBay, but when I have had a look I have never seen anyones real name, allways bizare handles like here on Thai Visa. How would they know who is who anyway without a supena to get the private details of eBays clients?

Australian government can utilise CRIMTRAC to track funds transfer instructions, either into or out of Australia, of any amount if their is suspicion of fraud, including welfare recipents. I would suspect that the government has a standing agreement with the likes of eBay to assist with subscriber identification. Also ATO/Centrelink can obtain your transaction details from your financial institution, I believe, without the need for a client specific subpoena.

[adwbkk]

AFAIK Centreline will never issue any cheques and will only pay into an Aussie bank accounts directly?

Besides who in Australia uses cheques these days? I thought the only developed country that still uses cheques was the USA (and they call them "checks"); they are almost obsolete in Australia.

Centrelink will pay to the overseas account of people who aree overseas for more than one year.

Good luck with that...it all changed last year for "new clients" Forget the overseas pensions

I think you should reread the information. This may be true for people on benifits but not the OAP

I was under the impression that overseas Australians could not get the OAP without staying full time in Oz for 1 or 2 years. Is this not the case?

[harrry]

Good luck with that...it all changed last year for "new clients" Forget the overseas pensions

I think you should reread the information. This may be true for people on benifits but not the OAP

I was under the impression that overseas Australians could not get the OAP without staying full time in Oz for 1 or 2 years. Is this not the case?

No

To get the OAP you must have been in australia for a period during your working life. The amount of pension you will get varies according to this.

You must be in Australia on the day when you apply and are granted the OAP.

You cannot receive the OAP and take it overseas if you have not been resident in Australia for a continuous period of 2 years surrounding the grant of the pension.

Pensions may be payable overseas into overseas bank accounts.

More information can be obtained from Centrelink as this is only a general summary.

THe issue I was making is that the OAP can be paid into an overseas bank and recieved by those of us living overseas.

[PEP]

From personal knowledge. - - - Centrelink has online acess to Australian Immigration (automatically checks departure and return of pension benificiaries) also online with Road and Water Transport Agency to have knowledge of Assets in this field.

.

[gawaterman]

How would they know if you made a profit on eBay, to know that, they would have to know what you paid for the item in the 1st place?

[harrry]

In certain countries Centrelink pays overseas by using cheques. When I lived in Turkey some years ago I used to recieve them monthly...Drawn on the Melolon Bank in US dollars which I could never understand as AU was useable and would have helped Australian foreign reserves. I guess some countries cannot handle the online and cheques are still used for them.

[David48]

AFAIK Centreline will never issue any cheques and will only pay into an Aussie bank accounts directly?

Besides who in Australia uses cheques these days? I thought the only developed country that still uses cheques was the USA (and they call them "checks"); they are almost obsolete in Australia.

I still use them ... and I ain't got one foot in the grave ... yet

[Cats4ever]

I am not up to date with the latest overseas payment conditions for Age recipients, I do beleive they have changed. When I worked in government, I suggested the data match with eBay; It was taken up a few years later. it was to track power sellers and not the odd casual sale. I also suggested a data match with Thai immigration. To date that has not been taken up. Data matching is extensive in Oz, as it is the easiest method of tracking the fraudulent or forgetful. Expect more as the baby boomers reach retirement in ever greater numbers. Yes, we all did pay tax (or most of us), but nowhere near as much as some other countries residents. Pension in Australia has always been targetted. When it was introduced in 1912, the average life ecpectancy for a male was about 59.

[simple1]

I am not up to date with the latest overseas payment conditions for Age recipients, I do beleive they have changed. When I worked in government, I suggested the data match with eBay; It was taken up a few years later. it was to track power sellers and not the odd casual sale. I also suggested a data match with Thai immigration. To date that has not been taken up. Data matching is extensive in Oz, as it is the easiest method of tracking the fraudulent or forgetful. Expect more as the baby boomers reach retirement in ever greater numbers. Yes, we all did pay tax (or most of us), but nowhere near as much as some other countries residents. Pension in Australia has always been targetted. When it was introduced in 1912, the average life ecpectancy for a male was about 59.

What was your reasoning for recommending data matching from Thai immigration?

[Will27]

I am not up to date with the latest overseas payment conditions for Age recipients, I do beleive they have changed. When I worked in government, I suggested the data match with eBay; It was taken up a few years later. it was to track power sellers and not the odd casual sale. I also suggested a data match with Thai immigration. To date that has not been taken up. Data matching is extensive in Oz, as it is the easiest method of tracking the fraudulent or forgetful. Expect more as the baby boomers reach retirement in ever greater numbers. Yes, we all did pay tax (or most of us), but nowhere near as much as some other countries residents. Pension in Australia has always been targetted. When it was introduced in 1912, the average life ecpectancy for a male was about 59.

What was your reasoning for recommending data matching from Thai immigration?

Same here?

Why Thailand specifically?

I'm not even sure it would be possible anyway.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Will27

[mcfish]

Without doubt there are many pensioners here in Thailand that own beer bars. There is absolutely nothing they can do about and probably one of the main reasons why C/link take a hard stance when it comes to permanent portability of pension (dsp)

Although there is a new law now where you can apply for it .

[Songhua]

I am not up to date with the latest overseas payment conditions for Age recipients, I do beleive they have changed. When I worked in government, I suggested the data match with eBay; It was taken up a few years later. it was to track power sellers and not the odd casual sale. I also suggested a data match with Thai immigration. To date that has not been taken up. Data matching is extensive in Oz, as it is the easiest method of tracking the fraudulent or forgetful. Expect more as the baby boomers reach retirement in ever greater numbers. Yes, we all did pay tax (or most of us), but nowhere near as much as some other countries residents. Pension in Australia has always been targetted. When it was introduced in 1912, the average life ecpectancy for a male was about 59.

Great! Work for the tax office did you? Or was it Centrelink? And how much did we, the citizens, pay you each year?

Must be weird to be a public servant - getting paid to probe and shaft the very people who provide you with a job.

[BookMan]

And it used data-matching with eBay to nab welfare recipients who failed to declare cash income from online auctions.

I am not on eBay, but when I have had a look I have never seen anyones real name, allways bizare handles like here on Thai Visa. How would they know who is who anyway without a supena to get the private details of eBays clients?

They dont check the username, they get the information direct from ebay. If you sell stuff on ebay you have to use your real name to be able to receive payments from Paypal, into your bank account, attach a credit card to your account.

The ATO requested details of all sellers on ebay whose sales totalled over 50k (either 50k over one year or 50k total for 3 years - can't remember) a few years back, information ebay had to provide.

In 2012 they targeted people on benefits...Requesting details of anyone trading over 20,000 in one year.

"Centrelink says it is cracking down on people who are receiving benefits and simultaneously making large profits on the trading website eBay.

The agency has asked the website to reveal the identities of about 15,000 people who have sold more than $20,000 worth of goods in one year.

The head of Centrelink, Hank Jongen, says many people may have declared the money legally, and he says the agency is not targeting those who use the website as a hobby."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-15/centrelink-cracks-down-on-ebay-profiteers/4073334

Edited November 3, 2013 by BookMan

[xenophon]

No

To get the OAP you must have been in australia for a period during your working life. The amount of pension you will get varies according to this.

You must be in Australia on the day when you apply and are granted the OAP.

You cannot receive the OAP and take it overseas if you have not been resident in Australia for a continuous period of 2 years surrounding the grant of the pension.

Pensions may be payable overseas into overseas bank accounts.

More information can be obtained from Centrelink as this is only a general summary.

THe issue I was making is that the OAP can be paid into an overseas bank and recieved by those of us living overseas.

from http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/outside-australia#AgePensionPensionSupplement : “If you returned to live in Australia and were granted or transferred to Age Pension within the last two years, you will not be able to receive your Age Pension outside the country. After you return, to be paid outside the country, you must have been living in Australia for two years since your last arrival for residence….. “