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Centrelink says a huge surge of complaints from its customers last year came after the welfare agency made it easier for clients to express their unhappiness. But critics say the long-term trend of dissatisfied customers tells the story of an organisation in crisis. Nearly 114,000 complaints surged into Centrelink in the 2015-2016 financial year, but only 6000 compliments and another 6000 'suggestions'. The number of complaints is nearly double that of the previous year, when 62,000 messages were received from unhappy customers. But a spokesman for Centrelink's parent department Human Services says comparisons between the two years are unfair because 2015-2016 was the year when the agency opened up new and easier ways for customers to provide feedback. In 2013-2014, the number of complaints was nearly 53,000, in 2012-2013 there were 46,000 and in 2011-2012 the number was 51,000. But according to the authors of website IsCentrelinkDown.com and their submission to the parliamentary inquiry investigating Centrelink's "robo-debt" debacle, it is the ratio of complaints against compliments or suggestions that tell the real story. In 2012, nearly 16 per cent of customer feedback was positive, but by 2015-2016, it had shrunk to less than 5 per cent. The agency has endured a torrid few months and is mired in controversy over its robo-debt recovery program which has left many thousands of its clients complaining they have been targeted for debts that they do not owe. Fairfax reported on Thursday that more than 21,000 families had been targeted in 2016, in a separate process, with demands to repay Family Tax benefits but were able to prove they did not owe anything. Human Services spokesman Hank Jongen said the surge in complaints in 2015-2016 had more to do with greater opportunities to make complains than his agency's performance. "The Department of Human Services welcomes the opportunity to work with people and respond to their feedback, compliments and suggestions," the spokesman said. "In 2015-16 the department introduced a new complaints and feedback form to improve the feedback process and data collection. "Fundamentally, these changes make it easier for people to provide feedback at a time that is convenient for them. "A complaint is defined as expression of dissatisfaction made to or about an organisation, related to its products, services, staff or the handling of a complaint, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected or legally required. "Data for 2015–16 cannot be directly compared with previous years. "This is due to improvements in our methodology for collection and classification of customer feedback. "The changes have included an upgrade to our online channel that has resulted in a significant improvement in accessibility and usability." Meantime, the parliamentary Community Affairs References Committee investigation robo-debt has extended its deadline for taking submissions from the public until April 19. Committee chairperson Senator Rachel Siewert said accounts of personal experiences from people dealing with robo-debt were vital to the committee's work. "I am glad to confirm that the submission date has been extended to allow more people to share their personal experiences to the committee," Senator Siewert said. "This is vitally important so we can paint a clear picture of the impacts of the automated debt recovery program."

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