Centrelink debt recovery staff have been instructed to keep raising debts against people who have died and to undertake a range of debt recovery activities, leaked emails obtained by 7.30 have revealed.

Key points: Services Australia staff have been advised that a number of debt recovery activities remain "business as usual"

Services Australia staff have been advised that a number of debt recovery activities remain "business as usual" Welfare groups have raised concerns about how the debt pause is being implemented

Welfare groups have raised concerns about how the debt pause is being implemented Disability pensioner Jae Evergreen received a debt notice after the pause was announced

On Friday evening, Government Services Minister Stuart Robert announced the Government was "implementing a pause on debt raising and recovery activity through Services Australia to help ease pressure on people's budgets during the coronavirus pandemic".

He said the debt freeze would be in place for six months.

But just hours earlier within the department a range of directives had been sent from senior departmental staff to debt recovery staff advising them that a number of debt recovery activities remained "business as usual".

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Service Australia's national debt manager Anthony Seebach initially informed staff about the freeze on debt activities in an email on Friday morning, telling staff that some debt recovery teams would be reallocated to roles processing claims.

But in a follow-up email later on Friday afternoon from national manager Pauline O'Neill, she advised debt recovery staff that: "I just want to be clear that there are however a number of critical functions undertaken within the branch that will continue as usual."

A leaked email Centrelink national manager Pauline O'Neill sent to staff. ( Supplied )

She went on to list "case managed recovery" as one function, and in a bullet point titled "debt" outlined that "inbound telephony services (raising and recovery), SME [subject matter expert] reviews for appeals, deceased estate work" would all continue for Service Australia staff.

"Deceased estate work" refers to the raising and recovery of alleged debts from Centrelink customers who have died.

That process previously came under scrutiny when 7.30 revealed Centrelink was raising automatic debts known as robodebts against deceased customers.

Mr Robert referred to a written statement provided by Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen in response to 7.30's questions.

Mr Jongen said in a statement: "The pause applies to a broad range of debt raising and recovery activities including those connected to social security payments, Family Tax Benefit and Child Care Subsidy.

"As per the Minister's media release, work relating to fraud and serious non-compliance will continue in order to maintain the integrity of the welfare system.

"Activities that will cease include referrals to external collection agencies, as well as the garnisheeing of tax refunds. During the pause, we are not asking customers to commence repaying money they owe except where it relates to fraud or serious non-compliance."

He also said there would be some "residual" debt activities that would continue.

"For example, those that enable customers to receive the correct payment (compensation clearances), speak to a debt management officer to change their payment arrangements, enable executors to finalise deceased estates, and provide customers with refunds where Services Australia has over-recovered amounts."

In relation to the recovery of debts from deceased customers, the statement said: "Continuing activities include enabling executors to finalise deceased estates and receive appropriate clearance documentation."

He said Services Australia was unable to provide a figure on how many debts had been paused.

'No-one can get through, how can they pause their debt?'

Katherine Boyle believes Centrelink should automatically pause the recovery of all debts. ( ABC News )

Welfare groups have raised concerns about how the debt pause is being implemented.

Services Australia is requiring welfare recipients who have existing debts to contact them to discuss their repayment plans.

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But there is significant demand on Centrelink's phone services at the moment, making it difficult for people who may be seeking to pause their debts.

Katherine Boyle, the deputy chair of peak community legal body Economic Justice Australia and CEO of the Welfare Rights Centre, told 7.30 that Centrelink should be automatically pausing the recovery of all current debts.

"People have to contact Centrelink in order to pause their debt repayments, and if they don't contact Centrelink they will continue to have to repay their debts," she said.

"Now, no-one can get through to Centrelink at the moment. So how can they pause their debt repayments during this time?"

The Welfare Rights Centre is also launching an information campaign aimed at raising awareness about welfare rights and entitlements to make the public aware of the significant changes occurring in the welfare system.

Mr Jongen said in a statement: "Existing repayment arrangements will also continue unless people contact Services Australia. This is consistent with the approach taken during disaster events, and allows people who want to keep paying down their debt to do so."

'I was quite distressed'

Jae Evergreen said there seemed to be confusion within Centrelink about how the debt pause would work. ( Supplied: Jae Evergreen )

There are also some concerns that the department's automated systems may still be sending out debt notices to some welfare recipients.

Jae Evergreen is a disability support pensioner recipient who works part time for a not-for-profit disability advocacy group.

Last week he attempted to declare his usual part-time working hours to Centrelink, but received error messages using the online logging system. He called a Centrelink officer to explain the situation and was assured he had taken all the correct steps to try to report his income.

On Monday this week, four days after the Government's announcement, he received a text message advising him he had a new myGov message.

When he opened his inbox, he discovered a debt notice for $738 which he says was raised in the period he was unable to report his income.

The letter was dated to Thursday April 2, but was only sent to him on Monday.

"I was quite distressed and when I'm distressed, being autistic, my body reacts in different ways. So I started shaking and I started crying," he said.

He made multiple attempts to call Centrelink's disability contact line but said he was unable to even get through for at least three hours.

He then called Centrelink's complaints line to explain the situation.

He said that while the staff he spoke with were all very understanding, there seemed to be confusion over how the debt pause would work.

"This has been a theme across the board with my interactions with them over the last week. None of the staff at Centrelink know what's happening," he said.

Mr Jongen's statement said: "We are working hard to implement the pause on debt raising and recovery as announced by the Minister on Friday April 3.

"The debt raised in this case occurred on 2 April, prior to the Minister's announcement, and is now subject to the national pause."

Centrelink expanding call centre capability

Centrelink is hiring staff and redeploying others to help meet extra demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

The coronavirus epidemic will place Australia's welfare agency under unprecedented strain.

It is currently redeploying hundreds of staff to assist in claims processing, and is hiring a large number of new staff.

Some Centrelink staff have also told 7.30 they have concerns over directives to work from their offices.

In an email sent to all staff on Tuesday March 31, they were told: "We are continuing to review our capacity to enable working from home, however our operational requirements mean that for most staff we need you to continue to come to the office at this time."

Staff who were considered to be at higher risk were advised they could discuss working from home or moving to another role.

Centrelink also appears to be increasing its telephone operation systems in centralised buildings.

A large number of Department of Social Services staff were advised in an email last week to vacate their offices.

They were told "later this week we will be converting the majority of the Enid Lyons building into a Services Australia call and processing centre".

"It is important that you take your personal belongings home, and completely clear your desk, because it will be used by others undertaking this important work."

Mr Jongen told 7.30 in a statement: "In response to unprecedented demand, Services Australia has continued to bolster capacity to help more Australians access government support payments.

"There are now more than 6,200 additional staff allocated to call centres and processing, with plans for further staff to be on-boarded soon. These staff will be a mix of current Services Australia employees, broader APS staff joining the agency and newly hired staff

"The wellbeing of our staff and customers is always our top priority. We're working hard to balance the needs of our staff while delivering critical payments to the millions of Australians relying on us."

A spokesman for Mr Robert told 7.30: "For many thousands of Australians, they've never in their life sought assistance from the Government before, so it will be a very new experience for them.

"As a consequence, we've seen unprecedented demand across all Centrelink call centres, shopfronts and myGov, but Services Australia is working to help everybody as quickly as possible."