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About 34,000 pensioners have been stripped of their concession cards after a Centrelink crackdown. But Labor claims that in some cases computer errors have led to some pensioners wrongly being asked to tear up their cards. The social security agency has written to 34,000 pensioners after a new computer system, which analyses changes in income and assets, found they were no longer entitled to the cards. The cards reap savings on a range of services of between $750 and $1000 a year. The letters came after a review of about 37,000 pensioners found 15,400 had received almost $39 million to which they were not entitled. Opposition families spokesman Wayne Swan said wrong computer coding of Centrelink client data had led to some eligible pensioners wrongly being asked to tear up their cards. "On the information provided, many frail and elderly customers will not know if their cards have been cancelled correctly or because of these data problems," Mr Swan said. Mr Swan said the government was demonstrating double standards by asking for the concession cards to be torn up, while allowing some families to keep $600 a child bonuses erroneously paid last month. "The Government is clawing back an average of $2500 per pensioner for debts caused by its own failure over seven years to regularly check the accuracy of the payments it makes," Mr Swan said. "Now it is tearing up 34,000 pensioner concession cards before their expiry dates in an unprecedented crackdown on Australia's elderly and disabled." He said that while no-one expected to be paid more than what they were entitled to, they should be treated equally and fairly. The Government aims to save $241 million in four years through a boost in its social security compliance reviews. Comment was being sought from Larry Anthony, the minister responsible for Centrelink administration.
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