Residents impacted by the Robodebt scheme urged to register for class action

Then-treasurer Scott Morrison was the architect of the Robodebt scheme, which targeted millions of Australians over four years, to extract $1.5 billion in debts from students, pensioners and other welfare recipients.

"This was an illegal program and the Morrison Government has been forced to pay back more than 370,000 people a total of $721 million, so far," Ms Templeman said.

"When Shadow Minister for Government Services and the NDIS, Bill Shorten, joined me online for a virtual town hall on June 30, he said 60,000 people had joined a class action against the government over this scheme.

"As Mr Shorten said, the Morrison Government has been forced to announce it will refund the population of Wollongong and Newcastle combined. It's almost the population of Tasmania.

Mr Shorten said the scheme "is not just unfair but I think it's illegal".

"There's 60,000 people who've registered, and as a result of the class action with Gordon Legal, that's going to go to court on September 21 or thereabouts," Mr Shorten said.

"I would just say to anyone in the community; give Gordon Legal a ring. If this government says it owes people $721 million, call me a bit cynical but that means they owe more than that.

"Don't be shy about registering. There is no cost to registering in the class action."

Ms Templeman said that this was massive and thanked Mr Shorten on behalf of the Robodebt victims in Macquarie for the work he has done to expose the scheme.

"It has caused so much grief, and I have been approached by people in our community who have said they are so pleased there could be some justice for those who were wrongly targeted," she said.

Anyone who wants to register for the class action should visit https://gordonlegal.com.au/robodebt-class-action/ for more information.