'My baby was sick when my bank account emptied overnight. The government was behind it.'

Thanks to our brand partner, SBS ON DEMAND

In the scorching heat of 2017, a quiet storm was brewing.

The federal government's Online Compliance Intervention scheme was quietly introduced to overhaul the Centrelink welfare system. The automated system, which would become known as "Robodebt", would tear through the lives of Australians, targeting some of the nation's most vulnerable.

Over almost four years, around 433,000 Australians were chased to repay debts they may never have owed — many of them created through flawed income averaging.

The scheme was found to be unethical and illegal. It led to legal challenges, a royal commission and would become known as one of Australia's most devastating political scandals.

A new three-part docu-drama streaming on SBS on Demand, The People vs Robodebt, delves into the human stories behind the scheme — from victims sharing their experiences for the first time to the investigative journalists, dedicated lawyers and Centrelink employees who bravely challenged the system.

Watch: The official trailer of The People vs Robodebt. Post continues after video.

The series doesn't just evoke feelings of anger, grief and outrage; it also highlights the resilience of people who stood up to a government that forgot it was there to serve the public.

Among those impacted was Felicity Button, whose life was turned upside down in 2017.

The nurse and young mum had taken her sick baby girl to a doctor as she was suffering from an upper respiratory infection, bronchitis and tonsillitis. But when she went to pay the doctor's fee, her card declined.

That was when she discovered $11,571 had been taken from her account.       

"I was just in shock," Felicity told Mamamia. "I don't remember everything, but I do remember standing there, apologising to the receptionist because people were waiting behind me. I just kept saying sorry, and I was shaking."

"After I realised the money wasn't there, I called Centrelink, and they said that they couldn't help me."

Centrelink had referred her to a debt collector, but wouldn't say which company it was.

Their response left her even more confused.

Felicity had first found out about her debt in 2016 after her daughter was born prematurely. She asked Centrelink for a reassessment, but they refused her one.

Instead, they offered her a payment plan, which she took.

"I didn't really contest that I owed a debt," she explained. "I just wondered why it was so high, because I didn't agree with the amount. But I felt like I couldn't really fight them — they're a lot smarter than me. They know their numbers. I don't."

Felicity thought she was still on that payment plan as she stood in the doctor's office staring at her drained bank account.

In shock, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, Felicity called her bank, who gave her the name of the debt collector involved.

"I called [the debt collector] and they said 'Well sorry, but you owe this money' and so I burst into tears on the phone."

"I was looking at my daughter in the rear-view mirror in her car seat. Her face was all red because she was sick, and she was sucking on her dummy like there was no tomorrow. I just thought, 'You know, you'd be better off without a mother than with me as one.'"

"I was in shock, and I remember telling them that I might as well just drive my car off the road, because my daughter would be better off with my life insurance than with a mother who can't afford her rent, medications or food."

Her distress seemed to cut through to the person on the other end of the line because they transferred her to a supervisor. That supervisor said they would put the money back into the account and reinstate the payment plan.

Felicity later found she was targeted by a debt collector because of a "clerical error".

"They had ticked the wrong box," she explained.

Even though she got a swift refund, the damage was done. The fear that her entire livelihood could vanish in an instant had taken hold.

"It was so easy for them. With one error, in a press of a button, they were able to destroy my financial being," she said. "That is a terrifying thought."

"I tried to push it aside and just keep going, but I found myself checking my Centrelink app obsessively for the next few months… I wasn't going to let myself get caught out again."

Earlier this month, the Government reached an agreement to settle an appeal from the original Robodebt class action settlement. Under the agreement, the Commonwealth would provide $475 million in compensation to class action members affected by the Robodebt scheme. The settlement is subject to approval by the Federal Court.

If approved by the Court, this would be the largest class action settlement in Australian history.

Felicity was an instrumental part of the lawsuit.

"The reason I kept going with it was because I thought surely this scheme was illegal," she explained. "I always knew it would be successful. I just didn't know how successful it would be."

Felicity was eventually told her debt was inaccurate, and she had never owed it. She has never received compensation for what she went through.

"This wasn't about me and my financial situation. This was completely based on ethics, and they were unethical and unlawful," she said.

"I'm so, so happy for the other participants who had their money returned and whose debts were found to be illegitimate. I'm proud we were able to help them, and proud to have been a part of that."

The Federal Government paused Robodebt in 2019 after being advised that income averaging was not lawful, and the scheme was officially scrapped the following year.

Start streaming all episodes of The People vs Robodebt on SBS On Demand from September 24, 2025.

If you or anyone you know needs to speak with an expert, please contact your GP or in Australia, contact Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636), all of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7.

Feature Image: SBS on Demand.

The human story behind one of Australia's greatest political scandals. The People vs Robodebt. Now streaming on SBS On Demand.