Energy giant AGL is disputing $25m fine for wrongly taking welfare money from hundreds as ‘excessive’

<p><strong>Exclusive: </strong>Court documents obtained by Guardian Australia show appeal argues judge was wrong to decide penalty was needed to ‘provoke’ leadership attention</p><ul><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>Energy giant AGL is disputing a “manifestly excessive” $25m fine for using the Centrepay debit system to wrongly take welfare money from hundreds of vulnerable Australians. It argues that a judge should not have used the massive financial penalty to try to “provoke some attention” from the company’s board and executive leadership.</p><p>Late last year, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/20/agl-energy-fine-centrepay-centrelink-welfare-payment-misuse-ntwnfb">federal court imposed</a> the hefty fine and excoriated AGL for wrongly taking money from 483 welfare recipients via Centrepay, the scandal-plagued, government-run system that allows automatic diversion of social security payments to essential services, like electricity bills and rent.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/24/agl-appeal-centrelink-centrpay-fine-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>