Social Security (Administration) Act 1999

If a person is convicted of an offence against section 217, the court may:

impose a penalty in respect of the offence; and

order the person to pay the Commonwealth an amount equal to any amount paid by way of social security payment because of the act, failure or omission that constituted the offence.

In spite of anything in the social security law or any other law, a person is not to be imprisoned for failing to pay an amount payable to the Commonwealth under paragraph (1)(b).