Brett, from Sydney, was told by Centrelink on Thursday that he'd been overpaid and that he owed them $2360.06. They cited two periods in the past, one in 2013 and another from mid-2014 to mid-2015, when they claim he'd been working and therefore not entitled to benefits.
The problem is, though, the 2013 period was before he'd ever even applied for Centrelink payments.
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Brett said he has been trying to contact Centrelink since yesterday, calling at least 30 times, but each time the line is busy. As HuffPost Australia reported on Thursday, some people are calling Centrelink hundreds of times before the line even connects.
"The government is dealing with this, it's like they're lying, they're evading the reality of the situation. They're saying the first letters aren't debt letters, and that's true, but as soon as you update your details you're hit with it and there's no way around it," he said.
"You're guilty until proven innocent. I'm really pissed off about this. Where's the sense in trying to take advantage of the disadvantaged, when there's major corporations paying no tax?"