Debt started with threatening calls talking about amounts as high as $6000.
After I provided bank statements as payslips were unavailable the debt reduced to $600, and then was revised down to $540.
This process took six months, hours of time and a lot of stress. At no time did I manage to speak to the same person twice at Centrelink.
Centrelink incorrectly calculated my gross fortnightly income based on the net income shown in my bank statements. They did not use the Australian Tax Office NAT1006 Fortnightly Tax Tables to convert net to gross, instead they used the same annualised method which they had used to incorrectly calculate my debt in the first place.
After six months I managed to have Centrelink look at the correct method of income calculation and provided them with five of twelve payslips which I managed to wrangle from an outsourced payroll company from four years ago. I received a call to inform me the the debt had been incorrectly applied and was wiped to $0.
The government wasted my time and put ridiculous amounts of stress on me over paying back debts that I never incurred.
No apology, no assistance.