NotMyDebt Stories
We are collecting stories on the site because we think it's important to have a way to people to add their voice to this issue by sharing their story. It's puts a human voice to the issues with using technology and automating systems and providing a blanket solution without providing staff and people that can right wrongs and help people when there is an error.
Please share your story with us if you have a Centrelink debt story that you believe has been issued in error or due to a fault in the system.
As frustrating as it is, persist with the appeals process, and know others are behind you.
Stories are 100% anonymous
This has made me into a nervous wreck. This is the third time centrelink has said I owe them but I strongly believe this claim is false. I have previously paid back a centrelink loan after finally getting of youth allowance and I had to pay back some money to ato after submitting my tax return incorrectly.
I took my debt letter, tax returns and payslips to my tax agent; they have been in the business for 40 years.
The tax agents cannot fathom how I owe this money since I was earning so little whilst at uni.
Fuck these pricks... They are doing the wrong thing here.
I am devastated by this debt. I have given on ever working again and the repayments from my current centrleink payment have left me homeless and unable to afford to live with any dignity. I continue to be regularly cut off from my benefit even though I am homeless and studying via distance education.
This fake, false debt has resulted in me having 100’s of phone calls from debt collectors. Sometimes 15 per week at all hours including weekends. This constant harassment means that I am filled with dread every time I hear my phone ring. Multiple letters sent in the mail means I’m filled with fear every time I see a letter in my mailbox.
Received this letter the other day. High levels over anxiety coming in. I was working as a sessional teacher at the time which was only about 8-12 hours a week. Pay was fortnightly and I am sure I was reporting everything correctly. I have not worked at that school for quite some time and have no payslips as it was from 4-5 years ago.
I've posted previously about my debt (http://notmydebt.com.au/stories/notmydebt-stories/robo-debt-return-beaur...). It was resolved some time ago now and I wanted to update my story.
I am currently working full time as a nurse in aged care I am also studying my bachelor's I automatically started paying my so called debt because I was hassled by a debt collector and I couldn't get any information of when I was supposed to have owed the debt and now I get a letter from centrelink wanting my wage information from all
This has been going on so long, and I'm at the end of my tether with it. There was overpayment debt from 2015-2016 that went to the AAT, I lost and I cannot believe that they did not even take into consideration the underpayment of $1200 from 2016-2017.
I had a debt for failure to report, even though I was locked out for reporting. It was raised a year later without my knowledge. The first I knew was when debt collectors were calling me. This was quite disturbing and also time consuming to retract the debt. The debt however was completely covered by income credits.
They say this debt occurred when I was working casually as a teacher. There are periods where I worked and earned good income, but then school holiday periods where I didn’t work and so had no income and got Newstart.
It was when I was in a women's shelter for two weeks and was told I wouldn't have to worry about anything money wise as I used that one fortnight payment to escape, years later they alleged I incorrectly claimed whilst 'still with a partner' when it was supposed to be waived due to circumstances, and then as I was assumed par
I was working casually >20hrs &>200 weekly wage - in that time Frame they told me I wasn’t earning much and so I didn’t have to report for this and now they say I didn’t report so I have to pay back.
Centerlink claims I owe 15,000 dollars from an over payment they claim they paid me. I am currently bankrupt due to my son needing money as he was ill when he was in Sydney and I helped him out financially.
This has meant that I can't move out, I can't save money, and all because I was given the wrong information by centrelink when applying.
I thought it was a scam; i had completely phoned it in and payed half while i was trying to organise the information but in the end they just changed my tax return to the exact amount owed. trying to fight it now but what the government did is sickening.
I got a letter in my mygov just over a month ago saying that there were inaccuracies between my reports to centrelink vs ATO & I would need to provide payslips from every week worked for that entire financial year.
I'm currently overseas and received the dreaded email saying I had new mygov messages. I had submitted my payslips to them for 2014-2015 and had hoped that had been enough. In 2015 after I started getting Austudy they accused me of misleading them and made me start to pay it all back ($7k) while I was contesting their decision.
I got my debt whilst studying 2 yr diploma it went for 2 yrs but everyone but a few finished and as its actually 2yrs we got approved to do the rest online or come in to class and study there online which would of been roughly 6 months of work and work placement if that and i would of been graduated they only rung me and said.i jad to get.on ne
I received a letter on MyGov a month ago requiring me to confirm my income for July 2017 to June 2018 - the period I was receiving Youth Allowance while studying and working part time.
I stopped Centrelink over a year ago as I started working . Last month they told me I owed $890 due to wrongful reporting on my behalf which I knew wasn’t true. Had to get payslips from all of 2018 which bought it down to $760 I ignored it for a little bit, and got bombarded with random phone calls from Milton and Graham asking me to pay.
Very depressed and stressed. Because of this supposed debt from 2015/2016 they took my family tax benefit and child care subsidy for this year .. on their version of what o earnt in 2016, they have two different names for the one employer and other discrepancies but I was too scared to Appel and just entered a payment plan.
I feel so much stress and anger regarding this "debt". They claim I owe them $3000 in oce rf payments, AFTER paying back $1300 years ago. AND they make me provide pay slips and info that THEY SHOULD ALREADY HAVE!! I will take this fight to the end.
I was on Youth Allowance due to having to move out of home at a young age in 2013, and pay my own bills while going to High School. I was then told in 2015 that i had to pay back everything i was ever paid by centrelink due to not being enrolled in an educational institution when i was.
Debt has been reducting for the past 4 years now few weeks ago it got rubbed of where i couldnt see on my account now they have taken the rest $1700 that was left from my family tax bemefir supplement with out any explanations and i already have been paying back slowly what i can afford