When a Bendigo aged care facility decided to change its name, a simple re-brand was probably the only thing on the board’s mind.
But the decision – inadvertently – set in motion a series of events that left one of its former employees owing $2558 to Centrelink.
At least that’s what Rob K and his accountant have since discovered.
He was one of the tens of thousands of Australians to receive a Centrelink debt recovery letter in the second half of 2016 as part of an automated nationwide audit.
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After providing evidence of the mistake, his debt was knocked down to $590. But he now had an accountant’s bill of $1200.
“It was very taxing emotionally, to the point where you decide you can put up with $590. You just want it to go away,” Rob said.
“The whole system needs to be scrapped and re-started. People are now thinking that enough is enough."