I have not received centrelink since 2014. On January 12, I got a centrelink sms, telling me to check my 'my gov' account. When the website finally let me login, I discovered $2615.52 debt owing.
After a weekend of STRESSING and a useless trip to the local centrelink branch, I rang the compliance team, who were very helpful. They told me the debt was calculated because I didn't 'complete the income assessment request, sent to my 'my gov' inbox, which I have no need to ever check. The debt occurred because centrelink calculated my income for that year and it looked too great an amount (when averaged into 26 weeks), to claim benefits. Thankfully I had kept an employment separation certificate, which proved that I was not earning while receiving centrelink and also corresponding bank statements.
On one occasion when sorting out this mess, I was wrongly transferred from the very helpful compliance team, to another department. I spoke to a women who insisted I should start paying back the money now. Without my permission and without me giving her any of my bank details, she told me that she could see I had enough in my account, should I want to pay the debt in full. SCARY. When I told her I just wanted more information, she casually asked whether I worked and where I worked. When I answered, she said she had 'noted that', in case she needed a contact at a later date. She told me that I would need to go back to my old employer and ask for every pay slip given in the time that the debt occurred. By the end of the conversation I was in tears and feeling despondent about the situation. I was exhausted trying to explain that while receiving centrelink, I was NOT working, so how on earth could I supply non-existent pay slips, and what would the payslips prior to commencing centrelink prove?
To add salt to the wound, I had been entitled to 'Job Commitment Bonuses' of $2500, after a years employment, and $4000 more, another year later. My stupid pride stopped me from claiming these. After realising the debt, I unsuccessfully tried to claim these bonuses, in order to pay Centrelink back with their own money, but the cut off time had lapsed by days.
Since dealing with this issue, the debt amount on the centrelink website has reduced to zero. I still haven't received a letter confirming this, in fact, I have received no letters this entire time. I am unable to access 'my gov' because it never seems to work.
I am lucky that I kept some documentation from 2013. The reason I initiated New Start in 2013 was because I suffered from severe depression. This experience left me feeling drained and powerless as a person and an Australian citizen. Knowing now, how centrelink does their calculations, must surely reduce the incentive for recipients to find work. They must feel frightened that beginning work and becoming independent, will result in false debt.
The government has handled this badly. The whole process is flawed and leaves vulnerable people powerless. The concept is undemocratic and totalitarian.
The only reason they are getting away with it, is because we all comply out of fear. Public sentiment in general, is poor towards centrelink recipients. This doesn't help in keeping the government accountable in this situation.