Basically our whole parenting payment for two years ($17K) plus incurring a FTB debt last financial year for under- estimating our annual income. When we went for the appointment to claim Parenting payment, my partner was also booked for an appointment for Newstart, which he cancelled on the day in the office because he was starting work the rolling week. At NO stage was I ever told we had to report his earnings fortnightly, otherwise I would have. It's not like I was going on overseas trips with that money. It went on food and rent!
We appealed the debt, which was initially $2K, then they went back and said, no we shouldn't have received any of it. I rang them a couple of times to update my partner's employment details as he changed jobs a couple of times, but of course, they had no record of it. The appointed officer in the appeal wrote and said that though Centrelink had acted in a confusing manner, blah blah blah, it was entirely my fault.
What I am most confused about now is the most recent $3.5 K debt which I got for underestimating our annual income for FTB. I only earned $12K after tax last year which is 13 hundred dollars less than if I were on Newstart. Centrelink stopped paying FTB for a few months, saying or combined income was too much, then started again in July last year. Then when I recently updated our annual income to way more than we will actually earn, to compensate getting ANOTHER debt this year, they keep paying me FTB! It doesn't make sense. We earned less last year and incur a debt, and they stop payments, and we over estimate for this year and they keep paying!! I don't believe I should have this most recent debt. I don't believe it was entirely my fault for the Parenting payment debt either, but we appealed and lost. I'm so scared of getting another debt. Considering calling them tomorrow, but I'm so confused, I don't even know where to start.
The amount of stress this has put on me and my family is very sad. I feel anxious, demoralised, poor, like drinking more, stressed out, I feel like I've aged 20 years. I've never been in debt before to anyone and I used to take pride in that.
I feel like the Government don't give a toss about the majority of everyday people. They don't have to. Only one term in Parliament and you are set for life! Meanwhile, it is always, always the hard working, genuine folk who are just trying to make ends meet, the aged, families and students who continually do it hard every day, because we keep getting the short end of the stick.
I think Centrelink's online and telephone services are pathetic. You get locked out online and can't access anything, or have to wait for hours on the phone or in person, only to be told that "this department doesn't deal with that department, and yes we might be confusing, but it is still your fault, and oh you should have bought in this slip of paper from 1845" and whatever other runaround. And that's if they don't accidentally hang up on you! I believe a mass class action is in order. Let's recoup some billions from politician's salaries. The only one who should get anything remotely ongoing should be the Prime Minister. $250K annually should suffice!