$78,000 Debt for Parenting Payment

Debt amount:

$78000

Date debt issued:

Thursday, 9 March 2017

Period debt occurred:

October 2013

Payment Type:

Parenting Payment

Appealing Debt?:

Yes in process

Tell us about your debt and how has this affected you? e.g. anxiety levels, financial and accommodation stress:

I received the Parenting Payment from July 2006 to Oct 2013.
My husband is a farmer and as such, is director of a family farming partnership.
Centrelink claims that for the entire period I received the Parenting Payment, I was in fact ineligible to receive it due to my husband's share of the farming property.
During this period we continually sent them in forms stating the value of the assets and did so through our accountant.
Centrelink claims that we were over the threshold limit by roughly $100,000.
Have contacted the Social Security Legal Centre who said that any debt over six years old is invalid under Social Security Law but will likely still have to pay some of the amount.
They advised appealing the decision which I will do once I receive the amounts in writing. Am really stressed.

How do you feel about the way the Government has handled this process?:

Centrelink apparently told us when I was on Parenting Payment that this could happen.
I have no recollection of this.
I think the whole action is underhanded given that Centrelink are not legally entitled to pursue debts relating to a period of over six years.
How many people get caught on this one.