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this did not help my illness

Debt amount: 
$8900
Date debt issued: 
Saturday, 12 May 2018
Period debt occurred: 
October 2013 to June 2014
Has your case been referred to a collection agency?: 
No
Payment Type: 
Parenting Payment
Tell us about your debt and how has this affected you? e.g. anxiety levels, financial and accommodation stress: 

They told me I owe $9000 as I didn’t report my income correctly and I should not have claimed maternity leave and single parent payment. I was also told not to bother appealing as I had no hope of getting anywhere as 100% of cases get rejected. I was told I can not prove my case.

I was embarrassed, stressed and many other emotional stages I went through.
I wasted a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of it by contacting my previous employer and explaining it to them also was very embarrassing and I felt like a criminal.

Centrelink then took almost $7000 from me over the next 12 months to pay it back and they charged me $762 in fees for it.
I have lupus and this did not help my illness or my financial situation being a single mum with two little boys and trying to pay a mortgage etc

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

Unsure I just want my money back now