Luckily I have a good job, so I'm not that stressed, just extremely annoyed. However, since I haven't had anything to do with Centrelink for 2 years, all attempted correspondence from them was lost in the ether until the debt collectors rang. I didn't get a letter from them due to moving house, and I didn't read the emails they sent me. Why would I? As I said, I hadn't had any reason to be contacted by them for 2 years. My assumption was that was a pay summary from the last financial year I was with them. The next thing I know, I'm getting a phone call from the debt collectors!
My debt comes from the 2013-14 tax year. So I have to dig up payslips from then. Statute of limitations anyone? Since then I've moved house four times. In a surprising show of foresight, I had taken photos of my payslips from that time and emailed them to myself.
Absolutely pissed off. Seriously, if a debt collector can contact me by phone, why the hell can't Centrelink? Considering that negative gearing and capital gains tax costs the economy $7b per year, if you really want to get your money back from people who owe you, try looking at these handouts! Or if you don't want to touch these, try legalising gay marriage! You'll get a LOT more money in the long term than slugging the poorest people in Australia with this problem.