Centrelink notified my wife and I that we had been overpaid. The sum was $14,500 going back to 2010-2012. We had 38 foster children that we raised over many, many years. When we were notified that we had been over paid we were shocked! We are not rich people. The foster care allowance is not worth the hastle sometimes and its barely enough to make ends meet with the foster kids. The parenting payment made it just a little easier to provide for the children and meet their needs. When Centrelink demanded we pay back that money from 6 years ago, it was quite a blow to us.
I don't know why my wife and I were targeted in this letter writing campaign. This has affected our family, foster kids included to not be able to get the parenting payment again. My question is simply, there are a lot of other people on the dole and all kinds of welfare that are undeserving of such payments. Why not go after them? There are so many people that are doing wrong...why not go after them? It took about 1 1/2 hours on the phone for the mess to be fixed. I don't remember the ladies name that I spoke with, but she was more than helpful. A few days ago, she sent me a letter that said that the matter had been resolved. Still, my wife and I should have not ever been flagged by Centrelink. I am not very happy with what Centrelink is doing.