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FTB, single, maintenance, working

Debt amount: 
$5500
Date debt issued: 
Saturday, 1 July 2017
Period debt occurred: 
June 2018
Has your case been referred to a collection agency?: 
No
Payment Type: 
Family Tax Benefit
Appealing Debt?: 
No
Tell us about your debt and how has this affected you? e.g. anxiety levels, financial and accommodation stress: 

Opted to be in NIL rate of FTB for whole financial year as was not sure what income was to be... did my tax return and centrelink reconciliated my payment and I got a top up.
November that year I had a debt letter.... Around $5,500.. I rang up and no one could tell me how, So i got online and asked why... still no response, I rang twice after that... Finally..... I was told it was a maintenance debt.. I said hang about, I waited all year and got nothing, YOU reconciled after I did my tax... And the bloke told me it was due to my ex income!! I said how the hell do I know what his income is!!! Why didn't Centrelink wait for his income before handing out 8 grand to me after my tax was done!!! shouldnt be my fault.. but it fell on deaf ears and I was told kind of too bad... after all this, I found out my ex was 4 tax return s behind. So just wondering how those other years were reconciled..

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

Pathetic... Should never have fully reconciled my payments.. so what I would have to wait.. I would have been happy to wait and be paid correctly.... So this year I've just cancelled my FTB and I'll put in a claim next year.. as late as possible to try and avoid it... Mind U they weren't keen to even cancel my payment!! I was like, well im not copping another debt this year!!