Go to top of page

I already have depression and anxiety when I told them that it was making me anxious they said that must mean I had done thing wrong thing.

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

After I cancelled my payment they paid me extra money, I was actually entitled to it but they tried to say it was a debt they also tried to pay me money I was not entitled to and refused to stop the payment (even though I was asking them to stop the payment before it happened).

I had to talk to so many people before they would stop it as well as this they did not enter information I gave them and that created an overpayment on the first payment they sent that I informed them of but instead of saying thank you for letting us know and allowing me to pay that back they said they were investigating me even though I gave them all the correct information and they failed to enter it and I was the one that let them know they right away of the error.

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

They have constantly treated me as dirt. If I ask how something is done they tell you several different ways which would all result in different payments so they can't all be right, when you try to clarify some even do not answer the questions but instead ask you questions.

They do not apologize for their mistakes or thank me for letting them know right away of their mistakes.

I have done everything to the best of my ability and correctly and they didn't enter information they were given or at times entered it wrong, or at other times three different people entered the same information in their system three different ways yet every time I ask for them to write down how they calculated it they refuse or say I wouldn't understand it and yet they treat it as my fault if it's not correct even though it's them entering the information.

After I was fed up with their mistakes and treatment and cancelled my payment that I was entitled to they then paid me more after the date I cancelled and tried to say right after that was a debt also which it wasn't because I was only cancelling because I can bare no more of their treatment.

During lockdown they constantly harassed me with SMSs demanding I sign that I will go out and look for jobs even though we were meant to be staying home and doing distance education with our kids. If I called to let them know of this they would say I needed to phone another number and when I called that other number they would say I needed to call the first, and a few of them would say they would cut me off all payments if I didn't sign to say I would go out to look for jobs when we were meant to be in Coronavirus lockdown and doing distance home education.

Even after I cancelled my payment they paid me more and tried to say that was now a debt, then they tried to pay my even more again and when I (before the payment) asked them to not pay me that as asked they refused to stop a payment that was not even made yet. I had to persist phone call after phone call and go in for them to cancel a payment not yet made that I knew I was not eligible for but they refused to not pay me even when I went in they refused to stop a payment coming to me that I never wanted or applied for.
All the while they were treating me like I wanted money they were giving me against my will and wishes after I had cancelled the payment and also tried to tell me the amounts they paid me AFTER I cancelled were now a debt.
I cancelled electronically online and then confirmed on the phone so it makes no sense at all that after that date they were still trying to pay me more money and then say that money was a debt.

The amount of things they have put me through over the years is beyond a joke and I can say I have entered everything from my end to the best of my ability, honestly and correctly. Even now I have cancelled my payment I expect more trouble from them in the future because I was only on centrelink for part of the year (mostly during lockdown) so I expect that will trigger their income average harassment team to harass me until I can explain to them (however many times) to get them to understand that if you are only on a payment for part of the year then what is in your tax return will be more than what was reported to centrelink because you only report when you are on the payment and not when you are not.

I know in my heart I have done everything to the best of my ability honestly and given them all the information requested and they have entered it incorrectly or failed to enter it at all. If there was any other business and they gave you extra money and you went to them and notified them and went to give them their money back they would thank you but centrelink treats you as dirt and investigates you instead.

I have zero faith that if I give Centerlink all the correct information, honestly and to the best of my ability as I always do that it will not all be messed up with huge stress and problems created and with them treating me absolutely horribly just trying to ensure they don't over pay me. They should be thankful for people who quickly notify them of their own mistakes or do everything in their power to stop payments they are not meant to get BEFORE they are made but instead they look for anyway to blame their own mistakes on you and even refused to stop payments you never asked for or applied for or make payments after you cancelled for some bazaar reason then tell you that is now a debt.

When I am trying to fix this and it fixes nothing I pleaded please can you just fix it as this is giving me a lot of anxiety and they said "Well you wouldn't be anxious if you'd done nothing wrong would you?" I actually had done nothing wrong. I actually am the type of person who wouldn't take 1 cent that wasn't mine and who would go back to a shop and give them back the money if someone gave me too much change.
I did everything to the best of my ability and in fact I couldn't even submit the application without providing the information it was them that didn't enter it and paid me the incorrect amount and it was me who notified them as soon as I noticed and instead of thanking me and apologizing for the stressed caused they treated me like this.