I do not agree with their claim

Debt amount:

$240

Date debt issued:

Monday, 19 December 2016

Period debt occurred:

July 2013

Has your case been referred to a collection agency?:

Yes

Payment Type:

Newstart Allowance

Appealing Debt?:

Yes in process

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

They have claimed that I earned 550 dollars in one day (1st July, 2013) which is not true. I worked for 2 weeks for a company then resigned and was paid wages after 1st July, 2013. My work dates reach back into June of that year. This has led centrelink to believe that I was paid more for tax year 2012/13. They have claimed that a payment of 240 given to me in 2013 was an overpayment. I do not agree with their claim.

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

Cheated. I asked to speak to an Authorised Review Officer in early January. I received a receipt number for this request. No contact was made with me by Centrelink and they have already taken 66 percent of the alleged debt back out of my Newstart Allowance from the past two payments. They intend recovering the remaining 60 dollars (although they say the amount is 80 dollars, bad calculation on their part) from my next Newstart payment on 30th Jan, 2017.