It's always stressful getting a letter from centrelink because it's never good. When I opened the letter saying that I had to pay back over $300 (which is small compare to some) my heart sunk.
However I found my payslips (what I had) my payg slip and ato amount and went into centerlink to sort it because I couldn't see a difference. They directed me to how to correct it online. Still the numbers were all the same. But I did tick the box saying that personal issues may account for a difference as I didn't get my payslips at the same time as reporting. I left thinking it was all sorted.
On the 19/12/16 received a letter saying i still owed the money. Off to centrelink again. A lot of people, more than my last vist, trying to work out what was going on. I demanded to see where the difference was. And how much and when this difference happened. Got told to call. I did manage to get a couple of nice people but they said there was a difference of $1300 between what I reported and what the ATO had on record. I couldn't believe it. I might have been a few hundred accidently out but not that much. I asked for a record of what I reported for that time period and have called my employer to see if I can get my payslips from the time period so I can compare them. Not that the dates are even in a financial year?! However I have to start a payment plan of $30/fortnight to start paying it back.
I haven't been on centrelink for the last 7months as my partner earnt too much and cancelled out my payment. But he lost his job before Christmas and with all this going on I refuse to go back on it.
I have had depression on and off for 10 years. I have never fully relapsed until this week trying to sort it out. I am thinking about suicide.
I work two casual jobs. One sets my anxiety off but i can't afford to leave. I earn $190/week. My rent is $155/week which leaves $35. Take out what I pay on for that debt $15/ week. I have $20 spare a week for food, bills, petrol, not to mention medication that now I haven't got a health care card I can't afford. So don't take it.
My heart won't stop beating fast and I can't sleep and like I said suicidal because I can't see a way out.
Very poorly and hypocritical. How dare they go after the most vulnerable people in the community when they are taking trips at our expanse and able to afford multiple houses. They would not how live the way we do. Trying to make ends meet each week. Wondering what we are going to go without this week to keep a roof over our head.
We aren't all drug addicted alcoholics abusing our children. We are the working poor and sometimes you wonder if the government is just trying to make us dissappear (either by starvation or suicide) by making it impossible for us to live.