throughout this ordeal everyone around me has suffered, not just me. Teary, anxious, often a huge sense of futility overcame me, and the worst part- the waiting. The lost DAYS on the phone, which amount to 8-9 days in full, 5 hour wait times, being passed from department to department. We all owe money, whether it be to utilities, loans, fees, or even insurances, but I have NEVER reacted to a debt notice the way I did to this one. If you are still on parenting payments they have access immediately to your sole way of supporting yourself and your child/ children, and garnish. My debt was reduced to $500 ONLY after I requested FOUR reassessments. I also requested ALL payments made by Centrelink to me during these two years and their pay periods and pay dates. The error was immediately noticeable to me- the pay amounts had been entered incorrectly and reversed for the period that I returned to work. THIS and this alone was a potential problem, as the parenting payments were incorrect. This did not generate the debt notice though. The fact that I could not enter data correctly at the time of the compliance collection was WHY the debt was generated as the system simply annualised my pay. Pay periods did not match, monthly to fortnightly as required by the system made it virtually impossible to enter the pays correctly. It took many service officers to break my pay slips down day by day in order for them to MANUALLY override the system and finally enter them correctly. I had an accountant friend do this for me already, so we knew what the figure should have been and I appealed and appealed until they finally 'got it'. My debt changed four times over the two months and went up and down like a yo-yo- the next person to assess it came up with a different debt. Unacceptable.
Centelink always send out overpayment and underpayment letters. That's the norm. This system is by no means any way to inform or discuss any form of debt with ANY human being.
Appalling and degrading.
If a utility company produced a bill of $13000 for gas consumption, It would be suspended until all queries into the debt were exhausted. I would not be sent a debt collection notice, I would not be disconnected, I would not be made to feel like a liar. And yet, Centrelink can simply produce a debt with absolutely no evidence of one, no supporting documents (i,e pay periods of benefits, or pay dates) and can enforce the debt to be recovered prior to any consultation with the client.
Call the compliance line on 1800 086 400, to get faster responses- not the Centrelink line.
Ask for all pay periods and pay dates of any benefits paid for the debt period.
Get pay slips where you can.
Demand an extension.
Prepare your own spreadsheet if you can.
Do NOT accept any debt until you are clear that they are clear WHY, WHEN AND HOW the debt happened, appeal appeal appeal.
and
Call your FEDERAL MP or SENATOR. don't call a Liberal person. Call a Labour representative. They're the one's openly opposing the system. They will make a call on your behalf and put pressure on Centrelink to handle your case with respect and speediness.