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Wrong amount

Debt amount: 
$4500
Date debt issued: 
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
Period debt occurred: 
July 2012 to June 2013
Has your case been referred to a collection agency?: 
No
Payment Type: 
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?: 
Yes & I won
Tell us about your debt and how has this affected you? e.g. anxiety levels, financial and accommodation stress: 

Being unemployed at the time, finalising my fathers estate, looking after my mother and preparing to move interstate in order to find new work, it was very stressful. I will say that the coal face workers had lots of empathy but their hands were tied. I felt that they didn't want to be doing this.

I argued why should I have to prove that I don't have a debt when in business and any other arrangement you have to prove that you do.

They were asking for payslips that were 6 years old, the ATO tells you that you only have to keep tax documentation for 5 years.

I will say, if it wasn't for good family and friends, I would have committed suicide

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

Government handling is appalling.

How many people have taken their own lives because of this. There would have to be many, because I know for a fact that I thought about it a fair few times and I had good support and sympathetic family and friends. Many others don't