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NotMyDebt Stories

We are collecting stories on the site because we think it's important to have a way to people to add their voice to this issue by sharing their story. It's puts a human voice to the issues with using technology and automating systems and providing a blanket solution without providing staff and people that can right wrongs and help people when there is an error. 

Please share your story with us if you have a Centrelink debt story that you believe has been issued in error or due to a fault in the system. 

As frustrating as it is, persist with the appeals process, and know others are behind you. 

Stories are 100% anonymous

Debt amount:
$127
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Unknown
Date debt issued:
15 December 2016

I was stressed already when I got the letter. I had just lost my job and got that letter and another saying I'd be no longer getting Family Tax Benefit all within a few days.

Debt amount:
$744
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
6 December 2016

Battling a $744 debt from Centrelink, they sent the letter to a wrong address that I hadn't lived in for 6 years, so had to start paying the debt immediately without even having it reassessed as I didn't have a chance to.

Debt amount:
$4500
Payment Type:
Austudy
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
2 January 2017

I returned to uni to study medicine after 10 years of full time work (and tax paying). I claimed Austudy in order to pay rent and eat. My situation was very complex and it took many hours of phone calls, centerlink visits to have my claim approved. I then ensure I reported every bit of income to them in order to avoid any issues like this.

Debt amount:
$1350
Payment Type:
Youth Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
I don't know how to
Date debt issued:
10 October 2016

It was a real shock when my mother received a letter stating I owe 1350 and if it wasn't rectified in 14 days it would go to a debt collector. So when I received her phone call I was outraged.

Debt amount:
$2788
Payment Type:
Family Tax Benefit
Appealing Debt?:
I don't know how to
Date debt issued:
4 November 2016

It's all connected to my 2014/15 tax return when I worked two jobs for half the year. I have not lodged my return because I owe money I can't afford ($7K) and don't agree with the return my accountant prepared.

Debt amount:
$2411
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
25 November 2016

$2,400 alleged debt from two periods in 2014 and 2015. One period i was receiving no centrelink money, the other i had just started work and am fairly certain i had an income bank built up which would explain the entire debt. No one has provided any of this information I would need to check this so I am in limbo.

Debt amount:
$7000
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes but I lost

I am a 28 year old male. When I was 16 years old Centrelink gave me a debt for $7000 for an apparent over-payment. They made the claim that I had intentionally received a higher amount of pay than I was eligible for.

Debt amount:
$7100
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
31 July 2013

I first recieved a text message from Centrelink at approx 2.30 am, thinking it was a Nigerian scam I posted my thoughts on Facebook. It was not flattering. I got a bit worried after recieving a message telling me to check my Mygov account for mail. After finally giving in, I found that I had a letter of debt approx, 7.1k.

Debt amount:
$300
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
17 October 2016

I was already stressed when I got the letter that they were reviewing my records in case I owed them money and I had to verify some info from 6 years ago. How am I supposed to do that? Trying to login to myGov wasted my whole afternoon with no success so I phoned Centrelink. Highly stressed and anxious at this stage.

Debt amount:
$4700
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
27 October 2016

Got a letter saying I need to confirm my income..so I had to register online to deal with it and that was a major headache after 4 trips to centrelink and numerous phonecalls I finally register online but it was to late and a letter came saying I owe $4700 are you kidding me there's no way I ever got overpaid nearly 5 grand this has caused

Debt amount:
$10900
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes but I lost
Date debt issued:
1 December 2016

Suicidal, once antidepressants and medications from back injury are paid, there's not much more than $5.00 a week left to live was on workcover from 2012

Debt amount:
$2500
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes & I won
Date debt issued:
16 November 2016

I was shocked to get a text saying I had a new letter from Centrelink. Had to set up myGov to check it out and had to do a compliance check as there was a discrepancy. Did the check and 13 days later I had a $2500 debt that was due in 14 days. I stressed and cried and caused major financial worries. Where was I going to get the money.

Debt amount:
$349
Payment Type:
Disability Support Pension
Appealing Debt?:
I don't know how to
Date debt issued:
20 December 2016

Anxiety levels, financial stress.

Debt amount:
$6100
Payment Type:
Sickness Benefit
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
27 October 2016

I am currently appealing my "online generated debt" for the 6th time. The first five appeals have resulted in fluctuating debt totals between $0 and $10200. No two decisions have arrived at the same conclusion.

Debt amount:
$5600
Payment Type:
Youth Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
29 December 2016

I was already in a dark place with anxiety so opening this letter sent me off the hook. To make it worse I'm a uni student with a job that can only provide 3 shifts a week. The debt is from 2012-2013, I was in and out of hospital with serious mental healthy issues... how could you have over paid me $5600 and I some how spend it...

Debt amount:
$2460
Payment Type:
Austudy
Appealing Debt?:
Yes but I lost
Date debt issued:
11 January 2016

This is what happened to me, and I am one of those people who keeps record of all payslips and letters from Centrelink even those over 6 years ago, proof I was honest.
At first I thought the debt letter I received in the mail was a scam, Centrelink didn't have my married name or my current address.

Debt amount:
$567
Payment Type:
Youth Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
13 December 2016

One assessment says I owe money, had it reassessed and recieved letter saying I owe nothing and to do nothing further, but debt still existed on my account. Had to pay it by the 12/1/17 or pay 7% interest. They are now manually assessing it to hopefully get the credits applied that the computer system can't seem to apply to the debt.

Debt amount:
$1200
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
7 January 2017

At the heart of what they are saying is that I'm a liar, a thief and a cheat. With another review under way, I'm feel like I'm just delaying another argument with them because regardless of what proof I can show them all they have to say is their computer says different.

Debt amount:
$1400
Payment Type:
Parenting Payment
Appealing Debt?:
Yes & I won
Date debt issued:
21 December 2016

I have a 2 month old son and a partner who has gastric issues preventing him from working at the moment. We are both 19. It caused fights and almost destroyed my family, my anxiety and depression was horrible, especially since we were unable to contact anyone until January of this year.

Debt amount:
$50000
Payment Type:
Parenting Payment
Appealing Debt?:
I don't know how to
Date debt issued:
1 June 2016

Well....where do I start. I meet a man when I was 20 and ended up having a child to him. Now not my shining moment but he was living at a caravan park & I was living with my mother. He moved to qld I stayed in NSW till my child was 3 months old. Saw that rentals were extremely cheaper up here and I could actually make a life up here.

Debt amount:
$376
Payment Type:
Parenting Payment
Appealing Debt?:
Yes but I lost

Had temporary work in 2011. When this work finished, I contacted CL as my husband & I were under severe financial pressure. He had been on sick benefits for some time due to a medical condition that they could not identify. I was concerned for the health of my family.

Debt amount:
$32000
Payment Type:
Youth Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes but I lost
Date debt issued:
26 October 2015

I received the "income reported does not match your tax return" notice in October 2015 regarding youth allowance I'd claimed between September 2011 and October 2013.

Debt amount:
$10000
Appealing Debt?:
Yes but I lost
Date debt issued:
22 December 2016

The CSA has been using this algorithm for years on unsuspecting non custodial parents... They have sent many to ruin and suicide already.. Now I am happy they are using it on unemployed and they can feel the hopelessness of dealing with these pigs as many at the CSA have been doing for years..

Debt amount:
$6000
Payment Type:
Newstart Allowance
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
21 December 2016

My stress and anxiety is through the roof at the moment and I have no money to my name, because I work a casual job which I might work a whole week then the next week have barely anything on, the debt collectors tried to push the debt onto my partner who has never been involved with Centrelink and we are struggling to keep a roof under our heads

Debt amount:
$1500
Payment Type:
Austudy
Appealing Debt?:
Yes in process
Date debt issued:
25 May 2016

In March of 2016 I dropped units and became a part-time student. I know this effects payments so I changed my study load on the app. I did this before AUSTUDY payments came out. Apparently I did not give them enough notice, I received the payment and thought 'ok well that's nice, I still get money for being part-time'.

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