Since receiving an opaque, but threatening text message from Centrelink in October, I have experienced heighten anxiety levels. First, given my so-called debt relates to 2013, it was at first an ordeal to work out exactly what Centrelink thought I had done wrong. They did not have my current address, as I have not been on Centrelink for at least three years and when I rang said it was impossible to re-send my an correspondence they sent to my previous address.
I have spent days researching this issue and trying to communicate to Centrelink that my casual job as a tutor in 2013 paid irregular amounts per fortnight and in fact most of my payslips read "$0.00". I am currently employed, but have not been paid for the last month over Christmas, through no fault of my own, and that, coupled with Centrelink debt notices has made me very anxious.
I have lodged an appeal that was arbitrarily cancelled, due to IT issues apparently. I only learnt this by ringing Centrelink. I have been waiting for the outcome and received a debt notice in the meantime. I've been told by lawyers this is grounds for a formal complaint. That means that all the time I wasted was for nothing. I have a busy job and it is not easy for me to find the time to fight this decision.
However, I am most worried that Centrelink's long appeal process might stop me from travelling overseas for my work, which a occasionally have to do. This would hurt my career; I feel like I'm being blackmailed.
I'm lucky that my family has helped me financially over Christmas, but I want to pay them back.
I have spent days in vain trying to fix this spurious debt. I have lodged reviews online, only to have the last 'cancelled' without my permission or without review. I have legal advise that this is grounds for a formal complaint. I am lucky that I have all my payslips from 2013, which prove that I only had casual work for a 13 week period, but getting this information to Centrelink is proving onerous. In the meantime, Centrelink wants me to start repaying a debt I don't owe or they will send debt collectors, even while my review is in process. Centrelink has not provided me with the information they have and why they think I've been over paid. If you average the amount I earned in 2013/2014 it comes to $361 a fortnight. If I had only earned that each fortnight, would I not have been eligible for Newstart for a longer period of time??