I am paying the debt which I cannot afford and if I think about money I just feel ill

Debt amount:

$5500

Date debt issued:

Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Period debt occurred:

September 2010 to September 2012

Payment Type:

Newstart Allowance

Appealing Debt?:

Yes in process

Tell us about your debt and how has this affected you? e.g. anxiety levels, financial and accommodation stress:

I am currently on Newstart unemployed and caring for an elderly relative and at risk of homelessness as I am couch surfing with relatives. Initially the distress, when the system calculated my debt, was overwhelming I felt alone and sick. Once I realised that everyone who has been on Centrelink with a fluctuating income since 2010 were getting caught I realised that it must be a system error and calmed down. I am paying the debt which I cannot afford and if I think about money I just feel ill.

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

Dreadfully. They are frightening people to death. I am lucky I had a great employer at the time but am concerned that they may not still have wage slips for that far back as they are only required to keep them for 5 years. I reported my earnings in good faith and accurately as I could (reporting dates and pay dates did not match). I was hoping that the Minister would see there is an error and intervene but it seems that neither Tudge or Porter are overly concerned.