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#NotMyDebt Shared Stories

2 year battle; it’s no longer just about me.

The initial debt amount was sent just before Christmas, due at the end of December 2016.
Many others received notices at that time.
No ‘human’ consideration was shown in the timing of these demand letters. It was extremely stressful.

I spent around 15 hours on the phone and sourcing information to prove my case; that there was no debt.
I received numerous letters, calls and texts from debt collection agencies, letters of demand, and threats of ‘add on’ charges, if the amount was not paid.

Suffocating

I was initially told I owed close to $13,000.
Then the compliance line operator worked out that it was $2,300 - mind you, this was after I produced my payslips and had to chase them up to review them!

What a fucking joke

email received to my mum as she was dealing with my issues at the time, home detention, and stating i had a 3600 debt, what a joke as i couldn't work and was on home D, and the was subsequently suspended from centrelink because i started WORK again the idiots.

and the guy who i rang on 1800 dial a crook had all the details in front of him and i questioned the facts before him and had him a bit dumbfounded.

this was amusing to myself infact.

was required to supply payslips from nearly 4 years ago...... RIGHTIO.
i have some but not all.

Stressed to the max

I can’t understand how they could figure this out when I report my earnings.

I feel disadvantaged as I get paid monthly, so this fortnight I might get $1200-1400 and next fortnight I might get $3000-4000 depending on the hours worked but they will just average it out as my payslip shows $4500-5500 for a month.
As over the month I have one short fortnight and one long fortnight. Do know what to do.

They’ve even contacted my employer and talking about prosecution.
As I work with money I’ll probably loose my job now too.

I thought the text messages were a scam!

Got told my debt was being put on hold for 3 months whilst being ReAssessed.
I then got text messages from Probe Group which I deregarded as I thought they were a scam.
Turns out my debt was taken to the collection agency without my knowledge as the girl I spoke to 3 months earlier never put it on hold or applied for the ReAssesment.

I now have to wait another 3 months!!
Very stressed and is impacting both my work and personal well-being.

Stress and worry

I initially had no idea about this debt as I had received no communications from Centrelink, even though the lady on the phone assured me they had sent 8 letters in the post (somehow I doubt that).

I had logged on to Mygov to check something for Medicare and I saw this debt notice in my inbox for $7407.
I immediately freaked out and called them, got it put on hold while i went hunting for my old payslips, which i finally managed to get and submit.

Increasing non-sensical debt

Whilst in medical school I received Austudy.
Additionally I worked on a casual basis as I needed to be able to pay for books, fuel, bills etc. as well as rent & food.

My income was declared, an exorbitant amount of tax was paid & I finally managed to graduate in December 2014.

Only a few months later I started to get phone calls from a debt collection agency demanding payment of $560, which had been supposedly "overpaid" to me.
None of this made any sense as I declared my income when I was getting it.

All of us have a vote, please SPEAK UP!

On the night before we moved house, the online letter arrived for my daughter.
The timing has added immeasurably to the stress.
As her nominee I am dealing with this insanely confusing and totally unexpected issue.

stressed me to the point I am struggling to sleep

This debt has stressed me to the point I am struggling to sleep trying to sort it out and I have taken up extra shifts at work to try to get myself in a better financial situation to try to feel secure

Confused to be told I owed more than I was paid!

Stressed. Was in a frenzy trying to get payslips from Dec 2012- Jan 2013.
I was only on Centrelink for three payments to get me through the Christmas holidays as I work in a career that follows the school terms.

Was so confused to be told I owe them $2000 when I wasn’t even paid that much.
Had to call my boss for him to go into the office in the holidays to get the payslips from that year.
Then sit and put every payslip in for those 2 years to show I was not paid.

Eventually was told I didn’t owe anything.

4k debt, wrong address, uncertain debt period

On the first day of a much awaited holiday I received three letters from Centrelink: one notifying me of a $4237 debt, one warning me to pay it, and one notifying me of punitive interest.

It transpired that they had been sending letters to my old residence (of three residences ago) despite having my latest address, phone number and email.

It was easy getting Centrelink to reassess my debt, but the reassessment failed because the bank statements I lodged in person and online were somehow both never received and too blurry to read.

Surpise in the mail

Six months ago I received a letter in the mail advising me that I needed to update my details with the ATO about my employment while recieving youth allowance.

I had applied for youth allowance while studying at university, and recieved payments for about three years while I worked part time.

Debt letter received and refuted

Was issued with a debt notice (dated Dec 2016) but did not receive it as my address had changed and I hadn't been on Centrelink for around 2 years (even though my address was up to date with medicare and ATO).

When I eventually received it, it was for 2014-15 FY and around $5750 (including a late fee).

I was incredibly anxious and overwhelmed!
I couldn't sleep or think straight.
I've never been in debt before and always lived within my means.

Centrelink gave me a panic attack at work

I AM NOT EVEN WITH CENTRELINK ANYMORE.
I got a call last week telling me that I had 12 days to report all my payslips to them otherwise they will use the ATO and that it would most likely result in a debt.

I called them yesterday and gave them all my payslip information to be copped with I owe them $5K.
I worked in dominos part time for Christ sake and was a full time student at university getting anywhere between 160-380$ a fortnight from depending on how much money I got in that fortnight and reported (my shifts constantly changed).

Parenting Payment & Family Assistance

Suffer from depression under financial pressure.
No cent received from Centerlink is worth the debt they claim you owe them come years down the track.

My debt stemmed from not reporting fortnightly (impossible as a single mum with a young child, juggling depression and trying to work.)
Being overpaid by work. My partner (whom I am financially independent from) not correctly disclosing his income and completing his tax on time.

Every year my Tax return goes to them to repay some debt they claim I have yet 8yrs later I still have a high debt.

Killing me inside and out.

I have both Bipolar and Borderline personality disorder.

Since getting the letter of debt I've had 3 suicide attempts, Multiple self-harming and Violent outbursts where I've had swollen, bruised and bloody knuckles including multiple breakdowns every phone call, so far I've had to call them up 10 times and tomorrow is the next call...
Took 10 phone calls to get the debt paused and a review even sent out, I have been refused a debt spreadsheet and was meant to receive one with the review decision, but that never came..

So very angry

I received a letter about 8 months ago saying that the figures that I had reported did not match up with the figures they received from ATO.
The figures were from when I started a new job up until my partner and I moved in together.

When my partner moved in with me, I contacted centrelink and told them, and my fortnightly reporting was ceased and we provided a yearly family income.

False Youth Allowance/Newstart Debt

Received a notification of approx $3100 debt caused by a discrepancy between my reported income and my PAYG statements provided by the ATO to Centrelink.

Caused due to the miscalculation of the computer system that averages out my income across the financial year when I only worked half of it, and was claiming the benefits I was entitled to for the other half.

This has caused significant anxiety and I am glad that I have kept records as otherwise I would be screwed and unable to fight this.

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