$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.
Appealed once and was told to upload payslips to centrelink online services, which I attempted to do but could not due to the system being constantly down. After the 14 days was up they decided the debt was fine and tacked another $170 debt recovery fee onto the account. Complained through the online form (after many failed attempts, I have started collecting all the error messages their system throws at me)
Got another call from complaints who wanted to refer me to compliance who said it would go back to the online system. I am refusing to use the online system and will now only deal with centrelink in writing via snail mail in case this all goes to court, they referred me to a "level 2 complaint" and got a call from a "senior complaints officer" who rang me again and referred me back to compliance saying they may be able to deal with me in writing. I am currently awaiting that phone call.
All of these phonecalls occur in buisness hours, hours in which i am currently working full time, the first call i got took 20 minutes out of my work day. Thankfully i have an understanding boss who is ok with this, but what if I didn't? I would have no way to deal with centerlink at all.
Centrelink calls occur as "private numbers" with a text message at the beginning of the day saying they will call you and you need to take their call; I guess the sound of Jackboots down a hallway is old fashioned now.
Last thursday i missed an important phonecall from a different private number because I was shitting myself it was centerlink and I was going to have to explain all this for the 5th or 6th time, I don't even know any more.
Thankfully, I am financially stable enough that I don't have any significant financial or accomodation worries. I do have chronic anxiety and depression however and my mood has been fucking awful, which is why I'm up at 10 till midnight on a work night writing this to try and help me. Or help change things. I don't know anymore.
Honestly, if I did have financial stress from this I think I might have committed suicide. My heart goes out to everyone in this situation, and if you are alive right now you are stronger than I am.
Totally fine. Nah jokes its a fucking disgrace.