the debt that i had supposedly incurred was 100% bogus, the debt was from a 1.5 year period while i was not receiving payments and had taken myself off all centrelink services, yet i still incurred an invisible debt.
this whole process, weeks before christmas, cause a lot of stress and depression in my household. it made me extremely anxious, unable to operate as a human being because of this fraud hanging over my head. stressed as i would have to forgo food or living expenses to pay from my already low income.
the staff were even worse, that would not help, kept saying that they cant give me any information because it didn't exist but i had to deal with the repercussions of the debt. calling employers and praying that they had 6 year old records of payslips, direct payment and all associated information was a nightmare.
finally a week before christmas, after weeks of 3-5hour holds i was able to talk to someone who had half a brain, but it was still a "huge hassle" for them and "i should be grateful that they could help me and that it could be resolved in such a short time".
honestly, this is a complete balls-up of a system! staff were not trained correctly, customer service was next to non-existant and i felt that i was still made out to be a nuisance customer wanting shurk responsibility.
i guess we are all waiting for the presumed go to line of 2016 "it was a virus / hacker / computer malfunction" that we just have to suck up and take with no repercussions to the government organisations involved (like they would do to us should the shoe be on the other foot so to speak).