The end of at least three political careers involved in the “illegal and shameful” robo-debt scheme will bring cold comfort for Rosemary Gay, whose life was turned upside by a letter in the mail.

The piece of paper, dated October 12, 2016, said she, then a 70-year-old still working three days a week, and therefore losing part of her pension, owed the federal government $64,998.17 within 28 days.