Centrelink demands $2k from Moonah teacher from parenting allowance overpayment
TEACHER Christine Bingham says she has received a demand from Centrelink for $2316 in relation to an alleged overpayment of parenting allowance in 2011.
Tasmania
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TEACHER Christine Bingham says she has received a demand from Centrelink for $2316 in relation to an alleged overpayment of parenting allowance in 2011.
She is one of hundreds of people who Denison MP Andrew Wilkie says has complained to his office about Centrelink’s new debt recovery system based on data matching with the Australian Taxation Office.
Ms Bingham, of Moonah, said she had spent several hours in contact with Centrelink staff trying to understand the basis of the claim.
She said Centrelink had been unable to provide her with sufficient information.
“Until I get proof of how they came up with this amount and why I apparently owe them this much, I will not be paying,” she said.
“I’m frustrated with it and I am upset for people who may pay up without questioning where the amounts come from.”
She said she had received two different letters on December 5.
Ms Bingham says the difference between the ATO’s record of how much she earned and the Centrelink amount were easily explained.
Mr Wilkie says he has written to the Commonwealth Ombudsman asking him to investigate.
“The Government has terrified countless people and ruined the Christmases of many,” he said
“This crude data-matching process is spitting out numerous incorrect debt notices.”
Mr Wilkie said Social Services Minister Christian Porter should have intervened and put a stop to the program.
Mr Porter said the process has been a success with $300 million recovered so far from 169,000 completed reviews.
Labor Senator Carol Brown said her party supported efforts to recoup wrongly paid welfare but that did not mean honest, law-abiding people should be treated like criminals.
Originally published as Centrelink demands $2k from Moonah teacher from parenting allowance overpayment
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