My wife was the main income earner, and I was the stay-at-home parent raising our three children.
When my wife left, returning to Japan and kidnapping our three children in the process. I was later contacted by Centrelink (Family Allowance), stating that I personally owed them $10,000 in overpayments. I have asked them in writing (emailed their Centrelink site) for an independent assessment on several occasions which is apparently my legal right, but they have never allowed this to progress. I was only contacted by one of their staff, who stated that if I stopped paying regularly, they would place my debt in the hands of a debt collectors. I have been paying the debt off regularly every week ($50). and have reduced the debt to approximately $7,000. I now have been contacted again by Centrelink, stating that since I do not have a written agreement of repayments, and that they will be looking to take any future tax refunds. I have been paying regularly, yet they threaten me this way?
They also threatened, that if I stop regular payments, they will put it into the hands of a debt-collecting agency which will charge me interest? Bully boy tactics at best, I say. Since the family allowance was based on my wife's income, and I was the stay-at-home parent, why is this debt solely mine? Initially, when we first asked for family allowance on our return to Australia, i believe that I used my medicare number as my wife dod not have one yet. I have never had this debt fully explained to me, or any copies of paperwork relating to this debt, so I cannot challenge anything.
How do I obtain an independent and fair assessment of my apparent debt, without Centrelink stopping this, as they have done before?
When my wife left, returning to Japan and kidnapping our three children in the process. I was later contacted by Centrelink (Family Allowance), stating that I personally owed them $10,000 in overpayments. I have asked them in writing (emailed their Centrelink site) for an independent assessment on several occasions which is apparently my legal right, but they have never allowed this to progress. I was only contacted by one of their staff, who stated that if I stopped paying regularly, they would place my debt in the hands of a debt collectors. I have been paying the debt off regularly every week ($50). and have reduced the debt to approximately $7,000. I now have been contacted again by Centrelink, stating that since I do not have a written agreement of repayments, and that they will be looking to take any future tax refunds. I have been paying regularly, yet they threaten me this way?
They also threatened, that if I stop regular payments, they will put it into the hands of a debt-collecting agency which will charge me interest? Bully boy tactics at best, I say. Since the family allowance was based on my wife's income, and I was the stay-at-home parent, why is this debt solely mine? Initially, when we first asked for family allowance on our return to Australia, i believe that I used my medicare number as my wife dod not have one yet. I have never had this debt fully explained to me, or any copies of paperwork relating to this debt, so I cannot challenge anything.
How do I obtain an independent and fair assessment of my apparent debt, without Centrelink stopping this, as they have done before?
