Tasmanians in limbo as centrelink anxieties grow

It was around the start of December when Ms Maxwell, from Tasmania’s North-West, said she first heard from the organisation asking her to pay back money. 

Ms Maxwell is one of thousands of people across Australia who received a letter calling for money to be paid back.

The letters advised some Centrelink recipients of data discrepancies, which were worked out by matching its own records to Australian Taxation Office data.

Ms Maxwell said after taking the discrepancies to Centrelink in mid-December, she still had not heard anything further information about her claim. 

“Basically [the letter] said what the tax department said I earned for the year is not what I reported,” she said. 

“I didn’t just pay it, I’ve tried to fight it but I know some people have just paid.

“It was only in the thousands but for someone like me who was on a casual wage who had basically no savings, that’s a lot.” 

Ms Maxwell is now working in a full-time job, as the data the letter was looking at was from 2013, and said she felt luckier than some. 

“I feel sorry for these people who don’t have technology and don’t even know they got the letter,” she said. 

Federal Human Services Minister Alan Tudge said told ABC radio on Wednesday that Centrelink users were given the opportunity to update their record. 

“Every individual has three opportunities to update their record: when they first get a letter requesting information, secondly they can request a review of any decision to imply a debt, and thirdly they can appeal to a tribunal,” he said on radio.

“If they're unable to explain the discrepancy then a debt notice may be given to them and they will have to pay back that money.” 

Anglicare Tasmania Social Action and Research Centre manager Meg Webb said everyone who received income support payments through Centrelink deserved to be treated with respect and fairness.