In regards to my first #robodebt of $4524.63 which I paid back in full with help from a friend - I got a phonecall tonight at 6:40pm from Centrelink. Was asked for my date of birth to confirm my identity and asked me if I would like to continue with my appeal lodged in 2018.
I had a bit of trouble remembering this certain appeal because 1) it was two years ago, 2) it's one of the three appeals I have lodged over the last two years and 3) the caller gave me no context.
They said I would have to provide payslips for my appeal to move forward. Payslips from November 2015 - July 2017. I have already provided these payslips as well as bank statements. They said it was not on their records.
I asked if I was speaking to an authorised review officer. They were not. They were a 'subject matter expert' and I would have to provide documentation before I could even speak to a review officer.
At this point I'm a bit of a mess because it's close to dinner time and this call is about 2 years late. I told them I did not need to provide any further documentation and that they should send me my ADEX debt schedule which I never got.
When they asked me who said I didn't need to provide any further docs I said that I was part of the class action law suit. Their tone completely changed. They said I should contact Gordon Legal Centre. I have been in the loop with this already so I was so confused!
Why are they calling me demanding for payslips and as soon as I mention I'm part of the class action she said 'don't worry about the phonecall'. They didn't even know that my debt was part of the robodebt.
For a subject matter expert, they had no idea what the fuck was going on. Apparently it isn't written anywhere that this was robodebt. One of three that I have gotten. I haven't received Centrelink payments since the end of 2017. I paid back my debt too.
When they hung up I had a panic attack (as I usually do after any call with Centrelink). I had followed up with this appeal multiple times in 2018. I did what was asked. I wrote a letter to them asking for a review and now they respond? 2 years later in the middle of a pandemic?
The amount of stress and anxiety this has caused me has been insurmountable. I've cried on phonecalls begging them for a review and now I get this call out of nowhere? The onus should have never been on me to prove this debt.
I remember the cold call in late 2018 I had gotten in the middle of the day when they dropped the news I owed them over $4k. I left work early and cried on the train ride home scared to death.
I am just one of the 600,000 robodebts sent out since 2017. Why go after vulnerable people who don't have money in the first place? I used all my savings to pay back that debt and in the next year I received 2 new debts adding up to over $3k.
I tweet about my depression a lot but dam let me tell you - things got fucking bleak after getting those robodebts. I think of the countless number of people who have taken their own lives because of this and my heart sinks.
I think of the single parents who are DOING THEIR BEST being hit with this shit. I think of people with disability, First Nations people, old people, people who's first language isn't English and so many others dealing with this!!!!!
If you have received a robodebt or know someone who has and haven't signed up to the Robodebt Class Action, you can still join!!! register.robodebtclassaction.com.au/registration/
See you in court @Centrelink
