With the cost of living steadily rising, every dollar counts—especially for those managing a fixed income or carefully budgeting their expenses. Unexpected charges, billing mistakes, and hidden fees can accumulate quickly, placing an unnecessary burden on one’s finances.
For Susie, a 23-year-old single mother of two from Queensland, what seemed like a helping hand turned into a financial nightmare. Her story, which she shared on social media, is a cautionary tale for all who rely on welfare payments to make ends meet.
Susie’s journey with Centrelink began over two years ago when she started receiving approximately $800 a week in welfare payments. Despite facing homelessness early in 2022, she persevered, securing a rental subsidised through the Queensland Department of Housing.
With careful budgeting, she managed to save $20,000, which she used to purchase a reliable car for her family. Things were looking up, and she even considered enrolling in university.
@_arcane_02 #centerlink #singlemum #fyp #pension #fy #australia #australiangovernment #albo #peterdutton ♬ original sound – 🐉Arcane✨
However, in January, Susie’s stability was rocked by a shocking letter from Centrelink, claiming she had been incorrectly receiving rental assistance and now owed $8,000. The young mum was floored, especially since she had been assured by a Centrelink employee that she was eligible for the assistance, despite her headlease agreement with the government.
To figure out what possibly went wrong, she recalled calling Centrelink, ‘The lady over the phone, this was a Centrelink officer, she sounded so mad, not at me, at the system.’
‘She literally said to me this is no fault of your own, whoever gave you this rent assistance made a severe error.’
The situation escalated when Susie received another letter, this time alleging she had informed Centrelink of living in a private rental and had provided a lease agreement—a claim she vehemently denies.
‘I would love to see that lease agreement because I have only ever lived in this one unit through the Department of Housing, now through social housing. I have never been able to afford private rent,’ Susie stated.
‘They are lying. Surely someone is going to get fired after all this goes down. It is easily provable that that is a lie. I hope someone loses their job because they are tampering with our lives.’
@_arcane_02 #centerlink #singlemum #fyp #pension #fy #australia #australiangovernment #albo #peterdutton ♬ original sound – 🐉Arcane✨
Services Australia, the agency responsible for Centrelink, maintains privacy on individual cases but assures that customers ‘have a right to ask for an explanation or a formal review of any decision’ and appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) if necessary.
Susie has taken this route, but the appeal process could take months, and in the meantime, she’s begun repaying the debt, which has significantly impacted her ability to cover food and childcare costs.
Meanwhile, responding to comments asking why she stays on Centrelink, she said, ‘I have nothing in my super account. I have a child who requires special therapy during school hours for their needs in order to be ready for school. And no support, nothing.’
This ordeal has highlighted the challenges faced by those dependent on welfare, particularly when administrative errors occur. Susie’s story has resonated with many, garnering support and shared experiences of similar Centrelink issues online.
For our YourLifeChoices readers who may be navigating Centrelink for themselves or assisting family members, Susie’s experience underscores the need to keep meticulous records of all interactions with the agency. Always request written confirmation of entitlements and keep a close eye on any changes to your circumstances that could affect your benefits.
If you find yourself in a similar predicament, remember that you have the right to question and review decisions made by Centrelink. Don’t hesitate to seek advice from financial counsellors or legal aid services if you’re facing an unexpected debt. It’s crucial to understand your rights and the support available to you.
We invite you to share your own experiences with Centrelink in the comments below. Have you faced similar issues? How did you resolve them? Your insights could be invaluable to someone else in our community facing a similar challenge.
Also read: Australian mother reveals costly billing error: ‘Homeowners, listen up’
I have also been hit with rent assist bill. When we moved in December 2023 we provided a copy of our lease. The Centrelink staffer set up so that both my Son and my payment were paid into my account. So I reduced Aaron’s payment to me by the amount of his rent assistance payment. (Means I am out of pocket by that amount) They have not only demanded I repay the amount but are refusing to pay Aaron’s share the that period. I have asked for a review, refused, sent documentation as proof, ignored. All online portals to raise a complaint say “Service no longer available.”
In late February 2000, after being married for 6 weeks, I received a call from Centrelink ‘Fraud Team’, alleging that I was on the PPS (Parent Payment Single) and was married, so my payment was going to be ‘suspended’. I had, in January 1999, 12 months before marrying & 2 months prior to meeting my new husband, been changed to the Disability Support Pension (DSP).
There was only one person who could have given this ‘mis’information under the guise of a ‘Fraud Tip’, and that was my ex-husband (divorced since 1995) that I shared my son with. I hadn’t told him that I had changed payments, and why should I – we weren’t married any longer and it was none of his business!
I stopped the caller, and explained to her that I’d been on the DSP for over 12 months, and my actual file was in the Queanbeyan office awaiting my new husband’s file to come from archives in Sydney to ‘marry-up’ the files. We had made an appointment for the day after we’d arrived home. we’d attended the office and gave them the details of his wages, and my payment was then ‘manually adjusted’ to reflect the new situation, until the files were joined up. There was no repayment of any overpayment, due to the correct information given when at the appointment.
It only goes to show how callous some people can be to give incorrect information when it’s not called for, and the information can be very wrong and land some in very ‘hot water’. I was fortunate that I was ‘on the ball’ and everything was correct.
Your single parenting payment may have continued only it was not being paid to you. There is fraud within Centrelink as with any large organization and an employee or their associates but you will not read anything about that.
Someone received $83,200 in taxpayer money over two years and managed to “save” $20,000 for a car?! And it didn’t occur to her that perhaps her situation was unusual? What are we teaching people about finances and responsibility in this country???!
Don’t get me wrong, having myself been a recipient of Centrelink payments for the 18 months during which I struggled – and failed – to find employment during in my mid-50s until such time as I could access my very modest superannuation rather than continue to burden the taxpayer due to my short-sightedness in leaving my job and moving across the country to a dream destination without exploring the employment situation, I’m exceedingly grateful for and supportive of the Government – us – helping people cope during difficult times.
Having accessed early retirement, I’m currently living on less than $35,000 per year (superannuation plus less than $5,000 annually from taking in laundry), having scraped by prior to that on less than $1,500 per month ($18,000 pa) on JobSeeker/NewStart. I’m fortunate, after more than 40 years of almost unbroken and gainful employment (my parents having put me to part-time paid work in their business at the age of 12 years, and then my gaining full-time employment immediately after Year 12 when my father passed away leaving my then-unemployed mother with two teenagers in school) to own my own home and car outright. Nevertheless, despite being a 59-year-old bleeding heart liberal who has suckled at the Government teat, I find myself balking at granting welfare to able-bodied and intelligent young people who appear to be comfortable burdening the population rather than living up to their responsibilities. What are we, the USA?
By the way, I reject Mr Ryder’s assertion that Centrelink perpetrates fraud when practices in any large organisation (“s”, Mr Ryder, not “z”) are more likely to demonstrate incompetence over lawlessness (disclaimer: I worked in an administrative capacity for one of the central Government agencies for over 15 years, and in the Australian Public Service as a whole for over 20 years, and I’ve witnessed far more questionable practices from the private sector – particularly the big banks – than from Government agencies, thank you very much).
Anyway, all this to say that in a country where hundreds of thousands of people receive welfare assistance of one kind or another, mistakes are going to happen in the organisations overseeing the programs, and some of us will find ourselves falling through the cracks. We just have to pull up our britches and make our cases rather than whining to all the world about how unfairly we’ve been treated. As someone who’s kept meticulous records, I’ve managed to weather some egregious errors and outright unfair circumstances to now enjoy life on a modest income that I’ve actually earned through hard work (yes, I actually worked hard in the Public Service, owing to a strong work ethic, a pathetic need to please others, and no sense of entitlement). I don’t understand why we are expected to coddle those that refuse to take responsibility for themselves.