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Post by Banjo on May 20, 2018 17:03:52 GMT 7
'They didn’t care about me': Single mother’s $45k Centrelink battleWhen Carly Hockey was told she owed around $45,000 to Centrelink, the single mother wasn't handing over a dollar without a fight. "I felt bullied … I found it very challenging and Centrelink, well, they certainly didn't care about me," Ms Hockey told A Current Affair. Two years ago, Ms Hockey said she received a series of bills from the government saying she owed tens of thousands of dollars after being overpaid in the Family Tax Benefit. But she maintains it was the government's fault as the mother had repeatedly raised her overpayment concerns with Centrelink. "So I rang Centrelink straight away … we were very concerned and thinking, ‘what has gone on here?’ We haven't changed any of our information, so why has this jumped up so much?" Ms Hockey said. This proved to be just the beginning, and despite repeated concerns from Ms Hockey, the increased payments continued. Once Centrelink noticed the error, that's when the bills began to arrive. The Queensland mother then took her fight to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and won - but not before already paying off around $5000 of the outstanding debt. However, her fight isn't completely over. Watch the full story on A Current Affair from 7pm on Monday. www.9news.com.au/national/2018/05/20/13/49/centrelink-battle-single-mother-wins-fight
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Post by nomadic on May 20, 2018 18:50:37 GMT 7
A current affair defending the real victims is an amazing change in direction. The worlds gone mad.
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Post by Banjo on May 20, 2018 19:41:13 GMT 7
No, they do this to try and convince us that they are the good guys, their programs are well salted with dole bludger stories and always will be.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2018 19:44:14 GMT 7
I note with interest the above highlighted text and am somewhat intrigued by her surname; a Ms. Hockey. That's how they get ya in, will have to watch if curiousity gets the better of me. Cheers bear
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Post by nomadic on May 21, 2018 6:34:00 GMT 7
i have emailed 9 news about it. no reply expected.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2018 17:43:34 GMT 7
Mum facing court battle after Centrelink found to have bungled payments A mum who took on Centrelink and won after she was told she owed about $45,000 for overpaid benefits is facing more legal battles as the welfare body continues to pursue her.Queenslander Carly Hockey said the drama started when she got re-married and started collecting the Family Tax Benefit for her partner's five children. She told Centrelink that as there was shared custody, she only had her five step-children 50 percent of the time, as well as her two youngest children 100 percent of the time. However, three months after the payment was in place, Ms Hockey started getting paid as if she was the full-time carer for all seven. "I rang Centrelink straight away, we were very concerned," she told A Current Affair. She said the customer service operator told her that their computer records had all Ms Hockey's details correct. Carly Hockey won the battle at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, but the fight is not over. She claims she was told Centrelink would look into it, and if she heard nothing back, to presume she was being paid the correct amount. But two years ago, Ms Hockey said she received a series of bills from the government saying she owed tens of thousands of dollars after being overpaid in the Family Tax Benefit. She then took her fight to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and won - but not before already paying off around $5000 of the outstanding debt. Centrelink is planning to take their appeal to the Federal Court. "I was effectively called a liar from the first tribunal," Ms Hockey said. The tribunal found no reason to disbelieve Ms Hockey's evidence and said the debts "ought to be waived". Ms Hockey said losing the appeal would bankrupt her. However, her account still shows that owes about $40,000. And just recently she received another call from Centrelink's lawyers, who told her they would take the matter all the way to the Federal Court in an appeal. "They're saying there was an error in the way the tribunal has applied the law," Ms Hockey said. Should Ms Hockey lose the upcoming legal battle, she would have to pay Centrelink's legal costs - which she says would bankrupt her. The Department of Human Services issued a statement saying they would not discuss Ms Hockey's case while their appeal was in progress. "This is just a disgrace, that a government department would do this," Ms Hockey said. www.9news.com.au/national/2018/05/20/13/49/centrelink-battle-single-mother-wins-fight
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Post by tasjo on May 21, 2018 21:57:09 GMT 7
A friend and I were discussing this after it aired... One question that I have about it all... if she received the correct payment for 3 months why would she use the overpayment and not leep it in a savings account because she knew it was wrong. Not excusing that Centrelink have obviously made an error and it should have been picked up long before it accumulated to this amount, but still dont understand why you would knowingly spend the overpayment. I also wonder if going to the media was a great idea while still going through appeals.
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Post by latindancer on May 22, 2018 3:11:35 GMT 7
She may well have assumed (as you would) that the rules had changed and that she was now eligible for it. After all, she did call Centrelink and they told her that her recorded details ere correct.
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Post by tasjo on May 22, 2018 6:02:08 GMT 7
She may well have assumed (as you would) that the rules had changed and that she was now eligible for it. After all, she did call Centrelink and they told her that her recorded details ere correct. With shared custody and FTB there are a lot more letters that do state the care %... FTB is approx $190 a fortnight per child, if this debt is solely FTB its a long time she was overpaid to get to $45k. There are also letters from Child Support every year and a separate income estimate to be completed. Its not particularly straight forward but I'm struggling to understand why the continued overpayment wasnt picked up and corrected at some point. But still it was an error on Centrelinks behalf, maybe the publicity will get her free legal representation for AAT2 or Federal Circuit Court.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 6:17:17 GMT 7
I note with interest the above highlighted text and am somewhat intrigued by her surname; a Ms. Hockey. That's how they get ya in, will have to watch if curiousity gets the better of me. Cheers bear I forgot to watch due to time differences! Going on the article though, I'd say her fight has barely begun with Centrelink talking about taking it to the Federal Court. Poor bugger! In a perfect world there'd be good ol' Uncle Joe. Cheers bear
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Post by nomadic on May 22, 2018 7:20:59 GMT 7
It seems she is not denying she was over paid. So i think it will take legal minds to sort it out. Seems that the bottom line is once again Centrelink incompetence though. How many have suffered because of it let alone their criminal cover ups.
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Post by krystal on May 23, 2018 14:21:41 GMT 7
How easy it is for Centrelink to take it to Federal Court. If the decision went the other way and Carly wanted to take it further, there isn't an avenue.
Fair access to justice, my arse.
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Post by nomadic on May 23, 2018 19:25:21 GMT 7
I think she would also have the right to go to the fed court . But like myself i stood alone while Centrelink had a QC and two other lawyers. I had no chance. BUT! i still got em in the end. As do most who fight them when in the right. Just may take years instead of minutes.
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Post by anonmouse on May 30, 2018 20:50:23 GMT 7
'They didn’t care about me': Single mother’s $45k Centrelink battleWhen Carly Hockey was told she owed around $45,000 to Centrelink, the single mother wasn't handing over a dollar without a fight. "I felt bullied … I found it very challenging and Centrelink, well, they certainly didn't care about me," Ms Hockey told A Current Affair. Two years ago, Ms Hockey said she received a series of bills from the government saying she owed tens of thousands of dollars after being overpaid in the Family Tax Benefit. But she maintains it was the government's fault as the mother had repeatedly raised her overpayment concerns with Centrelink. "So I rang Centrelink straight away … we were very concerned and thinking, ‘what has gone on here?’ We haven't changed any of our information, so why has this jumped up so much?" Ms Hockey said. This proved to be just the beginning, and despite repeated concerns from Ms Hockey, the increased payments continued. Once Centrelink noticed the error, that's when the bills began to arrive. The Queensland mother then took her fight to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and won - but not before already paying off around $5000 of the outstanding debt. However, her fight isn't completely over. Watch the full story on A Current Affair from 7pm on Monday. www.9news.com.au/national/2018/05/20/13/49/centrelink-battle-single-mother-wins-fight To be honest I'd have to take the Govt side with this hear me out first. The Govt aren't perfect they are just people like you and me So make mistakes she has to really pay back any overpay simple as that. She still got her full payment and she was honest with going into CL and talking to them about overpayment.
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Post by nomadic on May 31, 2018 8:38:16 GMT 7
If you are correct anonmouse then the opposite should also happen. When their mistakes impact on us we should be compensated and that rarely happens.
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