A woman who was accidentally overpaid more than $94,000 worth of benefits by Centrelink over 10 years will only have to repay the government 18 per cent of the money. Hearing documents from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia reported that the woman had received more than she was eligible for due to 'an error by Centrelink', even after she had inquired whether she was still getting the correct payment. Tribunal member Mr C. Ermert wrote that 'incorrect coding on her computer record' meant she continued to receive benefit payments 'even though her income exceeded the level at which they ceased to be payable'. A woman received $94,219.84 more than she was eligible for from Centrelink over 10 years due to a computer error . In early 2011, the woman reported to Centrelink that her and her partner's estimated combined annual income had increased to $274,479. However a senior practitioner confirmed that she was still eligible to continue receiving the same rate of Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit and Schoolkids Bonus. It was not until April of 2014 that a Centrelink worker noticed the error and ordered the woman to repay a total of $94,219.84 worth of debts. Despite the woman admitting that 'a debt recovery plan would not cause her financial hardship', she challenged the decision, claiming that 'she was not responsible for debts caused by the Department's errors.' The Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia has ordered that she must repay $17,248.18 . The Tribunal documents stated that she 'answered consistently that she noticed nothing untoward about the level of benefits until 2011, when her husband's salary increased significantly, giving them more disposable income. 'It was then that she raised the issue with Centrelink. Up to that time she trusted the Department to make the correct payments.' While the errors were recognised as being solely the governments fault, the Tribunal still ruled that she had to repay the $17,248.18 that she received from 2012 onward due to legislation regarding timeframes. Repayments for over $77,000 that she received before 2012 were waived.
The woman was overpaid for 10 years due to an error by Centrelink . She reported an increased combined income in 2011 but was still found eligible for a number of benefits until 2014 . Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia ordered she repay $17,248.18 .