Centrelink asking back for payments for doing a CPL intergrated course?

[Rawrawhammer]

Hi all

I have recently received a letter from centrelink asking to pay back $7,000 because a CPL intergrated course without a diploma is not recognised by them.Thats after they have already been paying me for almost a year and I spent the money obviously seeing it at as mine to do so.
They were aware of my situation but because I was initially enrolled in a diploma course to start with and then transferred within a week they reckon I didn't provide them with the documentation for them to have a reason to stop my payments which is not true at all as I provided them with it twice.

Has anyone had a similar problem dealing with those bastards??
I remember a few posts on pprune where people talked about this a little..
cheers
raw

[j3pipercub]

Did you get the name of the people you spoke to at the office?

j3

[Joker 10]

Centrelink are quite within their statute in asking for the Commonwealth money to be returned.

You elected to change your study from Diploma to Integrated without their prior consideration or approval. They were paying you based on the Diploma Approval.

Sorry but the ball is in your court so to speak, goof about with the Commonwealth Agencies and you will always come off second best.

[j3pipercub]

Read again and then edit your post Joker

"They were aware of my situation but because I was initially enrolled in a diploma course to start with and then transferred within a week they reckon I didn't provide them with the documentation for them to have a reason to stop my payments which is not true at all as I provided them with it twice."

j3

[seneca208]

Where did you get a government funded CPL/Dip course?

[mudpig]

Ben it's not gov funded but austudy. Joker ur a tool.
Centrelink strikes again. Legislation regarding welfare payments is all open to interpretation that is why everytime you call these tossers you will be given a different answer due to that individuals interpretation. I originally started an integrated course last year and this is approved for austudy so long as the training provider is approved and registered with centrelink. I changed to diploma course and about 4 weeks later my payments stopped. Why? because my former college told them I left and went to another training provider. They supplied centrelink with the name and address of the new provider but my payments still stopped because it wasn't me that told them. To fix this i had to get my new training prov to fax all the details of the new course to centrelink and I had to double up and provide all the same info before my payments were returned.
Raw I suggest you go to the training provider and get them to send all the details regarding your course, when you started and the hours of study per week.
Mudpig
Ps good luck and keep fighting.

[PlankBlender]

You need to write them a nice letter laying out when you made them aware that you sent in the relevant documentation and that since they did not act on that within a reasonable time, you acted in good faith and continued to receive and spend their money. Tell them that there is no way you can pay it back and that it's really not your fault and you would have to effectively end your training if they asked for the money back, and then see what they have to say.

If they still play hardball see your local councilman/woman and see what he or she can do for you. If nothing else helps, go to the media and cry on camera :{

[Joker 10]

As a tax payer I object to people who do not understand the system and think that simply dropping paper on a bureacrats desk or over the counter fulfils the requirement for proper disclosure.

Just because you are a "student pilot" doesn't mean you are any different from any other Taxpayer funded student.

If you want to succeed in any profession it would be a really good idea to learn quite quickly how to operate within the rules.

[PlankBlender]

So Joke(r), you were never young and overwhelmed by a system that can be arbitrary and complicated? Show some compassion for a fellow pilot:ugh::ugh:

[The PM]

Ah yes, the old Centrelink thing of you informing them of something and then they claiming you haven't.My brother got stung by this and had 3 years of repayments as a result.

Basically, never EVER inform centrelink of any changes via the phone. ALWAYS go into an office in person, note the times and dates, take names of the people you deal with and most importantly, take in copies of all documents you provide to them and get them to date stamp them.This then removes the possibilities of centrelink successfully claiming you did not provide info.

That said, as someone else pointed out, you need to know your responsibilties!

Good luck with it all!

[Joker 10]

As a tax payer I have absolutely no compassion for those who don't take the time to understand their obligations to those who support them i.e. the Australian tax payer.

What sort of pilot would this person make ????? unprepared, without proper understanding of his/her legal obligations.

P*ss poor planning gives P*ss poor performance, always has always will.

And yes Owen Stanley I detest any form of bludging on the people of Australia as any worthwhile citizen should, you included.

To bob up on a Professional Forum begging for assistance to compound a rort of the system is breathtaking arrogance no matter what the age of the proponent.

Wake up Australia, an un identified forum is not protectrion fron rank hypocracy.

You pay tax, you deserve a better outcome than someone leaning on the welfare and subsidised education system

[j3pipercub]

Hammer,

Like you I was a worthless bludger that the Australian public should expect more from.

I had worked for three years and paid tax, and I applied to Centrelink to get New-start allowance while doing the CPL/MECIR. All I needed to do was to get the flying school at the time to write a letter outlining what I was doing, that it was a full time course that once completed would allow me to legally gain employment as a pilot. Perhaps if this can be done retrospectively you may get some joy

With all of my dealings with Centrelink I always went and saw them personally, and made notes of consultants, dates and times. I was lucky enough to have an older mis-trusting bloke double-checking everything.

Hope it works out for you. If nothing else, it gets you in a good mindset for flying, TRUST NO BAST@RD.

j3

[kingRB]

http://home.comcast.net/%7Estormkatt/images/Portfolio/Logos/GrammarPolice.gif

[j3pipercub]

Owen,

I was kidding

j3

[flog]

Anyone find those Kiwi's with their $10mil given by mistake?

If anyone in authority (bank, govt, work, etc.) gives you money that you have even the slightest hint or doubt about your elligability for, ask questions and document them. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.