I received a Coronavirus Supplement payment in October 2020

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
18 months ago the Federal Government gave a Coronavirus supplement payment to those not working at the time.
I gratefully received such payments understanding that the Government would have worked out the figures correctly.
This was right on the cusp of me starting a new job.
Yesterday I received a bill for $584.98 because they say I was overpaid, 18 months after the fact.
I immediately paid back the money because I have been working for the subsequent 18 months and can afford to.
What happens to those who received the supplementary payment and are no longer working?
To pay back substantial bills becomes onerous, all because the pen pushers made a mistake.
 

Alligatorob said:
What do you suppose it costs the government to find and collect on things like this? I am guessing more than they end up collecting...

Governments the world over have a lot of similarities.
Click to expand...
There would be a huge department working on finding overpayments (directly from their own mistakes)
 

Bretrick said:
There would be a huge department working on finding overpayments (directly from their own mistakes)
Click to expand...
My home was severely damaged by a hurricane in 2005. The US Government agency FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency, aka Fix Everything My A**) came out several times to survey, measure, and interview us.

FEMA determined the damage to be about $290,000 and our insurance only covered about $70,000. They issued a 50 page or so report on our house! (This was separate from the insured loss report.)

Then they gave us a grant check for $250!

Along with a bunch of paper work I had to fill out and sign, and agree to spend the money on hurricane repairs only. It was supposed to be subject to audit.

The check arrived months after we had finished repairs. So we spent it on a hurricane party for all our friends and family who had actually helped with the repairs.

No audit yet, but when it comes I will be happy to tell them the money went for beer and pizza! Even if I have to pay it back with interest.

They also put us on a wait list for a trailer to live in whilst doing the repairs, so far as I know we are still on the list, no trailer every appeared.

I have no problem with the government not paying us anything or doing anything for us, we were not poor and survived without it. I do however object to the many thousands they spent deciding what to do, or not to do...

A side note our flood insurance was through FEMA. I lost my smuggled in collection of Cuban cigars, and decided to include them in the claim. I made it clear these were Cubans. FEMA paid me for them, after deducting depreciation. Felt kind of good for the US government to pay me for something that was illegal under US law. Suppose one day they may want that money back too.
 
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