A Bendigo woman who received notices to pay almost $20,000 as part of the government's robodebt scheme said she is still unsure whether or not she legitimately owed money.
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Nellie Biggs received her first robodebt letter in 2016, just days before Christmas.
"I got a letter claiming I owed $15,825," Ms Biggs said.
"When I went to dispute the amount, it reduced to $7087 and it kept getting lower and that was disconcerting.
"I could never get copies of the calculations they were making even when I requested all the information."
The Federal Government said it will refund $721 million worth of debts claimed through its robodebt scheme.
The income-compliance debts used an income averaging measure between the 2015-16 financial year and November 2019, until the process was stopped.
After months of stress and torment, Ms Biggs was represented by a pro bono solicitor at a Centrelink tribunal, where it was found she owed $3657.
"I ended up paying because I exhausted all other options," Ms Biggs said.
Automated notices were sent to individuals, just like Ms Biggs, without human oversight, based on the income averaging process.
The scheme sought to detect discrepancies in the incomes of welfare recipients.
It wasn't the last Ms Biggs would see of the government's scheme. In 2019, she received another robodebt notice for $3393.
"I am still making repayments of $57 per fortnight on this debt," Ms Biggs said.
Ms Biggs joined Gordon Legal's class action lawsuit, which remains ongoing, despite the Federal Government's concession.
Bendigo Family and Financial Services manager Jenny Elvey said the organisation met clients who received robodebt notices.
"It was hard to get information from Centrelink to work out what the debts were," Ms Elvey said. "Clients were distressed and to be losing $40 or $60 a fortnight is huge."
Federal member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said the government unethically and unlawfully bullied constituents into paying debts they never had to pay.
"This moment of vindication doesn't make up for the pain and harm this government has deliberately caused to people," Ms Chesters said.
"The government reversed the onus of proof. The individual needed to prove they didn't owe money."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government is making amends for its flawed scheme.
"The government has great regrets about any pain or injury that has been caused and we're making it right," Mr Morrison said.
