Centrelink call wait times left firefighter without essential support: ‘Breaking me’
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In the heart of Australia's Western Downs region, a volunteer firefighter's battle has highlighted a distressing reality faced by many Australians in times of need.
Andrew Burt, a dedicated firefighter and father of six from Goranba, Queensland, found himself in a dire situation when he was cut off from Centrelink support for weeks, leaving him and his family in financial peril.
Andrew's ordeal began when he sought to access JobSeeker payments after being emotionally and physically drained by traumatic events from recent fires.
Despite his service to the community, he was left unable to work in his full-time job in metal fabrication.
His attempts to contact Centrelink for assistance were met with prolonged call wait times and disconnections.
‘I’ve been stuck in limbo for six weeks with no income, getting further and further in debt because everything is being deferred,’ Andrew stated.
The 50-year-old firefighter was previously receiving Disaster Recovery Payments, but those payments have now ended.
With no public transport available and the nearest Centrelink office nearly an hour's drive away in Dalby, Andrew's reliance on the phone and internet services became a frustrating and fruitless endeavour.
‘Not being able to get through for basic essential needs is breaking me even more. I was already broken with work,’ he shared.
The impact on Andrew's family was severe. Falling behind on mortgage repayments and personal loans, the financial strain was compounded by the inability to afford medication and groceries.
The stress of the situation was palpable, with Andrew and his wife, who is undertaking a traineeship, forced to borrow money and take out loans to make ends meet.
He admitted: ‘We’re about $2,000 behind on our mortgage repayments and another $1,000 behind on a personal loan.
‘We’re struggling and we’ve had to borrow money from family,’ Andrew added. ‘My wife has had to take out loans to make ends meet. We’re going further and further backwards.’
This story sheds light on the broader issue of Centrelink's accessibility, which has been a point of contention for many Australians.
In the six months leading up to December 31, only about half of the nearly 45 million calls to Centrelink were answered by an operator.
Millions more were met with congestion messages or terminated by customers in frustration.
Services Australia, the agency responsible for Centrelink, has acknowledged the problem.
General Manager Hank Jongen expressed apologies for the long wait times and assured that efforts were being made to improve the situation.
The agency has hired 3,000 new staff to help process claims and take calls, with hopes of seeing improvements by April as these staff members become fully trained.
Andrew's case was finally addressed after media intervention, with his claim processed the day after contact was made.
This resolution, however, came after weeks of unnecessary hardship and stress, raising questions about the efficiency of the systems in place to support Australians in need.
Have you had a similar experience with Centrelink? Share your story in the comments below.
Andrew Burt, a dedicated firefighter and father of six from Goranba, Queensland, found himself in a dire situation when he was cut off from Centrelink support for weeks, leaving him and his family in financial peril.
Andrew's ordeal began when he sought to access JobSeeker payments after being emotionally and physically drained by traumatic events from recent fires.
Despite his service to the community, he was left unable to work in his full-time job in metal fabrication.
A firefighter from Queensland was unable to contact Centrelink for weeks. Image source: Shutterstock
His attempts to contact Centrelink for assistance were met with prolonged call wait times and disconnections.
‘I’ve been stuck in limbo for six weeks with no income, getting further and further in debt because everything is being deferred,’ Andrew stated.
The 50-year-old firefighter was previously receiving Disaster Recovery Payments, but those payments have now ended.
With no public transport available and the nearest Centrelink office nearly an hour's drive away in Dalby, Andrew's reliance on the phone and internet services became a frustrating and fruitless endeavour.
‘Not being able to get through for basic essential needs is breaking me even more. I was already broken with work,’ he shared.
The impact on Andrew's family was severe. Falling behind on mortgage repayments and personal loans, the financial strain was compounded by the inability to afford medication and groceries.
The stress of the situation was palpable, with Andrew and his wife, who is undertaking a traineeship, forced to borrow money and take out loans to make ends meet.
He admitted: ‘We’re about $2,000 behind on our mortgage repayments and another $1,000 behind on a personal loan.
‘We’re struggling and we’ve had to borrow money from family,’ Andrew added. ‘My wife has had to take out loans to make ends meet. We’re going further and further backwards.’
This story sheds light on the broader issue of Centrelink's accessibility, which has been a point of contention for many Australians.
In the six months leading up to December 31, only about half of the nearly 45 million calls to Centrelink were answered by an operator.
Millions more were met with congestion messages or terminated by customers in frustration.
Services Australia, the agency responsible for Centrelink, has acknowledged the problem.
General Manager Hank Jongen expressed apologies for the long wait times and assured that efforts were being made to improve the situation.
The agency has hired 3,000 new staff to help process claims and take calls, with hopes of seeing improvements by April as these staff members become fully trained.
Andrew's case was finally addressed after media intervention, with his claim processed the day after contact was made.
This resolution, however, came after weeks of unnecessary hardship and stress, raising questions about the efficiency of the systems in place to support Australians in need.
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