Are you waiting on a claim? Services Australia reveals over one million submissions stuck in limbo
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The process of applying for government assistance can be daunting, and for many Australians, the wait for much-needed support has become a prolonged ordeal.
Recent revelations have highlighted a significant backlog at Services Australia, with over 1 million claims across various payments yet to be processed as of December 31.
This has left some individuals waiting more than 100 days for approval, a delay that can have serious implications for those relying on these funds.
The backlog was brought to light through new documents released by Services Australia, which also announced the hiring of additional staff to tackle the issue.
The data from these documents paints a picture of the average processing times for claims between September 1 and December 31 of the previous year.
Notably, the Disability Support Pension and Low Income Health Care Card had the longest wait time, averaging 82 days for processing.
The Dad and Partner Pay applicants faced nearly an 80-day wait, while those applying for the Pensions Loan Scheme had about a 70-day wait.
Other payments, such as the Youth Allowance Apprentice, Carer Payment, and Essential Medical Equipment support, required applicants to wait more than 50 days.
Even the more commonly applied for JobSeeker and Paid Parental Leave had average approval times of 27 and 25 days, respectively.
However, these averages mask the stark disparities in wait times based on geographic location.
The documents revealed that individuals in regional areas often faced longer delays than those in suburban areas when applying for the Age Pension, with some waiting between 70 and 211 days for approval.
In certain local government areas (LGAs), such as West Arnhem in the Northern Territory, Wandering in Western Australia, and Kangaroo Island in South Australia, the wait times exceeded 100 days.
The Farm Household Allowance, a payment offered to farming families in financial hardship, saw applicants in Barunga West in South Australia waiting an average of 166 days.
Paid Parental Leave also had significant delays in regional areas, with a 62-day wait on the Tiwi Islands and 58 days in Quairading, Western Australia.
One of the most heart-wrenching statistics was the 339-day wait faced by some couples in Strathfield, New South Wales, for support payments after the stillbirth of their baby.
JobSeeker applicants also experienced long wait times, with those in both regional and metropolitan areas, such as Shark Bay and Tammin in Western Australia, and Ryde and Hornsby in Sydney, waiting over 30 days.
Services Australia's CEO, David Hazlehurst, acknowledged the critical nature of reducing the backlog.
‘Resources are not allowing us to deliver the services that we want to deliver,’ he stated.
‘We will see across the next few months, as the 3,000 additional staff come online, we will see an increase in average speed-of-answer across the telephones and we will see a decrease in customers waiting for their claims,’ Hazlehurst added.
Despite these assurances, tens of thousands of claims have waited more than 30 days without resolution.
This includes 26,941 claims for the Age Pension and 29,173 claims for the Disability Support Pension.
There were also 14,919 unresolved claims for Paid Parental Leave, 13,782 for Single Parenting Payment, and 11,171 for Child Care subsidy.
As of February 8th, the government has granted over 50,000 claims for disaster support, paying out more than $62 million.
However, there are still 4,760 disaster payment claims awaiting assessment.
This news comes after it was revealed that in 2023, over seven million phone calls made to Services Australia were not answered but instead received a congestion message.
Services Australia addressed these issues by increasing staff numbers, which is expected to reduce call wait times and improve the processing of claims.
For our members who are currently waiting on a claim or considering applying for government assistance, this situation underscores the importance of submitting your applications as early as possible and ensuring all required documentation is complete and accurate.
Have you faced long wait times for your claims? How have you managed during the waiting period? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Recent revelations have highlighted a significant backlog at Services Australia, with over 1 million claims across various payments yet to be processed as of December 31.
This has left some individuals waiting more than 100 days for approval, a delay that can have serious implications for those relying on these funds.
The backlog was brought to light through new documents released by Services Australia, which also announced the hiring of additional staff to tackle the issue.
The data from these documents paints a picture of the average processing times for claims between September 1 and December 31 of the previous year.
More than a million claims are currently pending processing at Services Australia. Image source: Services Australia
Notably, the Disability Support Pension and Low Income Health Care Card had the longest wait time, averaging 82 days for processing.
The Dad and Partner Pay applicants faced nearly an 80-day wait, while those applying for the Pensions Loan Scheme had about a 70-day wait.
Other payments, such as the Youth Allowance Apprentice, Carer Payment, and Essential Medical Equipment support, required applicants to wait more than 50 days.
Even the more commonly applied for JobSeeker and Paid Parental Leave had average approval times of 27 and 25 days, respectively.
However, these averages mask the stark disparities in wait times based on geographic location.
The documents revealed that individuals in regional areas often faced longer delays than those in suburban areas when applying for the Age Pension, with some waiting between 70 and 211 days for approval.
In certain local government areas (LGAs), such as West Arnhem in the Northern Territory, Wandering in Western Australia, and Kangaroo Island in South Australia, the wait times exceeded 100 days.
The Farm Household Allowance, a payment offered to farming families in financial hardship, saw applicants in Barunga West in South Australia waiting an average of 166 days.
Paid Parental Leave also had significant delays in regional areas, with a 62-day wait on the Tiwi Islands and 58 days in Quairading, Western Australia.
One of the most heart-wrenching statistics was the 339-day wait faced by some couples in Strathfield, New South Wales, for support payments after the stillbirth of their baby.
JobSeeker applicants also experienced long wait times, with those in both regional and metropolitan areas, such as Shark Bay and Tammin in Western Australia, and Ryde and Hornsby in Sydney, waiting over 30 days.
Services Australia's CEO, David Hazlehurst, acknowledged the critical nature of reducing the backlog.
‘Resources are not allowing us to deliver the services that we want to deliver,’ he stated.
‘We will see across the next few months, as the 3,000 additional staff come online, we will see an increase in average speed-of-answer across the telephones and we will see a decrease in customers waiting for their claims,’ Hazlehurst added.
Despite these assurances, tens of thousands of claims have waited more than 30 days without resolution.
This includes 26,941 claims for the Age Pension and 29,173 claims for the Disability Support Pension.
There were also 14,919 unresolved claims for Paid Parental Leave, 13,782 for Single Parenting Payment, and 11,171 for Child Care subsidy.
As of February 8th, the government has granted over 50,000 claims for disaster support, paying out more than $62 million.
However, there are still 4,760 disaster payment claims awaiting assessment.
This news comes after it was revealed that in 2023, over seven million phone calls made to Services Australia were not answered but instead received a congestion message.
Services Australia addressed these issues by increasing staff numbers, which is expected to reduce call wait times and improve the processing of claims.
For our members who are currently waiting on a claim or considering applying for government assistance, this situation underscores the importance of submitting your applications as early as possible and ensuring all required documentation is complete and accurate.
Have you faced long wait times for your claims? How have you managed during the waiting period? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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Praying for you and I am sure having this website is a lovely distraction for you. Especially as I find it a welcoming activity all round and just being in contact with people or having a laugh. 
