The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
  
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
  
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
  
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

 

[GreyWolf_Rod]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

Wait times on hold are vastly understated, I applied for a seniors health card, online I had to upload Documents, it allowed me to upload some, then wouldnt accept the rest, This happened 4 times, I got several we are busy try again later message many times, when I did get in the que on the seniors line the shortest wait time was 65min and the longest 80min, several times after a 60plus min on hold the phone clicked and hung up... yet another attempt to connect... same 60 plus min on hold... extremely frustrating... one time I had to make an apppintment to take ID into centrelink personally, I didn't experience any of the "friendly" staff you speak of well over 8weeks and still do not have my seniors card, After several calls asking the hold up, keep getting told the application is in progress should be decided in approx 2 weeks I have to call them again, yet another 60plus min on hold no doubt, where do they get average 7min hold on seniors line from.

 

[Thecheesequeen]

Wait times on hold are vastly understated, I applied for a seniors health card, online I had to upload Documents, it allowed me to upload some, then wouldnt accept the rest, This happened 4 times, I got several we are busy try again later message many times, when I did get in the que on the seniors line the shortest wait time was 65min and the longest 80min, several times after a 60plus min on hold the phone clicked and hung up... yet another attempt to connect... same 60 plus min on hold... extremely frustrating... one time I had to make an apppintment to take ID into centrelink personally, I didn't experience any of the "friendly" staff you speak of well over 8weeks and still do not have my seniors card, After several calls asking the hold up, keep getting told the application is in progress should be decided in approx 2 weeks I have to call them again, yet another 60plus min on hold no doubt, where do they get average 7min hold on seniors line from.

Wait times on hold are vastly understated, I applied for a seniors health card, online I had to upload Documents, it allowed me to upload some, then wouldnt accept the rest, This happened 4 times, I got several we are busy try again later message many times, when I did get in the que on the seniors line the shortest wait time was 65min and the longest 80min, several times after a 60plus min on hold the phone clicked and hung up... yet another attempt to connect... same 60 plus min on hold... extremely frustrating... one time I had to make an apppintment to take ID into centrelink personally, I didn't experience any of the "friendly" staff you speak of well over 8weeks and still do not have my seniors card, After several calls asking the hold up, keep getting told the application is in progress should be decided in approx 2 weeks I have to call them again, yet another 60plus min on hold no doubt, where do they get average 7min hold on seniors line from.

 

[ToniaKisliakov]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

 

[Suzanne rose]

I tried calling a number of times yesterday and each time after going through so many robot questions was told the waiting time was to long and to call back , then it recognised that I had tried calling and said to call back.
I will try again at 8 am today

 

[BrendaO]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

3 hours, on a mobile phone

 

[ToniaKisliakov]

The most ridiculous things I hear about is child care subsidies. When my children were small there was no such thing or even mention! Grandparents helped out and if you had to work there were fabulous days of being with the children on days off or working part time
No one thought of any subsidies, there were no much loved battery operated lollies etc
Children grew up happy and not isolated by parents getting rid of their kids to child care centres so they could get work to pay to offload their kids!
No one should have children if they won’t commit to taking care of them
Nowadays there are also parents who won’t send their kids to school to learn to be amongst their peers! How society has changed for the worse

 

[GranniCaz]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

Long, very long wait times for My Aged Care also. Very often hang ups. Illinformed staff giving completely incorrect and misleading information. Rural Elders may not be able to simply “ Go into an office”, and if they do they vulnerably sit for too long amongst coughs and colds and often vulgar behaviour…. And then, repeat misinformation, paperwork is very likely to be “lost”…. CareLESSness is rife @ MAC and Centrelink!

 

[pbattershill]

Like most call centres around Australia, there is a wait time. Centrelink though anything up to 3 hours.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Wait times on hold are vastly understated, I applied for a seniors health card, online I had to upload Documents, it allowed me to upload some, then wouldnt accept the rest, This happened 4 times, I got several we are busy try again later message many times, when I did get in the que on the seniors line the shortest wait time was 65min and the longest 80min, several times after a 60plus min on hold the phone clicked and hung up... yet another attempt to connect... same 60 plus min on hold... extremely frustrating... one time I had to make an apppintment to take ID into centrelink personally, I didn't experience any of the "friendly" staff you speak of well over 8weeks and still do not have my seniors card, After several calls asking the hold up, keep getting told the application is in progress should be decided in approx 2 weeks I have to call them again, yet another 60plus min on hold no doubt, where do they get average 7min hold on seniors line from.

7 minutes, that's a joke. I hung on for 90 minutes, finally connected only to be told I needed to be transferred to a different dept. I thought this would be a direct connection but no, had to hold on another 25 mins
Must admit the lad I got to speak to eventually was very polite and helpful.
He said he cops a lot of abuse, and has even hung up on some people.
No sense abusing the staff, no matter how frustrated you are, it's not their fault.
Don't think I believe that they are trying to employ more staff, this problem isn't new, it's been going on for years.

 

[PDYR]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

We call the older persons line and most times have been on hold for well over an hour. We wanted to make an appointment on another occasion but couldn’t find how to on line, it appeared that we had to call to make the appointment, so over an hour later when we got through they didn’t want to let us make an appointment just insisted that they try to solve it over the phone, so frustrating.

 

[mylittletibbies]

The most ridiculous things I hear about is child care subsidies. When my children were small there was no such thing or even mention! Grandparents helped out and if you had to work there were fabulous days of being with the children on days off or working part time
No one thought of any subsidies, there were no much loved battery operated lollies etc
Children grew up happy and not isolated by parents getting rid of their kids to child care centres so they could get work to pay to offload their kids!
No one should have children if they won’t commit to taking care of them
Nowadays there are also parents who won’t send their kids to school to learn to be amongst their peers! How society has changed for the worse

I can understand your frustrations, I also remember those days, as I had to work as my husband could never hold down a job and I couldn't rely on him to watch the.childrrn safely. No subsidies then.
Young people say it's harder these days, but they expect so much more than we did. Most famies.hsve two cars, one definitely needs to be a 4 wheel drive to get the kids to school. Not happy with a basic 3x1 house for starters, must be at least 4x2, 2 living areas, don't forget the butlers pantry, oh and a swimming pool for the kids is a must. Expensive phones, endless pay for TV channels, off out for smashed avo and coffee for breakfast and they wonder why they can't manage.
My stepdaughters even get subsidised childcare and they don't even work, all on the single mums pensions.
No wonder the country is in so much debt and. Centrelink is so busy.

 

[Suzanne rose]

The most ridiculous things I hear about is child care subsidies. When my children were small there was no such thing or even mention! Grandparents helped out and if you had to work there were fabulous days of being with the children on days off or working part time
No one thought of any subsidies, there were no much loved battery operated lollies etc
Children grew up happy and not isolated by parents getting rid of their kids to child care centres so they could get work to pay to offload their kids!
No one should have children if they won’t commit to taking care of them
Nowadays there are also parents who won’t send their kids to school to learn to be amongst their peers! How society has changed for the worse

It's a very different world today , with prices of rent and mortgages two parents need to work.
As for grandparents minding them , this isn't always possible eg my health isn't good.
I worked and had 13 kids I did work around my husband, again this isn't an option for everyone.
We have to accept times are a changing.
Better they work than be on the dole

 

[Catherines]

Wait times on hold are vastly understated, I applied for a seniors health card, online I had to upload Documents, it allowed me to upload some, then wouldnt accept the rest, This happened 4 times, I got several we are busy try again later message many times, when I did get in the que on the seniors line the shortest wait time was 65min and the longest 80min, several times after a 60plus min on hold the phone clicked and hung up... yet another attempt to connect... same 60 plus min on hold... extremely frustrating... one time I had to make an apppintment to take ID into centrelink personally, I didn't experience any of the "friendly" staff you speak of well over 8weeks and still do not have my seniors card, After several calls asking the hold up, keep getting told the application is in progress should be decided in approx 2 weeks I have to call them again, yet another 60plus min on hold no doubt, where do they get average 7min hold on seniors line from.

The most ridiculous things I hear about is child care subsidies. When my children were small there was no such thing or even mention! Grandparents helped out and if you had to work there were fabulous days of being with the children on days off or working part time
No one thought of any subsidies, there were no much loved battery operated lollies etc
Children grew up happy and not isolated by parents getting rid of their kids to child care centres so they could get work to pay to offload their kids!
No one should have children if they won’t commit to taking care of them
Nowadays there are also parents who won’t send their kids to school to learn to be amongst their peers! How society has changed for the worse

I can remember $2 A MONTH for what was then called Child Endowment for each of my children. Not the hundreds of dollars I believe is currently being paid just when your child is born. AND we saved that money somehow. When my daughter had each of her 3 children we were there to look after them at our home every day, from the age of 11 months, as she and her hubby had to work. NO CHILDCARE subsidies to put them into care.

I agree with you ToniaKisliakov with all that you have said. And I also agree with some of the others who have commented about wait times with CentreLink although I have no need to call them now as we are independently funded; must admit though that I previously had a couple of issues with them.

And I agree with the comments from others - if you cannot/do not want to stay home with your babies and have no parents to leave them with while you have to work then try not to have them until you can afford them. Take the necessary precautions this world has to offer you; although my daughter had to go back to work she was careful for the first two years of her marriage but also asked if we were retiring and could look after her baby IF she became pregnant. She still is and has always been a very calm and devoted mother to her three, the eldest 21 and youngest 16.

AND, it is also my opinion, about the recent ‘sex book’ controversy. Teach you child about their bodies, certainly, but do so at home in age-appropriate language and teach them how to be careful and enjoy LOVE not just sex (or unprotected sex which might result in pregnancy at a very, very young age).

 

[Dr Ray]

"We are currently experiencing a high volume of telephone calls, you will be connected to the next available operator"
Translated this means - we are going to make it as time consuming as possible for you to contact our staff. We have no intention of increasing staff numbers to answer your calls in a timely manner because we really don't care about your problems. We'll keep you on hold for up to an hour before cutting you off and force you to call again and waste more of your time.
This is not just Centrelink, it's endemic across government and private sector businesses. Some. to their credit, have a ring back service and I applaud these.

 

[Leenie]

People are greedy,they have to have everything now,we were taught to save for what u wanted ,if never had the cash u waited until u did and we were never in debt.

 

[Scribbles]

I do everything online ..... except when there is a problem which is hardly never. Due to issues with adding new banking details and changing others it flagged an issue and locked me out of changing anything new. I rang probably just after mid-morning and waited 1 hour and 25 minutes to get it sorted. The next time same thing happened and I also had new bank stuff coming up a few weeks later so held off till then and rang, but rang around 9 and only waited about 35 minutes. Every single time I've had to ring (and it's only been about 4 times in 6-7 years) I have always gotten someone really nice. One was someone more business like than the others, and one was so Aussie in their attitude that I said to my Hubby I didn't expect to talk to someone at Centrelink with such a great sense of humour. Each time issues get fixed straight away. One person asked me a question about why our bank balance had gone up so much and I said to her that I got a bank cheque from one bank and took it within 5 minutes to our other bank and deposited it there and I'd uploaded a document to show the transactions from one bank to another. She looked and said she couldn't understand why it got flagged! I give Centrelink a A+ for when I've had to ring up, but sometimes the wait time is long. What do I do while I'm waiting? I put the phone on speaker and do other things while I'm waiting. That way you aren't wasting time sitting there. This works if you have a cordless phone or a mobile phone. If you don't you're stuck there waiting.

 

[anne2162]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

Yes I also have lengthy delays just for one question, I simply cannot go into their office as I'm disabled & to use Bankstown Community Transport to take me is ridiculously expensive es their return fair would cost me $60

 

[Paul1951]

The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.

Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.

Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.

The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!

View attachment 25756

Centrelink is currently facing challenges in keeping up with the high demand, and as a result, wait times are experiencing an increase, especially during busy periods. Some customers have even reported difficulty in getting through to a hold line. Image by julianhochgesang from unsplash

Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.

Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.

Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.

The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.

If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.

Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.

Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.

They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.

View attachment 25757

According to the latest figures from Services Australia, call wait times have significantly increased. Image by nordwood from unsplash

Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.

Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.

To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.

Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.

He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’

They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.

To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.

The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.

‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.

To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.

However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.

‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
• The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
• Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
• Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.

All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.

Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?

I gave up on trying, every time I tried I was told to go online and then they hang up before I could make an inquiry

 

[Mumma bear 04]

I’m in the same boat as everyone else with centrelink, except I rang the carers number and had to wait 2 and 1/2 hours and got no where the consultant had no idea about my issue. So I thought I would try again only to have to wait an hour and then get cut off. I’ve tried numerous times since and not been able to get through even. So I thought I would go over to the local centrelink office and no one could help me only to be put on the phone again and wait another hour to be cut off. Unfortunately I’m not sure what I am supposed to do now any advice would be greatly appreciated.