Aussies on social media discover 'trick' to resolve Centrelink issues faster

The frustrating reality of waiting endlessly on hold or in Centrelink lines is something many Australians seeking assistance from the government can relate to.

Yet, some savvy social media users have stumbled upon a simple trick to expedite issue resolution—sending an email directly to Centrelink spokesperson Hank Jongen!



As the General Manager of Services Australia, the government body overseeing Centrelink, Jongen is no stranger to controversy.

What's interesting is that Mr Jongen's email address has been public for some time. Notably, he shared it during the rollout of what is now known as 'robodebt', encouraging those who felt 'lost in the system' to contact him directly.


Screenshot 2023-11-08 at 12.24.41 PM.png
Aussies on social media have found a quick fix for their Centrelink issues. Credit: Shutterstock.



Now, his email address has resurfaced on the popular forum website Reddit, with users sharing their experiences about how quickly Jongen has fixed their Centrelink problems compared to traditional channels.

'I emailed last night, and they've sorted my claim out and are now connecting me to someone else for another issue I've been waiting to be resolved,' commented one user.

A second added: 'I emailed Hank this morning, and the claim was approved later that day. Thanks, mate!'



A third agreed and said, 'I emailed him this morning after seeing a pos, and my ftb was finally approved today!'

'I was sceptical, but after emailing on Wednesday night, I called Centrelink today and found out my claim from early June was marked as high priority yesterday,' shared a fourth.

Other commenters chimed in with similar positive experiences, getting issues like payment errors, reporting changes, and verification requests quickly resolved after emailing Jongen.

However, some questioned whether this 'Hank trick' was fair or ethical.

'I see a lot of people saying this is real, and it helps, but it feels very dodgy,' one user argued.

But most agreed that with call wait times blowing out to hours or even days, contacting Jongen directly yielded better results.



Naturally, this sparked curiosity during a recent Senate estimates hearing about why one man's inbox could resolve issues for some when millions waited almost indefinitely through normal channels.

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic grilled officials on the apparent imbalance, asking: 'Why is this the case, and how is it even fair?'

Acting Centrelink Chief Chris Birrer claimed the email was just one of many 'paths' people could use to bring up their issues with the system.



Deputy Chief Jarrod Howard also clarified not all emails sent to Jongen resulted in accelerated handling, saying: 'It's a risk management approach that we take.'

'We have to make those assessments in the same way that we make assessments when an MP contacts us or when someone writes to the CEO or myself.'

This follows the news that senators called out Centrelink bosses in a hearing.

Despite receiving fewer calls this year, the agency's performance in answering calls and processing claims has 'deteriorated’.

Only 60 per cent of calls are answered within 15 minutes, with 9 million calls annually encountering a voicemail asking callers to try again later due to high demand.

In July and August of this year, the agency received 8 million calls. Of these, 2.8 million calls resulted in a congestion message, indicating the call queue was full. Among these calls, 1.8 million were successfully answered by a representative, while the customers themselves terminated 800,000.



Centrelink's workforce struggled to keep up with demand as millions of Aussies grappled with the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent figures reveal that the average wait time for all social security and welfare calls to Centrelink has 'skyrocketed' from 14 minutes and 14 seconds during the 2021-22 financial year to 20 minutes and 22 seconds this financial year.

However, Australians who rely on Centrelink services have reported even longer wait times, prompting many to express their frustration on social media.

Key Takeaways

  • Emails sent to Services Australia's spokesman, Hank Jongen, have been deemed a quick way to resolve Centrelink issues, as discussed at a senate estimates hearing.
  • Reddit users have validated Jongen's email, saying it's legitimate and has expedited their claim processing times.
  • However, there is scepticism about whether this process is fair.
  • Officials have justified this method as one of many 'paths' people can take to escalate their claims, including contacting their local MP.

Members, are you waiting on any processing from Centrelink these days? Have you considered contacting Mr Jongen directly at his email address? We hope you found this article informative!
 
Sponsored
The frustrating reality of waiting endlessly on hold or in Centrelink lines is something many Australians seeking assistance from the government can relate to.

Yet, some savvy social media users have stumbled upon a simple trick to expedite issue resolution—sending an email directly to Centrelink spokesperson Hank Jongen!



As the General Manager of Services Australia, the government body overseeing Centrelink, Jongen is no stranger to controversy.

What's interesting is that Mr Jongen's email address has been public for some time. Notably, he shared it during the rollout of what is now known as 'robodebt', encouraging those who felt 'lost in the system' to contact him directly.


View attachment 34161
Aussies on social media have found a quick fix for their Centrelink issues. Credit: Shutterstock.



Now, his email address has resurfaced on the popular forum website Reddit, with users sharing their experiences about how quickly Jongen has fixed their Centrelink problems compared to traditional channels.

'I emailed last night, and they've sorted my claim out and are now connecting me to someone else for another issue I've been waiting to be resolved,' commented one user.

A second added: 'I emailed Hank this morning, and the claim was approved later that day. Thanks, mate!'



A third agreed and said, 'I emailed him this morning after seeing a pos, and my ftb was finally approved today!'

'I was sceptical, but after emailing on Wednesday night, I called Centrelink today and found out my claim from early June was marked as high priority yesterday,' shared a fourth.

Other commenters chimed in with similar positive experiences, getting issues like payment errors, reporting changes, and verification requests quickly resolved after emailing Jongen.

However, some questioned whether this 'Hank trick' was fair or ethical.

'I see a lot of people saying this is real, and it helps, but it feels very dodgy,' one user argued.

But most agreed that with call wait times blowing out to hours or even days, contacting Jongen directly yielded better results.



Naturally, this sparked curiosity during a recent Senate estimates hearing about why one man's inbox could resolve issues for some when millions waited almost indefinitely through normal channels.

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic grilled officials on the apparent imbalance, asking: 'Why is this the case, and how is it even fair?'

Acting Centrelink Chief Chris Birrer claimed the email was just one of many 'paths' people could use to bring up their issues with the system.



Deputy Chief Jarrod Howard also clarified not all emails sent to Jongen resulted in accelerated handling, saying: 'It's a risk management approach that we take.'

'We have to make those assessments in the same way that we make assessments when an MP contacts us or when someone writes to the CEO or myself.'

This follows the news that senators called out Centrelink bosses in a hearing.

Despite receiving fewer calls this year, the agency's performance in answering calls and processing claims has 'deteriorated’.

Only 60 per cent of calls are answered within 15 minutes, with 9 million calls annually encountering a voicemail asking callers to try again later due to high demand.

In July and August of this year, the agency received 8 million calls. Of these, 2.8 million calls resulted in a congestion message, indicating the call queue was full. Among these calls, 1.8 million were successfully answered by a representative, while the customers themselves terminated 800,000.



Centrelink's workforce struggled to keep up with demand as millions of Aussies grappled with the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent figures reveal that the average wait time for all social security and welfare calls to Centrelink has 'skyrocketed' from 14 minutes and 14 seconds during the 2021-22 financial year to 20 minutes and 22 seconds this financial year.

However, Australians who rely on Centrelink services have reported even longer wait times, prompting many to express their frustration on social media.

Key Takeaways

  • Emails sent to Services Australia's spokesman, Hank Jongen, have been deemed a quick way to resolve Centrelink issues, as discussed at a senate estimates hearing.
  • Reddit users have validated Jongen's email, saying it's legitimate and has expedited their claim processing times.
  • However, there is scepticism about whether this process is fair.
  • Officials have justified this method as one of many 'paths' people can take to escalate their claims, including contacting their local MP.

Members, are you waiting on any processing from Centrelink these days? Have you considered contacting Mr Jongen directly at his email address? We hope you found this article informative!
Please remember folks ; it's NOT the fault of person on the phone -- can be hard to stay calm but you need to . The biggest drama with centre link is the few who abuse the system ; those who want more than they are allowed to get . Staff are always on the look out for those few so everyone is caught in the web
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ricki and siameezer
I found I got better service from my local member and actually it wasn't the member it was her assistant problem solved by the next day
 
In the last couple of weeks on two occasions trying to get through to the disability section of Centrelink took me 8 hours the first time getting through at 5.00 pm to be told she saw our problem but has she was about to go home would fix it on Monday - it was not fixed so a week and half later it took me 5 hours to get through to a person and it took them 45 minutes to fix the problem. I was getting so stressed over the whole debacle that I started to have angina attacks.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Ricki
I worked for Centrelink for 18 years and Hank has been around for that and amazingly is still there. With his high profile I doubt he would share his email.

As I worked in Centrelink fraud I am suspicious someone is getting a clients details, calling on their behalf to get their issues fixed and then keeping the details for a further fraud down the track - people are conned so easily.
This is exactly my concern as well and I hope people aren't foolish enough to try this as the odds of it being a scam are very high.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ricki
Why did you not put the email address in. And where do I get it from
there's this thing called, wait for it: Google. Not in receipt of any govt welfare, but took all of 2 seconds to find it.
 
The frustrating reality of waiting endlessly on hold or in Centrelink lines is something many Australians seeking assistance from the government can relate to.

Yet, some savvy social media users have stumbled upon a simple trick to expedite issue resolution—sending an email directly to Centrelink spokesperson Hank Jongen!



As the General Manager of Services Australia, the government body overseeing Centrelink, Jongen is no stranger to controversy.

What's interesting is that Mr Jongen's email address has been public for some time. Notably, he shared it during the rollout of what is now known as 'robodebt', encouraging those who felt 'lost in the system' to contact him directly.


View attachment 34161
Aussies on social media have found a quick fix for their Centrelink issues. Credit: Shutterstock.



Now, his email address has resurfaced on the popular forum website Reddit, with users sharing their experiences about how quickly Jongen has fixed their Centrelink problems compared to traditional channels.

'I emailed last night, and they've sorted my claim out and are now connecting me to someone else for another issue I've been waiting to be resolved,' commented one user.

A second added: 'I emailed Hank this morning, and the claim was approved later that day. Thanks, mate!'



A third agreed and said, 'I emailed him this morning after seeing a pos, and my ftb was finally approved today!'

'I was sceptical, but after emailing on Wednesday night, I called Centrelink today and found out my claim from early June was marked as high priority yesterday,' shared a fourth.

Other commenters chimed in with similar positive experiences, getting issues like payment errors, reporting changes, and verification requests quickly resolved after emailing Jongen.

However, some questioned whether this 'Hank trick' was fair or ethical.

'I see a lot of people saying this is real, and it helps, but it feels very dodgy,' one user argued.

But most agreed that with call wait times blowing out to hours or even days, contacting Jongen directly yielded better results.



Naturally, this sparked curiosity during a recent Senate estimates hearing about why one man's inbox could resolve issues for some when millions waited almost indefinitely through normal channels.

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic grilled officials on the apparent imbalance, asking: 'Why is this the case, and how is it even fair?'

Acting Centrelink Chief Chris Birrer claimed the email was just one of many 'paths' people could use to bring up their issues with the system.



Deputy Chief Jarrod Howard also clarified not all emails sent to Jongen resulted in accelerated handling, saying: 'It's a risk management approach that we take.'

'We have to make those assessments in the same way that we make assessments when an MP contacts us or when someone writes to the CEO or myself.'

This follows the news that senators called out Centrelink bosses in a hearing.

Despite receiving fewer calls this year, the agency's performance in answering calls and processing claims has 'deteriorated’.

Only 60 per cent of calls are answered within 15 minutes, with 9 million calls annually encountering a voicemail asking callers to try again later due to high demand.

In July and August of this year, the agency received 8 million calls. Of these, 2.8 million calls resulted in a congestion message, indicating the call queue was full. Among these calls, 1.8 million were successfully answered by a representative, while the customers themselves terminated 800,000.



Centrelink's workforce struggled to keep up with demand as millions of Aussies grappled with the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent figures reveal that the average wait time for all social security and welfare calls to Centrelink has 'skyrocketed' from 14 minutes and 14 seconds during the 2021-22 financial year to 20 minutes and 22 seconds this financial year.

However, Australians who rely on Centrelink services have reported even longer wait times, prompting many to express their frustration on social media.

Key Takeaways

  • Emails sent to Services Australia's spokesman, Hank Jongen, have been deemed a quick way to resolve Centrelink issues, as discussed at a senate estimates hearing.
  • Reddit users have validated Jongen's email, saying it's legitimate and has expedited their claim processing times.
  • However, there is scepticism about whether this process is fair.
  • Officials have justified this method as one of many 'paths' people can take to escalate their claims, including contacting their local MP.

Members, are you waiting on any processing from Centrelink these days? Have you considered contacting Mr Jongen directly at his email address? We hope you found this article informative!
So what’s his email address?
 
You didn't mention that 10 years of Liberal government ran down the Centrelink staff causing these horrific wait times. You should have also mentioned that the Labor government recently set about employing 3000 more staff.
Jeff Sproal
The run down started way before that.
 
We all know and understan
The frustrating reality of waiting endlessly on hold or in Centrelink lines is something many Australians seeking assistance from the government can relate to.

Yet, some savvy social media users have stumbled upon a simple trick to expedite issue resolution—sending an email directly to Centrelink spokesperson Hank Jongen!



As the General Manager of Services Australia, the government body overseeing Centrelink, Jongen is no stranger to controversy.

What's interesting is that Mr Jongen's email address has been public for some time. Notably, he shared it during the rollout of what is now known as 'robodebt', encouraging those who felt 'lost in the system' to contact him directly.


View attachment 34161
Aussies on social media have found a quick fix for their Centrelink issues. Credit: Shutterstock.



Now, his email address has resurfaced on the popular forum website Reddit, with users sharing their experiences about how quickly Jongen has fixed their Centrelink problems compared to traditional channels.

'I emailed last night, and they've sorted my claim out and are now connecting me to someone else for another issue I've been waiting to be resolved,' commented one user.

A second added: 'I emailed Hank this morning, and the claim was approved later that day. Thanks, mate!'



A third agreed and said, 'I emailed him this morning after seeing a pos, and my ftb was finally approved today!'

'I was sceptical, but after emailing on Wednesday night, I called Centrelink today and found out my claim from early June was marked as high priority yesterday,' shared a fourth.

Other commenters chimed in with similar positive experiences, getting issues like payment errors, reporting changes, and verification requests quickly resolved after emailing Jongen.

However, some questioned whether this 'Hank trick' was fair or ethical.

'I see a lot of people saying this is real, and it helps, but it feels very dodgy,' one user argued.

But most agreed that with call wait times blowing out to hours or even days, contacting Jongen directly yielded better results.



Naturally, this sparked curiosity during a recent Senate estimates hearing about why one man's inbox could resolve issues for some when millions waited almost indefinitely through normal channels.

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic grilled officials on the apparent imbalance, asking: 'Why is this the case, and how is it even fair?'

Acting Centrelink Chief Chris Birrer claimed the email was just one of many 'paths' people could use to bring up their issues with the system.



Deputy Chief Jarrod Howard also clarified not all emails sent to Jongen resulted in accelerated handling, saying: 'It's a risk management approach that we take.'

'We have to make those assessments in the same way that we make assessments when an MP contacts us or when someone writes to the CEO or myself.'

This follows the news that senators called out Centrelink bosses in a hearing.

Despite receiving fewer calls this year, the agency's performance in answering calls and processing claims has 'deteriorated’.

Only 60 per cent of calls are answered within 15 minutes, with 9 million calls annually encountering a voicemail asking callers to try again later due to high demand.

In July and August of this year, the agency received 8 million calls. Of these, 2.8 million calls resulted in a congestion message, indicating the call queue was full. Among these calls, 1.8 million were successfully answered by a representative, while the customers themselves terminated 800,000.



Centrelink's workforce struggled to keep up with demand as millions of Aussies grappled with the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent figures reveal that the average wait time for all social security and welfare calls to Centrelink has 'skyrocketed' from 14 minutes and 14 seconds during the 2021-22 financial year to 20 minutes and 22 seconds this financial year.

However, Australians who rely on Centrelink services have reported even longer wait times, prompting many to express their frustration on social media.

Key Takeaways

  • Emails sent to Services Australia's spokesman, Hank Jongen, have been deemed a quick way to resolve Centrelink issues, as discussed at a senate estimates hearing.
  • Reddit users have validated Jongen's email, saying it's legitimate and has expedited their claim processing times.
  • However, there is scepticism about whether this process is fair.
  • Officials have justified this method as one of many 'paths' people can take to escalate their claims, including contacting their local MP.

Members, are you waiting on any processing from Centrelink these days? Have you considered contacting Mr Jongen directly at his email address? We hope you found this article informative!
d
 
I worked for Centrelink for 18 years and Hank has been around for that and amazingly is still there. With his high profile I doubt he would share his email.

As I worked in Centrelink fraud I am suspicious someone is getting a clients details, calling on their behalf to get their issues fixed and then keeping the details for a further fraud down the track - people are conned so easily.
It's an email anyone can use. I sent an email to hank and my issues were cleared up in afew days. I've been waiting 4 months for one issue and 12 months for the other. Not a scam
 
As an admin in a facebook group we have been concerned about this email address for sometime. Some of us tried it and results were varied with most not getting a reply. So yesterday I decided to call Services Australia to find out the truth.
They were very concerned about its existence and queried me for some time about it. I supplied them emails and screen shots to assist them. At the end I was advised that it is NOT a listed authorised email address. It may be that it is a scam that some have fallen for and that people who are using it are giving away their personal information. More importantly they were concerned that this in turn will allow the scammers access to what is termed the back door into Mygov or Services Australia. They urged mer to advise all group members who had used it to notify the agency immediately and tell them and to advise all members not to use it.
All I can tell you is this. A question for SDC. Did you research the address before publishing this article?
[email protected]
 
The frustrating reality of waiting endlessly on hold or in Centrelink lines is something many Australians seeking assistance from the government can relate to.

Yet, some savvy social media users have stumbled upon a simple trick to expedite issue resolution—sending an email directly to Centrelink spokesperson Hank Jongen!



As the General Manager of Services Australia, the government body overseeing Centrelink, Jongen is no stranger to controversy.

What's interesting is that Mr Jongen's email address has been public for some time. Notably, he shared it during the rollout of what is now known as 'robodebt', encouraging those who felt 'lost in the system' to contact him directly.


View attachment 34161
Aussies on social media have found a quick fix for their Centrelink issues. Credit: Shutterstock.



Now, his email address has resurfaced on the popular forum website Reddit, with users sharing their experiences about how quickly Jongen has fixed their Centrelink problems compared to traditional channels.

'I emailed last night, and they've sorted my claim out and are now connecting me to someone else for another issue I've been waiting to be resolved,' commented one user.

A second added: 'I emailed Hank this morning, and the claim was approved later that day. Thanks, mate!'



A third agreed and said, 'I emailed him this morning after seeing a pos, and my ftb was finally approved today!'

'I was sceptical, but after emailing on Wednesday night, I called Centrelink today and found out my claim from early June was marked as high priority yesterday,' shared a fourth.

Other commenters chimed in with similar positive experiences, getting issues like payment errors, reporting changes, and verification requests quickly resolved after emailing Jongen.

However, some questioned whether this 'Hank trick' was fair or ethical.

'I see a lot of people saying this is real, and it helps, but it feels very dodgy,' one user argued.

But most agreed that with call wait times blowing out to hours or even days, contacting Jongen directly yielded better results.



Naturally, this sparked curiosity during a recent Senate estimates hearing about why one man's inbox could resolve issues for some when millions waited almost indefinitely through normal channels.

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic grilled officials on the apparent imbalance, asking: 'Why is this the case, and how is it even fair?'

Acting Centrelink Chief Chris Birrer claimed the email was just one of many 'paths' people could use to bring up their issues with the system.



Deputy Chief Jarrod Howard also clarified not all emails sent to Jongen resulted in accelerated handling, saying: 'It's a risk management approach that we take.'

'We have to make those assessments in the same way that we make assessments when an MP contacts us or when someone writes to the CEO or myself.'

This follows the news that senators called out Centrelink bosses in a hearing.

Despite receiving fewer calls this year, the agency's performance in answering calls and processing claims has 'deteriorated’.

Only 60 per cent of calls are answered within 15 minutes, with 9 million calls annually encountering a voicemail asking callers to try again later due to high demand.

In July and August of this year, the agency received 8 million calls. Of these, 2.8 million calls resulted in a congestion message, indicating the call queue was full. Among these calls, 1.8 million were successfully answered by a representative, while the customers themselves terminated 800,000.



Centrelink's workforce struggled to keep up with demand as millions of Aussies grappled with the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent figures reveal that the average wait time for all social security and welfare calls to Centrelink has 'skyrocketed' from 14 minutes and 14 seconds during the 2021-22 financial year to 20 minutes and 22 seconds this financial year.

However, Australians who rely on Centrelink services have reported even longer wait times, prompting many to express their frustration on social media.

Key Takeaways

  • Emails sent to Services Australia's spokesman, Hank Jongen, have been deemed a quick way to resolve Centrelink issues, as discussed at a senate estimates hearing.
  • Reddit users have validated Jongen's email, saying it's legitimate and has expedited their claim processing times.
  • However, there is scepticism about whether this process is fair.
  • Officials have justified this method as one of many 'paths' people can take to escalate their claims, including contacting their local MP.

Members, are you waiting on any processing from Centrelink these days? Have you considered contacting Mr Jongen directly at his email address? We hope you found this article informative!
My Health care card exipies tomorrow and I followed everything I was told to do online and I even got an email that it was received this was a month ago why do we do thing online it should be much easier I need this for my medication. Please
 
The article states that that email is one of many ways to get issues resolved - so what are the other ways? and how can that be a scam if things get resolved quickly from emailing that person?
 
I have been waiting on the phone for so long with Centrelink, that I've now forgotten what I was ringing them for. 😱🤔😉
 

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