With the cost of living skyrocketing, millions of Australians are turning to Centrelink for financial assistance and peace of mind. But many are not getting the help they need.

The problem is that Centrelink is experiencing a serious staff shortage, which is causing frustration and disappointment for those waiting for their payments or to simply speak with someone.

This shortage is making it even harder for the agency to keep up with the increasing demand for their services, leaving many feeling let down.

According to Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner, Centrelink is facing a major staff shortage, with 500 fewer staff members than what they need to manage the demand. This has resulted in longer wait times for those seeking assistance.

Are you a user of Centrelink services? If so, you may recently have noticed that the wait times are longer than usual. Credit: Unsplash/Taylor Grote.

Between July 2022 and the end of January this year, the average wait time for Centrelink calls was just over 18 minutes. This is up from an average of 14 minutes in the previous year and only four minutes the year before that.

It's also unfortunate that Centrelink's Older Australians line, which can be reached at 132 300, has an average wait time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds as of December 31, 2022. (Some of our members here in the SDC have even shot back at that number, claiming they waited considerably longer than that.)

To put things into perspective, more than 25 million calls were made to Centrelink between July 2022 and January 2023, with only 8.3 million answered.

Ms Skinner acknowledged that the increased demand for Centrelink services was due in part to the changing economic circumstances. Families and parenting lines, as well as youth and students, were the most affected, experiencing the longest wait times.

This is a challenging situation for many Australians who rely on Centrelink services to get by.

​

Unfortunately, the issue of long call wait times at Centrelink is not new.

In 2019, Centrelink attempted to address the matter by hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line. But in June 2022, Centrelink reduced its call centre workforce by 30 per cent due to reduced demand.

Centrelink's spokesperson Hank Jongen commented on the situation last year, stating that the agency's budget has been reduced to align with the expected change in demand following the easing of COVID-19 measures.

As part of new financial year adjustments, Centrelink will be bringing staff back in-house to fill casual service delivery roles across the agency, instead of relying on labour hire.

The agency plans to continue adjusting its service contracts and staffing levels based on changing priorities, demands, and the economic climate moving forward. These measures are being taken to address the current issues of long wait times and to improve Centrelink's services.

These changes may help reduce the wait times and improve the experience for those seeking assistance from Centrelink. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be and how they will affect the services provided by Centrelink in the long run.

To try and help the situation, Centrelink recruited 800 new staff members in January, with an additional 400 members added in February. Credit: Pexels/MART PRODUCTION.

According to Centrelink's Chief Operating Officer, Russell Egan, a high turnover of staff is contributing to the current staff shortage. Egan explained that there is currently a lot of competition for talent, and many organisations are experiencing a high turnover rate, not just Centrelink.

The department has taken steps to address the issue by bringing in 800 new staff members in January and another 400 so far in February.

However, the tight labour market means that it may still be challenging for Centrelink to attract and retain staff in the long term. It remains to be seen how the department will continue to address these issues and ensure that they have enough staff to meet the demand for their services.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is facing large staff shortages due to increased demand created by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wait times for Centrelink calls have increased from 14 minutes in 2021/22 to around 18 minutes recently.
• Centrelink brought in 800 new staff members in January, with another 400 in February.

What do some of our members here at the SDC have to say about these frustratingly long Centrelink wait times?

Member @Marian M said, 'We oldies do not want to use the internet and it frustrates us, we do not want to go out and learn how to use their resources when they have staff there to help.'

Meanwhile, member @HamMcG shared in the comments, 'My experience with Centrelink and the older line is you either choose the self-service option or you are told goodbye. No more waiting on hold or we'll phone you back.'

Thankfully, it's not all bad news.

'I'd failed with calling them on a phone just recently, so I chose just to walk into their office to make an appointment. Although it had taken me quite a few visits to get one thing completely done, I was still able to get some help from them at least,' said member @Jsmile.

'I think, they do need some improvement, the call handling, the online system and the whole department management. And I must say that there are somehow some very nice staff there trying to help through this dark tunnel.'

Tip

Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:

• My Aged Care at 1800 200 422
• Digital Coaching
• Financial Information Service

What do you think? Have you had to deal with the frustratingly long waiting times when calling Centrelink recently? We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

 

[Macarj]

In October last year I updated our Assets on the Centrelink site. On completing the update, I realised that I had omitted one detail but because I had logged off, I was not able to log into the section again until Centrelink staff had updated the details I had provided. It is now February and our Assets have still not been updated. Will I be fined for incomplete details?

If there is an issue they will ask you to update information after they have looked at your application in my application it asked for latest bank statements but when they looked at my application they decided they wanted bank information up to the date they are looking at

 

[mark godwin]

With the cost of living skyrocketing, millions of Australians are turning to Centrelink for financial assistance and peace of mind. But many are not getting the help they need.

The problem is that Centrelink is experiencing a serious staff shortage, which is causing frustration and disappointment for those waiting for their payments or to simply speak with someone.

This shortage is making it even harder for the agency to keep up with the increasing demand for their services, leaving many feeling let down.

According to Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner, Centrelink is facing a major staff shortage, with 500 fewer staff members than what they need to manage the demand. This has resulted in longer wait times for those seeking assistance.

View attachment 13677

Are you a user of Centrelink services? If so, you may recently have noticed that the wait times are longer than usual. Credit: Unsplash/Taylor Grote.

Between July 2022 and the end of January this year, the average wait time for Centrelink calls was just over 18 minutes. This is up from an average of 14 minutes in the previous year and only four minutes the year before that.

It's also unfortunate that Centrelink's Older Australians line, which can be reached at 132 300, has an average wait time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds as of December 31, 2022. (Some of our members here in the SDC have even shot back at that number, claiming they waited considerably longer than that.)

To put things into perspective, more than 25 million calls were made to Centrelink between July 2022 and January 2023, with only 8.3 million answered.

Ms Skinner acknowledged that the increased demand for Centrelink services was due in part to the changing economic circumstances. Families and parenting lines, as well as youth and students, were the most affected, experiencing the longest wait times.

This is a challenging situation for many Australians who rely on Centrelink services to get by.

​

Unfortunately, the issue of long call wait times at Centrelink is not new.

In 2019, Centrelink attempted to address the matter by hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line. But in June 2022, Centrelink reduced its call centre workforce by 30 per cent due to reduced demand.

Centrelink's spokesperson Hank Jongen commented on the situation last year, stating that the agency's budget has been reduced to align with the expected change in demand following the easing of COVID-19 measures.

As part of new financial year adjustments, Centrelink will be bringing staff back in-house to fill casual service delivery roles across the agency, instead of relying on labour hire.

The agency plans to continue adjusting its service contracts and staffing levels based on changing priorities, demands, and the economic climate moving forward. These measures are being taken to address the current issues of long wait times and to improve Centrelink's services.

These changes may help reduce the wait times and improve the experience for those seeking assistance from Centrelink. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be and how they will affect the services provided by Centrelink in the long run.

View attachment 13678

To try and help the situation, Centrelink recruited 800 new staff members in January, with an additional 400 members added in February. Credit: Pexels/MART PRODUCTION.

According to Centrelink's Chief Operating Officer, Russell Egan, a high turnover of staff is contributing to the current staff shortage. Egan explained that there is currently a lot of competition for talent, and many organisations are experiencing a high turnover rate, not just Centrelink.

The department has taken steps to address the issue by bringing in 800 new staff members in January and another 400 so far in February.

However, the tight labour market means that it may still be challenging for Centrelink to attract and retain staff in the long term. It remains to be seen how the department will continue to address these issues and ensure that they have enough staff to meet the demand for their services.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is facing large staff shortages due to increased demand created by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wait times for Centrelink calls have increased from 14 minutes in 2021/22 to around 18 minutes recently.
• Centrelink brought in 800 new staff members in January, with another 400 in February.

What do some of our members here at the SDC have to say about these frustratingly long Centrelink wait times?

Member @Marian M said, 'We oldies do not want to use the internet and it frustrates us, we do not want to go out and learn how to use their resources when they have staff there to help.'

Meanwhile, member @HamMcG shared in the comments, 'My experience with Centrelink and the older line is you either choose the self-service option or you are told goodbye. No more waiting on hold or we'll phone you back.'

Thankfully, it's not all bad news.

'I'd failed with calling them on a phone just recently, so I chose just to walk into their office to make an appointment. Although it had taken me quite a few visits to get one thing completely done, I was still able to get some help from them at least,' said member @Jsmile.

'I think, they do need some improvement, the call handling, the online system and the whole department management. And I must say that there are somehow some very nice staff there trying to help through this dark tunnel.'

Tip

Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:

• My Aged Care at 1800 200 422
• Digital Coaching
• Financial Information Service

What do you think? Have you had to deal with the frustratingly long waiting times when calling Centrelink recently? We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

act of purist optimism to try to ring any gov,t dept . luckily nelson bay has gold class service for medibank , service nsw , centrelink . even NAB is great luckily it,s quicker to go personally than call !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kathie]

With the cost of living skyrocketing, millions of Australians are turning to Centrelink for financial assistance and peace of mind. But many are not getting the help they need.

The problem is that Centrelink is experiencing a serious staff shortage, which is causing frustration and disappointment for those waiting for their payments or to simply speak with someone.

This shortage is making it even harder for the agency to keep up with the increasing demand for their services, leaving many feeling let down.

According to Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner, Centrelink is facing a major staff shortage, with 500 fewer staff members than what they need to manage the demand. This has resulted in longer wait times for those seeking assistance.

View attachment 13677

Are you a user of Centrelink services? If so, you may recently have noticed that the wait times are longer than usual. Credit: Unsplash/Taylor Grote.

Between July 2022 and the end of January this year, the average wait time for Centrelink calls was just over 18 minutes. This is up from an average of 14 minutes in the previous year and only four minutes the year before that.

It's also unfortunate that Centrelink's Older Australians line, which can be reached at 132 300, has an average wait time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds as of December 31, 2022. (Some of our members here in the SDC have even shot back at that number, claiming they waited considerably longer than that.)

To put things into perspective, more than 25 million calls were made to Centrelink between July 2022 and January 2023, with only 8.3 million answered.

Ms Skinner acknowledged that the increased demand for Centrelink services was due in part to the changing economic circumstances. Families and parenting lines, as well as youth and students, were the most affected, experiencing the longest wait times.

This is a challenging situation for many Australians who rely on Centrelink services to get by.

​

Unfortunately, the issue of long call wait times at Centrelink is not new.

In 2019, Centrelink attempted to address the matter by hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line. But in June 2022, Centrelink reduced its call centre workforce by 30 per cent due to reduced demand.

Centrelink's spokesperson Hank Jongen commented on the situation last year, stating that the agency's budget has been reduced to align with the expected change in demand following the easing of COVID-19 measures.

As part of new financial year adjustments, Centrelink will be bringing staff back in-house to fill casual service delivery roles across the agency, instead of relying on labour hire.

The agency plans to continue adjusting its service contracts and staffing levels based on changing priorities, demands, and the economic climate moving forward. These measures are being taken to address the current issues of long wait times and to improve Centrelink's services.

These changes may help reduce the wait times and improve the experience for those seeking assistance from Centrelink. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be and how they will affect the services provided by Centrelink in the long run.

View attachment 13678

To try and help the situation, Centrelink recruited 800 new staff members in January, with an additional 400 members added in February. Credit: Pexels/MART PRODUCTION.

According to Centrelink's Chief Operating Officer, Russell Egan, a high turnover of staff is contributing to the current staff shortage. Egan explained that there is currently a lot of competition for talent, and many organisations are experiencing a high turnover rate, not just Centrelink.

The department has taken steps to address the issue by bringing in 800 new staff members in January and another 400 so far in February.

However, the tight labour market means that it may still be challenging for Centrelink to attract and retain staff in the long term. It remains to be seen how the department will continue to address these issues and ensure that they have enough staff to meet the demand for their services.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is facing large staff shortages due to increased demand created by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wait times for Centrelink calls have increased from 14 minutes in 2021/22 to around 18 minutes recently.
• Centrelink brought in 800 new staff members in January, with another 400 in February.

What do some of our members here at the SDC have to say about these frustratingly long Centrelink wait times?

Member @Marian M said, 'We oldies do not want to use the internet and it frustrates us, we do not want to go out and learn how to use their resources when they have staff there to help.'

Meanwhile, member @HamMcG shared in the comments, 'My experience with Centrelink and the older line is you either choose the self-service option or you are told goodbye. No more waiting on hold or we'll phone you back.'

Thankfully, it's not all bad news.

'I'd failed with calling them on a phone just recently, so I chose just to walk into their office to make an appointment. Although it had taken me quite a few visits to get one thing completely done, I was still able to get some help from them at least,' said member @Jsmile.

'I think, they do need some improvement, the call handling, the online system and the whole department management. And I must say that there are somehow some very nice staff there trying to help through this dark tunnel.'

Tip

Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:

• My Aged Care at 1800 200 422
• Digital Coaching
• Financial Information Service

What do you think? Have you had to deal with the frustratingly long waiting times when calling Centrelink recently? We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

I was waiting on the line for 40 minutes and had to leave as a friend came over, in hindsight should have kept waiting, now I have to try again tomorrow gggrrrh

 

[bidza]

With the cost of living skyrocketing, millions of Australians are turning to Centrelink for financial assistance and peace of mind. But many are not getting the help they need.

The problem is that Centrelink is experiencing a serious staff shortage, which is causing frustration and disappointment for those waiting for their payments or to simply speak with someone.

This shortage is making it even harder for the agency to keep up with the increasing demand for their services, leaving many feeling let down.

According to Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner, Centrelink is facing a major staff shortage, with 500 fewer staff members than what they need to manage the demand. This has resulted in longer wait times for those seeking assistance.

View attachment 13677

Are you a user of Centrelink services? If so, you may recently have noticed that the wait times are longer than usual. Credit: Unsplash/Taylor Grote.

Between July 2022 and the end of January this year, the average wait time for Centrelink calls was just over 18 minutes. This is up from an average of 14 minutes in the previous year and only four minutes the year before that.

It's also unfortunate that Centrelink's Older Australians line, which can be reached at 132 300, has an average wait time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds as of December 31, 2022. (Some of our members here in the SDC have even shot back at that number, claiming they waited considerably longer than that.)

To put things into perspective, more than 25 million calls were made to Centrelink between July 2022 and January 2023, with only 8.3 million answered.

Ms Skinner acknowledged that the increased demand for Centrelink services was due in part to the changing economic circumstances. Families and parenting lines, as well as youth and students, were the most affected, experiencing the longest wait times.

This is a challenging situation for many Australians who rely on Centrelink services to get by.

​

Unfortunately, the issue of long call wait times at Centrelink is not new.

In 2019, Centrelink attempted to address the matter by hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line. But in June 2022, Centrelink reduced its call centre workforce by 30 per cent due to reduced demand.

Centrelink's spokesperson Hank Jongen commented on the situation last year, stating that the agency's budget has been reduced to align with the expected change in demand following the easing of COVID-19 measures.

As part of new financial year adjustments, Centrelink will be bringing staff back in-house to fill casual service delivery roles across the agency, instead of relying on labour hire.

The agency plans to continue adjusting its service contracts and staffing levels based on changing priorities, demands, and the economic climate moving forward. These measures are being taken to address the current issues of long wait times and to improve Centrelink's services.

These changes may help reduce the wait times and improve the experience for those seeking assistance from Centrelink. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be and how they will affect the services provided by Centrelink in the long run.

View attachment 13678

To try and help the situation, Centrelink recruited 800 new staff members in January, with an additional 400 members added in February. Credit: Pexels/MART PRODUCTION.

According to Centrelink's Chief Operating Officer, Russell Egan, a high turnover of staff is contributing to the current staff shortage. Egan explained that there is currently a lot of competition for talent, and many organisations are experiencing a high turnover rate, not just Centrelink.

The department has taken steps to address the issue by bringing in 800 new staff members in January and another 400 so far in February.

However, the tight labour market means that it may still be challenging for Centrelink to attract and retain staff in the long term. It remains to be seen how the department will continue to address these issues and ensure that they have enough staff to meet the demand for their services.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is facing large staff shortages due to increased demand created by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wait times for Centrelink calls have increased from 14 minutes in 2021/22 to around 18 minutes recently.
• Centrelink brought in 800 new staff members in January, with another 400 in February.

What do some of our members here at the SDC have to say about these frustratingly long Centrelink wait times?

Member @Marian M said, 'We oldies do not want to use the internet and it frustrates us, we do not want to go out and learn how to use their resources when they have staff there to help.'

Meanwhile, member @HamMcG shared in the comments, 'My experience with Centrelink and the older line is you either choose the self-service option or you are told goodbye. No more waiting on hold or we'll phone you back.'

Thankfully, it's not all bad news.

'I'd failed with calling them on a phone just recently, so I chose just to walk into their office to make an appointment. Although it had taken me quite a few visits to get one thing completely done, I was still able to get some help from them at least,' said member @Jsmile.

'I think, they do need some improvement, the call handling, the online system and the whole department management. And I must say that there are somehow some very nice staff there trying to help through this dark tunnel.'

Tip

Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:

• My Aged Care at 1800 200 422
• Digital Coaching
• Financial Information Service

What do you think? Have you had to deal with the frustratingly long waiting times when calling Centrelink recently? We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

Waited 1 hour 45 minutes on the 2nd of febuary to solve an issue with income reporting only to be told I do not need when asked why I receive reminder telling me to report I was told oh! Yes you do , I then asked for an explanation of why the details I entered online were confirm with completely different amount the phone went dead I don't have time or the patients to go through this again my tress, tension and anxiety .
Now you live in hope they don't penalise you or cease support because of their incompetence

 

[margaretritchie48]

Last week I rang My Aged Care regarding my mum and her home package. The first call said to expect to be on hold for 40 mins. One hour later still on hold, had to give up as I had to see to my mum (I am her full time carer). The next day rang again, expected time to wait was 30 mins. Still on hold after one hour. Again gave up as I had to see to my mum.

 

[Lesleytee]

Wait times are ridiculous and yes they definitely need more staff. So many empty desks and only a handful of people trying to deal with the long queues of people waiting for help due to all the redundancies of the past 10 years. When are they going to get it that treating your staff well and offering security of employment go a long way to improving efficiency and productivity. Short term contracts might look good for the bottom line but who is going to be invested in doing a good job when it’s only for the short term, especially when they’re copping abuse from people who are stressed and frustrated with a system designed to make everything as difficult as possible.

 

[Luckyus]

With the cost of living skyrocketing, millions of Australians are turning to Centrelink for financial assistance and peace of mind. But many are not getting the help they need.

The problem is that Centrelink is experiencing a serious staff shortage, which is causing frustration and disappointment for those waiting for their payments or to simply speak with someone.

This shortage is making it even harder for the agency to keep up with the increasing demand for their services, leaving many feeling let down.

According to Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner, Centrelink is facing a major staff shortage, with 500 fewer staff members than what they need to manage the demand. This has resulted in longer wait times for those seeking assistance.

View attachment 13677

Are you a user of Centrelink services? If so, you may recently have noticed that the wait times are longer than usual. Credit: Unsplash/Taylor Grote.

Between July 2022 and the end of January this year, the average wait time for Centrelink calls was just over 18 minutes. This is up from an average of 14 minutes in the previous year and only four minutes the year before that.

It's also unfortunate that Centrelink's Older Australians line, which can be reached at 132 300, has an average wait time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds as of December 31, 2022. (Some of our members here in the SDC have even shot back at that number, claiming they waited considerably longer than that.)

To put things into perspective, more than 25 million calls were made to Centrelink between July 2022 and January 2023, with only 8.3 million answered.

Ms Skinner acknowledged that the increased demand for Centrelink services was due in part to the changing economic circumstances. Families and parenting lines, as well as youth and students, were the most affected, experiencing the longest wait times.

This is a challenging situation for many Australians who rely on Centrelink services to get by.

​

Unfortunately, the issue of long call wait times at Centrelink is not new.

In 2019, Centrelink attempted to address the matter by hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line. But in June 2022, Centrelink reduced its call centre workforce by 30 per cent due to reduced demand.

Centrelink's spokesperson Hank Jongen commented on the situation last year, stating that the agency's budget has been reduced to align with the expected change in demand following the easing of COVID-19 measures.

As part of new financial year adjustments, Centrelink will be bringing staff back in-house to fill casual service delivery roles across the agency, instead of relying on labour hire.

The agency plans to continue adjusting its service contracts and staffing levels based on changing priorities, demands, and the economic climate moving forward. These measures are being taken to address the current issues of long wait times and to improve Centrelink's services.

These changes may help reduce the wait times and improve the experience for those seeking assistance from Centrelink. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be and how they will affect the services provided by Centrelink in the long run.

View attachment 13678

To try and help the situation, Centrelink recruited 800 new staff members in January, with an additional 400 members added in February. Credit: Pexels/MART PRODUCTION.

According to Centrelink's Chief Operating Officer, Russell Egan, a high turnover of staff is contributing to the current staff shortage. Egan explained that there is currently a lot of competition for talent, and many organisations are experiencing a high turnover rate, not just Centrelink.

The department has taken steps to address the issue by bringing in 800 new staff members in January and another 400 so far in February.

However, the tight labour market means that it may still be challenging for Centrelink to attract and retain staff in the long term. It remains to be seen how the department will continue to address these issues and ensure that they have enough staff to meet the demand for their services.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is facing large staff shortages due to increased demand created by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wait times for Centrelink calls have increased from 14 minutes in 2021/22 to around 18 minutes recently.
• Centrelink brought in 800 new staff members in January, with another 400 in February.

What do some of our members here at the SDC have to say about these frustratingly long Centrelink wait times?

Member @Marian M said, 'We oldies do not want to use the internet and it frustrates us, we do not want to go out and learn how to use their resources when they have staff there to help.'

Meanwhile, member @HamMcG shared in the comments, 'My experience with Centrelink and the older line is you either choose the self-service option or you are told goodbye. No more waiting on hold or we'll phone you back.'

Thankfully, it's not all bad news.

'I'd failed with calling them on a phone just recently, so I chose just to walk into their office to make an appointment. Although it had taken me quite a few visits to get one thing completely done, I was still able to get some help from them at least,' said member @Jsmile.

'I think, they do need some improvement, the call handling, the online system and the whole department management. And I must say that there are somehow some very nice staff there trying to help through this dark tunnel.'

Tip

Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:

• My Aged Care at 1800 200 422
• Digital Coaching
• Financial Information Service

What do you think? Have you had to deal with the frustratingly long waiting times when calling Centrelink recently? We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

Unfortunately, about ten years ago my dealings with Centrelink finished with a strong desire on my part to reach across and belt the shite out of the self-righteous little guttersnipe bastard. ( I still feel like as with politicians there isn't enough negative invective or disdain to describe them )

 

[midgemills]

Now, let's look at this, Centrelink deals with the unemployed, Centrelink has vacancies, does anyone else see a link here? Centrelink has a high staff turnover - maybe their conditions of employment are crap and need looking at. If Centrelink were to take people off the dole and give them jobs the actual amount of money needed would be reduced by the amount of dole saved. Seems like a win, win to me.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Klaus A]

Two weeks ago I removed my PO box from the mygov site. My residential address is now my postal address. As a result I received a letter from centrelink to update my asset and living arrangements.
The following day I ring centrelink. After 5 minutes asking all sort of questions the automatic voice send me in a queue to an operator. That followed by telling me waiting time is 40 minutes. I hang up and went to there local office.
Four Ladies chatting on the reception desk. one told me someone will attend shortly. sitting in there waiting section, only one person in front of me. after some time the other person got called.
It took less than 5 minutes to serve her. The operator disappeared. After another 15 min someone else came out from the back and served me. She told me that the computer does this automatically, but if I don't attent than my pension may be cancelled (automaticly too). After now more than half an hour the ladies at reception were still chatting.
Now three days later I receive a letter from centrelink with a new centrelink card. The card is exactly the same as the one I have.

 

[JayEeGeeP]

Excuses, excuses. It's just the lack of efficient people working there. Tired of listening to their piffle about how hard they have it, they just don't work hard. If they were a private business they would be bankrupt in less than three months.

 

[JayEeGeeP]

My thoughts exactly.

Such a simple solution, way too much thinking required there, they just couldn't do it.

 

[JayEeGeeP]

Two weeks ago I removed my PO box from the mygov site. My residential address is now my postal address. As a result I received a letter from centrelink to update my asset and living arrangements.
The following day I ring centrelink. After 5 minutes asking all sort of questions the automatic voice send me in a queue to an operator. That followed by telling me waiting time is 40 minutes. I hang up and went to there local office.
Four Ladies chatting on the reception desk. one told me someone will attend shortly. sitting in there waiting section, only one person in front of me. after some time the other person got called.
It took less than 5 minutes to serve her. The operator disappeared. After another 15 min someone else came out from the back and served me. She told me that the computer does this automatically, but if I don't attent than my pension may be cancelled (automaticly too). After now more than half an hour the ladies at reception were still chatting.
Now three days later I receive a letter from centrelink with a new centrelink card. The card is exactly the same as the one I have.

That about sums up why it takes so long to be served.

 

[JayEeGeeP]

I was speaking to an ex HR memebr form Centrelink and they got her to very few months to run of names of people who had reached 60 years of age who worked for the department. It seems that instead of helping people they are more interested who they can move on from the department because of age than they are worried about helping people in need. Call me cynical, I copped ageism in a top Department and the SES knew about it and asked when I was going to retire. I wait for a bit and also advised HR that this was ageist but nothing was done. I retired about 18 months later after a year of only having worked about 4 hours a week because my manager thought I was too old to know anything even though I was more than qualified for the job,

Probably more qualified than any of the young deadbeats employed by Centerlink. If they used some older people in there it may run more efficiently.

 

[Buggsy]

Maybe

Wait times are ridiculous and yes they definitely need more staff. So many empty desks and only a handful of people trying to deal with the long queues of people waiting for help due to all the redundancies of the past 10 years. When are they going to get it that treating your staff well and offering security of employment go a long way to improving efficiency and productivity. Short term contracts might look good for the bottom line but who is going to be invested in doing a good job when it’s only for the short term, especially when they’re copping abuse from people who are stressed and frustrated with a system designed to make everything as difficult as possible.

 

[Buggsy]

Maybe

Maybe they need to reemploy all the unjabbied that lost their jobs.

 

[Luckyus]

Two weeks ago I removed my PO box from the mygov site. My residential address is now my postal address. As a result I received a letter from centrelink to update my asset and living arrangements.
The following day I ring centrelink. After 5 minutes asking all sort of questions the automatic voice send me in a queue to an operator. That followed by telling me waiting time is 40 minutes. I hang up and went to there local office.
Four Ladies chatting on the reception desk. one told me someone will attend shortly. sitting in there waiting section, only one person in front of me. after some time the other person got called.
It took less than 5 minutes to serve her. The operator disappeared. After another 15 min someone else came out from the back and served me. She told me that the computer does this automatically, but if I don't attent than my pension may be cancelled (automaticly too). After now more than half an hour the ladies at reception were still chatting.
Now three days later I receive a letter from centrelink with a new centrelink card. The card is exactly the same as the one I have.

I think it's called being caught up in the ponderous bollocks of the bureaucracy!!

 

[JayEeGeeP]

Not only calling!
I retired on 31st January 2023 at the age of 71 years. I submitted my application for an aged pension on the 6th February 2023 and have now been notified that it will not be ready until 27th March 2023. That's so long as there are no hold-ups on any requests that they may request of me! That's 7 WEEKS! what am I supposed to live on in the interim? I know it will be back-dated but I can't live on fresh air until my payments commence.
J

I waited three months and that time was a nightmare.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Now, let's look at this, Centrelink deals with the unemployed, Centrelink has vacancies, does anyone else see a link here? Centrelink has a high staff turnover - maybe their conditions of employment are crap and need looking at. If Centrelink were to take people off the dole and give them jobs the actual amount of money needed would be reduced by the amount of dole saved. Seems like a win, win to me.

My daughter only said this on Wednesday when she had so much trouble getting through and heard it was because of staff shortages. She said why don't they train and give jobs to those on the dole

 

[Jen77au]

I applied for DSP in August 2022 was put on jobkeeper until decision made Feb 2023. After so many mistakes reviews phone calls visits to a centre it was a most horrible degrading humiliating dehumanizing experience. Many times I was told to ring them I always waited over 45 mins . Not once did any of my calls take less than an hour all due to errors and their staff telling me to ring back. Many times I got hung up by the system and by staff. I feel quite traumatized by the whole process. I was initially told I would go immediately on to DSP as I was ending with a proven sickness provider but Centrelink ignored the advice and put me through hell.

I can empathise with you on that! And it was only after being made to hand in medical certificates every 3 months for over 7 years, that I luckily found a Centrelink social worker with empathy and common sense! I was suffering from agoraphobia, I could barely leave my bedroom let alone my house, so she did a few home visits (I was living in Perth at the time), and she asked why I hadn’t been put on DSP, why was I still on jobseeker, even though I had more than enough evidence to prove I couldn’t work! I explained Centrelink had flat out refused to put me on the payment because of my age. I was only 30 at the time but had suffered, and had medical evidence, from anxiety and depression my whole life. She went into battle for me and I am grateful for that as it did ease a bit of stress associated with Centrelink and their not so ideal expectations for people like me. I am 46 now and I am still on DSP, I would love to be able to get out and work, I feel guilty that I can’t. I have also had a friend (a year older), when her younger husband passed away unexpectedly in 2018, was told she was too young to qualify for the widows pension! She’s now raising two young daughters alone.

They want to help the people who don’t want to work, but those of us who can’t or have worked hard all their lives and deserve to be rewarded as I see it, to enjoy their retirement, are treated like crap.

And don’t get me started on our Veterans! Centrelink needs a MAJOR overhaul and it has for a very long time

 

[Elisa]

With the cost of living skyrocketing, millions of Australians are turning to Centrelink for financial assistance and peace of mind. But many are not getting the help they need.

The problem is that Centrelink is experiencing a serious staff shortage, which is causing frustration and disappointment for those waiting for their payments or to simply speak with someone.

This shortage is making it even harder for the agency to keep up with the increasing demand for their services, leaving many feeling let down.

According to Services Australia CEO Rebecca Skinner, Centrelink is facing a major staff shortage, with 500 fewer staff members than what they need to manage the demand. This has resulted in longer wait times for those seeking assistance.

View attachment 13677

Are you a user of Centrelink services? If so, you may recently have noticed that the wait times are longer than usual. Credit: Unsplash/Taylor Grote.

Between July 2022 and the end of January this year, the average wait time for Centrelink calls was just over 18 minutes. This is up from an average of 14 minutes in the previous year and only four minutes the year before that.

It's also unfortunate that Centrelink's Older Australians line, which can be reached at 132 300, has an average wait time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds as of December 31, 2022. (Some of our members here in the SDC have even shot back at that number, claiming they waited considerably longer than that.)

To put things into perspective, more than 25 million calls were made to Centrelink between July 2022 and January 2023, with only 8.3 million answered.

Ms Skinner acknowledged that the increased demand for Centrelink services was due in part to the changing economic circumstances. Families and parenting lines, as well as youth and students, were the most affected, experiencing the longest wait times.

This is a challenging situation for many Australians who rely on Centrelink services to get by.

​

Unfortunately, the issue of long call wait times at Centrelink is not new.

In 2019, Centrelink attempted to address the matter by hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line. But in June 2022, Centrelink reduced its call centre workforce by 30 per cent due to reduced demand.

Centrelink's spokesperson Hank Jongen commented on the situation last year, stating that the agency's budget has been reduced to align with the expected change in demand following the easing of COVID-19 measures.

As part of new financial year adjustments, Centrelink will be bringing staff back in-house to fill casual service delivery roles across the agency, instead of relying on labour hire.

The agency plans to continue adjusting its service contracts and staffing levels based on changing priorities, demands, and the economic climate moving forward. These measures are being taken to address the current issues of long wait times and to improve Centrelink's services.

These changes may help reduce the wait times and improve the experience for those seeking assistance from Centrelink. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be and how they will affect the services provided by Centrelink in the long run.

View attachment 13678

To try and help the situation, Centrelink recruited 800 new staff members in January, with an additional 400 members added in February. Credit: Pexels/MART PRODUCTION.

According to Centrelink's Chief Operating Officer, Russell Egan, a high turnover of staff is contributing to the current staff shortage. Egan explained that there is currently a lot of competition for talent, and many organisations are experiencing a high turnover rate, not just Centrelink.

The department has taken steps to address the issue by bringing in 800 new staff members in January and another 400 so far in February.

However, the tight labour market means that it may still be challenging for Centrelink to attract and retain staff in the long term. It remains to be seen how the department will continue to address these issues and ensure that they have enough staff to meet the demand for their services.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink is facing large staff shortages due to increased demand created by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wait times for Centrelink calls have increased from 14 minutes in 2021/22 to around 18 minutes recently.
• Centrelink brought in 800 new staff members in January, with another 400 in February.

What do some of our members here at the SDC have to say about these frustratingly long Centrelink wait times?

Member @Marian M said, 'We oldies do not want to use the internet and it frustrates us, we do not want to go out and learn how to use their resources when they have staff there to help.'

Meanwhile, member @HamMcG shared in the comments, 'My experience with Centrelink and the older line is you either choose the self-service option or you are told goodbye. No more waiting on hold or we'll phone you back.'

Thankfully, it's not all bad news.

'I'd failed with calling them on a phone just recently, so I chose just to walk into their office to make an appointment. Although it had taken me quite a few visits to get one thing completely done, I was still able to get some help from them at least,' said member @Jsmile.

'I think, they do need some improvement, the call handling, the online system and the whole department management. And I must say that there are somehow some very nice staff there trying to help through this dark tunnel.'

Tip

Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:

• My Aged Care at 1800 200 422
• Digital Coaching
• Financial Information Service

What do you think? Have you had to deal with the frustratingly long waiting times when calling Centrelink recently? We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

Well; there are many pensioners who are still able to work and cognitive enough to respond to such phone queries. Why not let us work, without penalties, in jobs such as these? Win-win situation..