Former worker exposes Centrelink truth: 'It's a joke'

Content warning: This article contains references to workplace bullying, systemic neglect, and explicit language. Reader discretion is advised.

If you've ever wrestled with confusing forms, sat through hours on hold, or walked away from a Centrelink visit more confused than when you arrived, you're far from alone.

Many Australians have long felt the system is more obstacle course than support network.

Now, a former insider is pulling back the curtain—and what they reveal could confirm your worst suspicions.


Estelle Landy, who spent over 13 years working at Centrelink, has come forward with some eye-opening claims about the culture inside Australia’s social services.

According to Estelle, not only are customers often left to fend for themselves, but there’s also a worrying culture of bullying and indifference among staff—sometimes coming from the very top.


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A former Centrelink worker has revealed a toxic culture and systemic neglect inside key government departments. Credit: TikTok


Estelle recently took to social media to share her frustrations after a visit to the Births, Deaths and Marriages office.

She described watching staff members refuse to help people with tasks they could easily complete, instead sending them away to struggle through online forms or return another day.

In one instance, she intervened on behalf of a distressed customer, only to discover that the staff member could have helped all along but simply chose not to.


'It’s a joke the way people don’t want to help, especially when that’s their job,' Estelle vented.

Her experience resonated with many, as comments poured in from others who had faced similar roadblocks and indifference at Centrelink and other government agencies.

But the issues go deeper than just customer service. Estelle also revealed a toxic workplace culture, where bullying is allegedly rife and often comes from upper management.

She recounted her own experience of being forced to work through a serious injury—carpal tunnel syndrome—despite medical documentation recommending lighter duties.

Instead of support, she says she was pressured to continue working in ways that worsened her condition and even faced unreasonable demands for proof when she needed time off for a family bereavement.


According to Estelle, 'these bullies don’t get fired, they get promoted.'

It’s a damning indictment of a system that’s supposed to support both its clients and its staff.

It’s no secret that Services Australia, the body responsible for Centrelink and Medicare, is under immense pressure.

In 2023 alone, a staggering 7 million calls to Services Australia went unanswered.

The government has since recruited 3,000 new staff to help ease the burden, but frontline workers warn it could be months before any real relief is felt.


One Centrelink worker from Western Sydney described the daily pressure as 'like you’re holding your breath all day long.'

With chronic understaffing and ever-increasing demand, it’s little wonder that both customers and employees are feeling the strain.

There are a few factors at play here. First, the sheer volume of people needing help has skyrocketed, especially in the wake of the pandemic and rising cost-of-living pressures.

Second, government departments have increasingly pushed people towards online self-service, which can be a nightmare for those without reliable internet access or who aren’t tech-savvy—something that affects many older Australians.

And then there’s the culture. When staff are overworked, under-supported, and facing their own internal pressures, it’s easy for empathy to fall by the wayside.

But as Estelle’s story shows, this can have real consequences for the people who rely on these services the most.


Estelle’s revelations have sparked calls for a major investigation into Centrelink and other government services.

Many believe that a system designed to help the most vulnerable should be doing just that, not making life harder.

At the Seniors Discount Club, we know how important it is for older Australians to have access to the support they need, without unnecessary stress or obstacles.

If you’ve had a similar experience—good or bad—we want to hear from you!


Credit: Instagram

Key Takeaways

  • A former Centrelink employee exposed a culture of bullying and deliberate lack of assistance for customers within Australian government departments, especially at Centrelink and Births, Deaths and Marriages.
  • The ex-employee, Estelle Landy, claimed staff were often encouraged to make processes harder for people seeking help and refused to offer assistance even when they could do so easily.
  • Estelle also described workplace bullying from upper management, including being forced to perform tasks despite medical restrictions and being asked for unreasonable proof during personal hardships.
  • Services Australia acknowledged concerns about inappropriate behaviour and stated there are policies, support teams, and an Employee Assistance Program in place, but workers say major staffing problems and toxic culture remain unresolved.
Have you ever felt let down by Centrelink or another government department? Do you have tips for navigating the system or stories of staff who went above and beyond? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more: 'They are lying’: Single mum blindsided by massive $8,000 Centrelink debt
 
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Due to health concernsvi stopped mork at 61. I visit Centrelink and was told all i would be eligible for was six weeks Sickness Allowance and then i would require a foir weekly review. My Dr. refused to complete Sickness Benefits, instead referring me back to Centrelink. After five weeks, copious amounts of forms and 7 interviews with Centrelink i was placed on Sickness Benefits. I had one further trip into Centrelink with some documents and the consultant remarked that i must have faked my situation well, and i wouldnt get away with it.
 
I've been supported by Centrelink for over fifteen years now, since I stopped working due to funding cuts where I was previously. I've found that my local office (Windsor NSW) has amazing staff who are nothing but pleasant and helpful. It sounds as if I am one of the fortunate few...
 
Seems it’s endemic in gov. paid jobs. I have seen repeated instances. Went with my daughter and her seriously ill baby to see what help she could get. Child was tube fed and on oxygen and his pram was a mass of tubes and cylinder. We had previously phoned to advise she would need urgent attention as it was dangerous for him to be exposed to public. They kept her waiting from 9am until 4pm then said “we are closing now. You will have to come back tomorrow.”

I made a complaint recently to Fair Trading Qld. The response was an outright lie that the party I complained about came under QBCC. QBCC confirmed that was not true. i sent QBCC reply but the staff at Fair Trading continued to insist. I wrote to Qld Attorney General (past Labor Government) asking for clarity on who was responsible. Her response was to ask the guy at Fair Trading to phone me. He did and lied again. When I said I wanted clarification of who was responsible he said “you got it” and hung up on me.
Not surprised - Palachuck and her fellow Laborites would never answer a reasonable question - it was always obfuscation or avoidance - hedging and hegemony. When leadership moved to Steven Miles he was the dunce of the class - never knew anything or understand anything. Best thing to happen was to get rid of these vacuum cleaners of public money.
 
Centre Link Tips: #1. Always make an appointment & let them know (& EVERYONE ELSE WAITING) when they're late calling you, & #2. This one is A MUST DO, Treat the F***ers like shit, because that is how they will treat you if you let them. Bang counters, make a scene, demand to see a manager & wop it up them also. They sent me to see their Shrink, I had him F***ED in 15" all because I wouldn't let them ride over me. If they hit me with a shovel load of shit, I replied with a bucket full.
After some time I was very disappointed, because it got to the point where, when I walked in the door for my APPOINTMENT, everything fell into place & my visits were very brief & cordial & I haven't been invited back for a visit in 15 Yrs or so. Mind you, I battled for nearly 2 Yrs with the PRICKS to get what I needed & got it & enjoyed every minute of it. OOHHH Victory is sweet.
That may have worked in the past but now there are security staff at all offices who will turf you out the minute you have the temerity to disagree.
 
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You must have been receiving a centrelink payment during this time.

I received a medical negligence payout and because I was too sick to work I received centrelink and when I received my payout I had to pay back $26,000 to centrelink which was fare enough
Many years ago my hubby had a horrific motor bike accident. I almost lost him . Pulled 5,6 and7 Brachial plulex out of his spine. They put a K Nail down his Leg from hip to knee. Still in there. Lost a lung. A trach was inserted for him to breath. Many other smaller injurys, 12months in hospital. This is 38 years ago. My father helped me with our 2 kids one only 14 months old. Centre link wanted him to sign forms. He was in a coma . That didn't matter to them. I was crying one day. The head Dr in Intensive care asked me what was wrong. I told him. He wrote me a great letter to hand to them. " He asked if they wanted him to unhook him from machines pull out Tracy undo lung machine, and wheel his bed down to them, hold his hand and guide a signature out of him. We were given sickness benifits. Took him 41/2 years to get slightly better . He was a concreter and renderer. His mate brought him in as adviser on jobs and gave him wages not full time only a day here and there. We told centre link and they wanted all our money back. No way could we get that kind of money back to them. We took them to court , we won they had 30 days to appeal on the 29th they did so we reappealed again on the 29th day they reappealed 3rd time we won they settled out of court. We got a payout. Not a lot but it helped. We are on aged pension now. He returned to work for years couldn't use arm to much but he pushed through rather than deal with them again. They have never changed.
 
There is no service 15 minutes appointment is max then your on your own, older people cannot cope with this so just give up their is no help provided. carers can take them to appointments but cannot speak for them because of privacy laws. Things need to change it really is a farce impossible for elderly and disabled people to get the help they need and deserve
 
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Hi EtherP,

No doubt someone has probably already mentioned to you, so if so, I'll repeat the same suggestion, if I may.
i.e., Have you tried to visit another Centrelink office out of your area?
I don't know if this would be any good, but, is it worth a try ?

I wish you luck.
So true ..... I visited my regional Centrelink office; brilliant service, sympathetic (and patient) listener. Went to a different regional office; couldn't wait to get me out the door fast enough (with minimal 'assistance'). Certainly is worth a try ....
 
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Seems to be normal for "governments" to act this way. The more unrest, hurt average Australians is common practice. people need to wake up and realize they are not lawful governments but Trading companies which come under Fair work Australia because they are Corporations, not governments. People please do your research, it's out there and learn the truth. And no, I am not a nut job or "Conspiracy" theorist I and millions of others have done our research and it is easy to find the truth for yourselves.
what you say is TRUE but I have not heard of anyone going to Fair Work Australia, have you?
 
Hi, again Dad n Dave,

Another bit of published Health study from , of all places, Tasmania.
Would you believed that they published, by stating that there are 791 premature deaths caused by smoke from the house log fired fire places.

There are large areas of the western side of Tassie, & , also in NSW which have been indicated by mapping institutions indicating the most affected areas.

This info., came out in the last couple days.

Good luck with your "Friendly" neighbours.
I also heard that report on MSM this week. I would like to know how the people who did the health study know the deaths are from log fire smoke. We have had a log fire for over 20 years & none of our neighbours have complained in fact some have fires themselves. We live in a country town - don't know if that makes a difference. We also live near power stations and heaps of coal mines. We will not give up our fire as that would mean freezing every day during winter. Fires have been a source of heat since caveman days. Perhaps the house in question needs the chimney cleaned as I have never seen or heard of that much smoke.
 
You think your troubles with Centrelink are bad. Try navigating the NDIS being run by people who know nothing about disability. The person in charge of my case, lies, deletes records if they are not in her favour. They change wording in letters sent to them. I have never been so stressed, as I am at present and for the past year due to the decisions these people make. Oh, if you want to lose weight, just deal with this mob, the stress has ripped 14kg off me.
There are good & bad in every walk of life including government & departments/agencies. We had similar experience from 2007 - 2018 with DOCS when going through the family Court 3 times with our grandchildren. Near the end of the 2nd case the DOCS Barrister withdrew from the case before they could get into trouble. Even when you are in the right and are truthful it is still very stressful & especially when you have large legal bills to pay - most of my husbands super was chewed up.
 
The situation with Centrelink is a culmination of years of poor decision making and a culture where evrything is made more complex and difficult than it has to be.
I worked for Centrelink (DSS) for nearly 30 years. I worked as a Manager and for a time managed several Regional Offices (many of which have now closed).
The ethos was the Agency was a benevolent Department focussed on quality service to the public. While it was understood that the product people received was not as good as they would have liked, they needed to know that everything that could be done fro them had been done.
In 1996, a peron or couple applying for the aged pension lodged a claim which was handled by a dedicated claims officer who would contact them by telephone if additional information or clrificatioon was needed. A stabdard claim was lodged processed and determined in 2-3 weeks.
No more, there is no dedicated claims officer, there are no phone calls, and the standard waiting time now is 2-3 months if everything is straightforward.
The benelevonce has gone having been replaced with a punitive approach as best exemplified by Robodebt,
There was an enquiry by Patrick McClure some years ago - google to McClure report and see what it achieved (nothing) because it is all toohard.
Joe Baskwell Warwick WA
We are lucky that AI are not in Centerlink at the moment because when they are put in place I can see it getting worse as computers don't care. The WEF said years ago "you will own nothing & you will be happy"
 
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Yes i went in for help and did not get any where the woman just said we have run out of time you will have to finish it yourself having only ever been to one of them places in 1992 really needed help 12 months no health care card still paying for my heart tablet plus others plus suffering with this rhinoviruses into its 5th week i have a lot more to say but not i have became annoyed so i will leave there
 

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