Government reveals to drastically cut Centrelink payment wait times
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Centrelink, the government service responsible for delivering various payments and services for people from different backgrounds, is set to become more efficient and responsive.
A promising update was announced for those awaiting Centrelink payments: the long wait times are expected to be significantly reduced in the near future.
This comes as a relief to many Australians who rely on these payments for their day-to-day living expenses.
The government agency Services Australia has indicated that a backlog of over one million claims is anticipated to return to normal levels by the middle of the year.
This is largely due to a mass recruitment drive that has seen the agency add over 3,000 new staff members to its workforce.
The impact of this recruitment effort is already being felt, with figures revealing that more than 500,000 Centrelink and Medicare claims have been processed and removed from the backlog in just 10 weeks.
The backlog, which stood at 1.1 million claims as of December 2023 and peaked at 1.35 million, has been a pressing issue for Services Australia.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten has acknowledged the public's frustration and expressed a commitment to swiftly resolving the issue.
'We absolutely acknowledge the frustration of people waiting for payments, but for the first time in a long time, we are headed in the right direction,' he stated.
‘These new recruits helped reduce claims by almost 40 per cent, and Australians will continue to see improvements as the new staff increases their skills and experience.’
‘We hope to reduce outstanding claims back to usual levels by mid-year.’
This initiative is part of a broader effort by the federal government, which announced more than $200 million in funding in 2023 to hire additional staff to manage the increasing volume of claims.
Services Australia's Chief Executive, David Hazlehurst, has expressed that the number of outstanding claims will be between 400,000 and 500,000 by April.
While the hiring process began in January, Hazlehurst has cautioned that the training required for new staff will take some time before the backlog is significantly reduced.
However, the progress is undeniable, with Medicare online account claims decreasing by 78 per cent and claims for Commonwealth seniors health cards declining by 59 per cent.
‘Reducing the outstanding claims will help bring down call wait times as fewer people will be on the phone to check what’s happening with their claims,’ Shorten said.
What do you think about Services Australia's announcement? Let us know in the comments below!
A promising update was announced for those awaiting Centrelink payments: the long wait times are expected to be significantly reduced in the near future.
This comes as a relief to many Australians who rely on these payments for their day-to-day living expenses.
The government agency Services Australia has indicated that a backlog of over one million claims is anticipated to return to normal levels by the middle of the year.
This is largely due to a mass recruitment drive that has seen the agency add over 3,000 new staff members to its workforce.
Services Australia announced that longer waiting times will be reduced in the near future. Credit: Shutterstock
The impact of this recruitment effort is already being felt, with figures revealing that more than 500,000 Centrelink and Medicare claims have been processed and removed from the backlog in just 10 weeks.
The backlog, which stood at 1.1 million claims as of December 2023 and peaked at 1.35 million, has been a pressing issue for Services Australia.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten has acknowledged the public's frustration and expressed a commitment to swiftly resolving the issue.
'We absolutely acknowledge the frustration of people waiting for payments, but for the first time in a long time, we are headed in the right direction,' he stated.
‘These new recruits helped reduce claims by almost 40 per cent, and Australians will continue to see improvements as the new staff increases their skills and experience.’
‘We hope to reduce outstanding claims back to usual levels by mid-year.’
This initiative is part of a broader effort by the federal government, which announced more than $200 million in funding in 2023 to hire additional staff to manage the increasing volume of claims.
Services Australia's Chief Executive, David Hazlehurst, has expressed that the number of outstanding claims will be between 400,000 and 500,000 by April.
While the hiring process began in January, Hazlehurst has cautioned that the training required for new staff will take some time before the backlog is significantly reduced.
However, the progress is undeniable, with Medicare online account claims decreasing by 78 per cent and claims for Commonwealth seniors health cards declining by 59 per cent.
‘Reducing the outstanding claims will help bring down call wait times as fewer people will be on the phone to check what’s happening with their claims,’ Shorten said.
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