Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
  
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
  
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
  
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.
  

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

 

[Lynjw]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

I can sympathise. I collapsed and taken to Hosp then misdiagnosed but eventually finding out it was my hip and needed a hip replacement. I was casual and had so much time off that I was dismissed and applied to Centrelink. They insisted I had to go to a branch. A bit difficult whilst in Hosp. I eventually go there with my daughters help who had to take a day off work to drive
Me. I then had to go online to fill out endless forms. Their sit kept crashing which meant another 4 trips in to c them. This meant it was weeks before I got my first payment and after the process first started. They would not back date anything. It was another few weeks before I got a concession card for my pain meds after having falked out hundreds already. Then as soon as I got another job months later they cut my benefits even though I was still on multiple meds. The system is pathetic. They even wanted me to go for interviews hobbling around on crutches. Ridiculous

 

[Cheezil]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

It is a disgrace how difficult anything is to deal with online these days, not just Centrelink. No one wants to help, they are not employed to assist customers at all it seems with most big business! Once upon a time office staff were there & paid to do all this stuff for customers or step us thru things, not any more, we are expected to do everything ourselves in our own time on top of our paid job roles/employment! It can get very stressful trying to apply for Centrelink or do inductions for new jobs, pay regos, bills, research insurance or even just source information for anything! It is riduculous the amount of time these things waste, in times when computers are meant to make things quicker/easier- really?

 

[Colette 3799]

Speaking to someone face to face from the start is the best way to get claims dealt with so much quicker. I’ve said before, our Centrelink office here are amazing and so helpful. Most problems are fixed straight away sometimes you make an appointment to speak to someone else. We never ring as all calls go to the same place and that’s where the problems are. We just call in and speak to a real life person.

 

[Cheezil]

Processed in two weeks ? On what planet?
Not my wife’s experience. The hoops I had to go through to get the age pension! Ridiculous!

Thought the same, talk about out of touch!
Can we have your phone number & email address plz Hank? You might make things happen quicker for some people here that are struggling maybe?

 

[Cheezil]

Tha

Speaking to someone face to face from the start is the best way to get claims dealt with so much quicker. I’ve said before, our Centrelink office here are amazing and so helpful. Most problems are fixed straight away sometimes you make an appointment to speak to someone else. We never ring as all calls go to the same place and that’s where the problems are. We just call in and speak to a real life person.

Th

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

Thankfully i haven't had to deal wit Clink for a couple of decades apart from applying for low income health concession card a bit over a year ago & even that was an absolute nightmare to navigate thru, took over 2 months to sort out (& apparently they dont backpay if there's eligibility for a payment either)

 

[Luckyus]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

remember the first time I went on the sausage?, back in the early sixties filled out all the paperwork and was about to hand it iover the counter when I noticed she had thirty bob in her hansd I asked what that was and she told me that was my entitlement. I told her to keep it and rippedup the my papers and rather she told me that I couldn't do that, my answer was guess what sweetheart that's just what happened thirty bob wasn't any good to me it cost me five pound a week rent and had to look for work and feed myself?. This was my encounter withe ponderous bollocks of the bureaucracy.

 

[bevann30]

The system is a joke! I'm 46, on DSP due to mental health. However I signed up with a disability employment agency in March as I know I need the support to work a part time job. I want to work. Regularly applying for jobs, even cleaning, I'm continually being knocked back because I haven't worked in a while. However, to be able to look for work through the DES support agency, I need a support officer from Centrelink to call me and approve over the phone that I'm fit to work! I'm still waiting for the call...

On the other hand, I have a friend who has OA in her neck and spine, fibromyalgia and that's only the beginning. Yet they are refusing to give her DSP because she is only 40 years old .

A few years ago another friend who's husband had passed away leaving her to raise 2 young daughters, was told she was too young to receive a widow's pension!

The system needs a major overhaul

I know that feeeling only too well. My husband passed away 4 1/2 years ago, Tried to get some sort of pension, was told I didn't qualify. Reason being he left the 4 Grandchildren a sum of money in a trust fund, and they said that I could use that money. It is stipulated in his will that I couldn't use it as it was the kids.
Sick of the the whole system

 

[Robert Shackel]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

Hank Jongen needs to go, he has no idear what people are going thu

 

[Hyacyinth Bucket]

The system is a joke! I'm 46, on DSP due to mental health. However I signed up with a disability employment agency in March as I know I need the support to work a part time job. I want to work. Regularly applying for jobs, even cleaning, I'm continually being knocked back because I haven't worked in a while. However, to be able to look for work through the DES support agency, I need a support officer from Centrelink to call me and approve over the phone that I'm fit to work! I'm still waiting for the call...

On the other hand, I have a friend who has OA in her neck and spine, fibromyalgia and that's only the beginning. Yet they are refusing to give her DSP because she is only 40 years old .

A few years ago another friend who's husband had passed away leaving her to raise 2 young daughters, was told she was too young to receive a widow's pension!

The system needs a major overhaul

There has not been a widow’s pension over 10 yrs. You can only go on JobStart.

 

[Shane/#]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

Liberal now Labor the Centrelink debacle continues needs a big stick to knock some sense into these that think they are god's pay taxes and get screwed when one needs the help like insurance companies love the cash but don't want to hand it over and your taxes pay their wages!!!!!!

 

[annimarie]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

I waited from January to June with no money due to get a different person every time when I rang , who would then ask me to supply @another document “, I fi ally went to the complaints line - action was taken but still took about 3 weeks.
my takeaway? 1) No one in the call centre knows what they are doing. 2) they continue to add comment after comment to your fike, no one actually looks at it. 3) I was asked to supply a document , which I had nothing to do with. It was my ex husbands even though they could see we had been divorced for 12 years. They still insisted on getting g this document, which tok gone, caused angst, and obviously angered my ex husband , and rightly so. My lawyer stated ajso that there legal frost had no idea, as what I had provided , legally was more than enough. Centrelink is an absolute joke.As an aside I cannot get a zfSPDSP, as my condition (from a bone Barrie transplant 20 years ago) is not recognisedmarr . Despite up until now I have surged snd osud my racers, I’m left on a pittancse .

 

[annimarie]

Sorry. coundnt edit my previous reply properly Can’t get DSP due to a chronic condition from a bone marrow transplant 20 years ago. Even though for those 20 years I have worked as a registered nurse. The government has a lot to answer for, I’m 62 and joining the unseen poor in Australia- baby boomer divorced women.

 

[rehandra]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

It was a real eye opener for me as we are fully self funded but I had to apply to Centrelink for a Carer's allowance. Wow, three months of back and forth with documents; one lot saw them, another lot wanted to see again and on and on it went. Finally it was granted and I hope I never have to set foot into Centre link again.

 

[Macarj]

I have found, Generally ... that is under normal circumstances ... the front counter staff of Centrelink are very helpful. I would like to commend the front counter staff of Gladstone, Gympie, Tewantin and Browns Plains branches. Unfortunately, the "backroom" boys and girls got to be "backroom" by showing that they wholeheartedly supported the previous Coalition government's policy of, "If you are on a pension of anytype, WE WILL FIND YOU AND YOU WILL GO TO GAOL!" That mindset is still in their comfy gazetted public service positions. They will be for some time yet. You could call it policy inertia.

There is really only one way to move Centrelink along to Post-Morrison times. GET POLITICAL! Take your problems to your local federal member of parliament. Join your local member's branch and ACTIVATE! Make our politicians fear us. At present they love the old Aussie, "What can I do? I'm only one person!" apathy. HECK! We will even fill our cars at 50 cents more a litre than drive a couple of kilometres more to get cheaper fuel. We deserve the bastards that we presently have. Let's deserve better.

Yep I had to get my local member to talk to the pension department because you can't contact them directly you have to go through centrelink they stuffed up my pension request within 1 day my local member got it sorted out, great work

 

[Macarj]

Processed in two weeks ? On what planet?
Not my wife’s experience. The hoops I had to go through to get the age pension! Ridiculous!

Me too

 

[mylittletibbies]

Yep I had to get my local member to talk to the pension department because you can't contact them directly you have to go through centrelink they stuffed up my pension request within 1 day my local member got it sorted out, great work

That's why I always tell people to go to their local member.. I have always had success thru them both with Centrelink and NDIS, who are just as bad.

 

[Dalgie]

Accessing welfare payments from Centrelink has long been a trying experience for many of our members here at the SDC–and many could attest to the complications and frustrations of encountering bureaucracy in accessing financial assistance, even when your need is dire.

It's a situation that Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old living in rural Queensland, grappled with while waiting months for her unavoidable and urgent jobseeker payments.

This is despite being a former Centrelink employee working for a small business assistance program.

As COVID-19 hit and Maryanne ran out of her early super drawdown, she applied for Jobseeker again, expecting a bumpy and exhaustive process. But even she was shocked at her difficult time, with the application undergoing lengthy delays that took months.

View attachment 27429

Seniors like Maryanne Watts had been experiencing long waits for their jobseekers payments. Credit: Teona Swift/Pexels

‘The first time it got held up was because they had asked for bank account details from the 23rd of February,’ Watts said. The earliest date on the bank statement she had submitted was March 9.

'I hadn’t actually had any transactions between the 23rd and the ninth. But because the date of the 23rd wasn’t on it, they didn’t accept it. So I had to go further back.'

Maryanne believed that this delayed her application, so she spent time trying to contact Centrelink, calling often and getting left on hold for lengthy periods.

'Every day, you try not to think about money, you try to get on with other stuff, whatever,' she says. 'But it’s always there. It’s this tension that’s always in your body.'

It got to a point where Centrelink’s contact service seemed to be at a standstill, with no one replying to her.

A couple of weeks later, this was further complicated when they asked her to provide an extra mortgage statement. The long wait came just as her bills piled up one by one.

Maryanne said she was told thrice that her application was marked ‘urgent’ due to financial hardship. Text messages came, promising someone would be in touch with her regarding her application.

‘But they didn’t,’ she said.

A Centrelink worker told her it was their policy to wait and have applicants call them instead.

Watts' struggles are not an isolated incident; instead, it highlights a common issue many applicants across Australia face.

View attachment 27430

Kristen O’Connell believes the longer waiting time is due to Centrelink’s understaffed call centres. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

According to Kristen O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Antipoverty Centre, this was mainly due to Centrelink's understaffing of call centres.

‘What we know from people who have an urgent need for support is that it is nearly impossible to get through the Centrelink bureaucracy to get that support as quickly as you need it,’ O’Connell pointed out. ‘This is not an outlier situation.’

Call waiting times have been ugly for over a year, with the 2021-2022 financial year data revealing a 25% increase in 'congestion messages'.

When you add incorrect recordings of applicants' information, missing notations regarding hardship, and conflicting advice from customer service representatives–it's no wonder why people have such a tough time applying for and receiving payments.

Maryanne's wait ended after an exhausting six weeks when her application finally got approved.

Unfortunately, some people had to wait longer than Maryanne. O’Connell said that her application for the disability support pension took ten months of back and forth. She had diligently followed up every two weeks for her claim, only to be told she needed to provide more information.

‘Because of all of the work I do supporting other people with this process, I know that I am not alone,’ O’Connell added.

Hank Jongen, Services Australia’s spokesperson, said that most Jobseeker claims were processed within two weeks.

‘We’re sorry to those who are waiting longer. This is our busiest time of year with tax time and millions of families balancing their payments,’ Jongen explained.

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Watts and have extended the offer to work directly with her to ensure she’s receiving all available support.’

‘We’re actively recruiting, but our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic-era work and associated extra resourcing has concluded. We’ve bolstered our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery. We’re drawing from this to help meet current demands,’ he said.

Key Takeaways

• Maryanne Watts, a 60-year-old from rural Queensland, has struggled to process her Jobseeker application for months despite being marked as 'urgent' due to financial hardship.
• Kristin O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre highlighted that understaffing of Centrelink's call centres and long waiting times were significant hurdles for those in urgent need. She also endured a long process for her disability support pension.
• Watts' experience is not an isolated one, with Centrelink call waiting times having increased
  by 25% over the past year.
• Despite apologies from Services Australia's spokesperson and assurance of additional recruitment, delays continue and directly impact the lives of applicants like Maryanne Watts.

Suppose you ever find yourself in a predicament like Maryanne's where your voice isn’t being heard or your information isn’t being considered. Take the necessary steps to ensure you won't miss out on the financial aid you are entitled to.

If a customer service agent has told you that your case hasn't been marked for urgent processing due to financial hardship, remain assertive and be persistent with your queries as you patiently wait for your payments, as you'll need plenty of evidence if you ever plan to present your case to a supervisor.

Inquire about any restrictions or loopholes regarding your payment, as understanding these documents would help make the overall process smoother.

Finally, don't forget that you have a right regarding welfare requests. Don't hesitate to contact the Antipoverty Centre should you have further questions or needs–they’ll happily hear you out and do what they can to ensure a satisfying resolution for all parties.

What do you think of this story, members? Have you encountered a similar predicament? Share your experience in the comments below!

 

[Dalgie]

Trying to get assistance when needed is so stressful. Unnecessarily complicated that sometimes I think it’s a deliberate act so that you just give up! If you go into the centre for help, they try to push you back to an online process. What’s frustrating is that there’s no one to talk to unless you stay on hold for 30+ minutes. The worst part is that you think you’ve finally jumped through all the hoops needed & you get an email to say it’s been rejected. No reason. No contact number should you need to speak to someone.. You just have to start all over again

 

[melnugro]

I have found, Generally ... that is under normal circumstances ... the front counter staff of Centrelink are very helpful. I would like to commend the front counter staff of Gladstone, Gympie, Tewantin and Browns Plains branches. Unfortunately, the "backroom" boys and girls got to be "backroom" by showing that they wholeheartedly supported the previous Coalition government's policy of, "If you are on a pension of anytype, WE WILL FIND YOU AND YOU WILL GO TO GAOL!" That mindset is still in their comfy gazetted public service positions. They will be for some time yet. You could call it policy inertia.

There is really only one way to move Centrelink along to Post-Morrison times. GET POLITICAL! Take your problems to your local federal member of parliament. Join your local member's branch and ACTIVATE! Make our politicians fear us. At present they love the old Aussie, "What can I do? I'm only one person!" apathy. HECK! We will even fill our cars at 50 cents more a litre than drive a couple of kilometres more to get cheaper fuel. We deserve the bastards that we presently have. Let's deserve better.

HEY MAURICE ... CLK WILL ALWAYS BE CLK NO MATTER WHAT GOVT IS IN PLACE, AS I WORKED FOR CLK UNDER A LABOUR GOVT !!!

 

[IAN3005]

I did not have such a hard time when I applied for the pension. But still I had issues. I learned early on not to contact them by phone as I could not get through. So went directly to Centrelink office. Yes the documents I presented were not enough to I had to get others. Yes the waiting period was longer than anticipated. And every consultant you see at Centrelink gives you different information. I don't accent the justification that they do not have enough people to answer the phones.
I have a really BIG concern though - they know what goes in and what goes out of my bank account. I never gave them permission. How legal is this?

Yes... they give you the run around hoping you will go away quietly... well have I got news for them.
As far as the bank account goes... I have a balance of $0.22 just to keep the account open so they can look all they like..... yes they can look at your accounts at will. Read the fine print or at least should I say get you a lawyer to look through them... if you can afford one that is. And yet these i********s get away with blue murder. Been there done that.....