Services Australia issues appeal over complaints on seniors line's long wait time
- Replies 25
Seniors, if you're considering calling Centrelink’s Older Australians line at 132 300, be prepared to wait 24 minutes and 18 seconds, on average.
That's the average time on hold as of December 31, 2022, according to a recent report by The Senior. That might sound like a long time… because, well, it is.
The average wait time for their other phone lines, on the other hand, is only 12 minutes and 24 seconds.
Now, with complaints mounting over the long wait times, Services Australia has appealed to seniors to have patience.
‘I encourage anyone who needs to speak with us to stay on the line — people are getting through, and our staff are working hard to answer all calls,’ General Manager Hank Jongen said.
The report said he was apologetic after hearing that many were finding it hard to speak to someone at Centrelink over the phone.
Many have scoffed at the long wait times in the past months, with one woman claiming it took over six hours to get assistance for a person she was caring for.
Another claimed he had been ‘robo-blocked’ by Centrelink after getting disconnected while on hold.
Previously, SDC members also aired their frustrations over the dedicated line.
‘(I) tried ringing numerous times and never got through,’ @Chris Lincoln claimed.
@Topher also stressed: ‘It is quicker for me to go 5 km into town, find a park, stand in a queue to make an appointment, then repeat the same procedure to attend a personal officer (who is always so helpful and friendly) —- a total of 20 km into the CBD (AND find a car park within a km) — than sit with a hold on my phone.’
In recent years, there have been growing concerns and criticisms concerning the efficacy, quality and reliability of Centrelink services. Many have criticised the long wait times and the amount of paperwork needed to be completed and submitted to Centrelink for applications and claims. The complexity of the system is often cited as a major factor in the long wait times. There is also frustration over the inability of Centrelink to quickly address issues and incorporate changes due to its bureaucratic nature.
In addition, there have been reports that Centrelink staff often don't provide adequate customer service and are poorly trained. This has been accompanied by complaints that the staff are rude and don't understand the needs of customers. There is also general dissatisfaction with the lack of information and communication provided by Centrelink. This is further compounded by the fact that they rely heavily on automated call systems, which often leads to dropped calls or customers being disconnected while on hold.
These issues affect not just the Older Australians line but the general population accessing Centrelink services, particularly in times of need. This has called into question the effectiveness of Services Australia to provide timely and efficient services to Australians in need.
So why is the wait for their Older Australians line so long?
According to Services Australia, recent weeks have seen an increase in calls as a result of certain government-introduced changes, such as the one-off work bonus balance raise of $4,000. In addition, many people impacted by rising living costs are also phoning about payments and services that could offer them a bit of reprieve.
The issue of long call wait times at Centrelink isn’t exactly new. In 2019, Services Australia was reported to be hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line to address the matter.
However, in June of 2022, Services Australia slashed its call centre workforce by 30 per cent citing reduced demand.
There were concerns aired at the time that the move would mean longer wait times again for many Centrelink users, but it appeared all was for naught as Jongen at the time confirmed that their agency budget had already been ‘reduced… to reflect (the) change in expected demand’.
As the problem of drawn-out wait times once again rears its head, Jongen says those who wish to do more online are welcome to try Services Australia’s digital coaches to give seniors in-person support and grow their confidence with technology.
Jongen also said that they were increasing their investments in face-to-face support services such as aged care specialist officers that can be found in some service centres across Australia.
Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:
Speaking of Centrelink, be sure to read about some changes this year that could lead to the suspension of your benefit payments.
You might also want to read about why some are asking if it’s right for welfare recipients to have to relive their hardships every time they apply for aid.
So, have you had a similar experience of waiting for a long time on Centrelink’s line for seniors? How long did you have to wait? How do you think they could improve their service?
Tell us your thoughts and opinions below!
That's the average time on hold as of December 31, 2022, according to a recent report by The Senior. That might sound like a long time… because, well, it is.
The average wait time for their other phone lines, on the other hand, is only 12 minutes and 24 seconds.
Now, with complaints mounting over the long wait times, Services Australia has appealed to seniors to have patience.
‘I encourage anyone who needs to speak with us to stay on the line — people are getting through, and our staff are working hard to answer all calls,’ General Manager Hank Jongen said.
The report said he was apologetic after hearing that many were finding it hard to speak to someone at Centrelink over the phone.
Have you been placed on hold while on a call to Centrelink recently? Image Credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio
Many have scoffed at the long wait times in the past months, with one woman claiming it took over six hours to get assistance for a person she was caring for.
Another claimed he had been ‘robo-blocked’ by Centrelink after getting disconnected while on hold.
Previously, SDC members also aired their frustrations over the dedicated line.
‘(I) tried ringing numerous times and never got through,’ @Chris Lincoln claimed.
@Topher also stressed: ‘It is quicker for me to go 5 km into town, find a park, stand in a queue to make an appointment, then repeat the same procedure to attend a personal officer (who is always so helpful and friendly) —- a total of 20 km into the CBD (AND find a car park within a km) — than sit with a hold on my phone.’
In recent years, there have been growing concerns and criticisms concerning the efficacy, quality and reliability of Centrelink services. Many have criticised the long wait times and the amount of paperwork needed to be completed and submitted to Centrelink for applications and claims. The complexity of the system is often cited as a major factor in the long wait times. There is also frustration over the inability of Centrelink to quickly address issues and incorporate changes due to its bureaucratic nature.
In addition, there have been reports that Centrelink staff often don't provide adequate customer service and are poorly trained. This has been accompanied by complaints that the staff are rude and don't understand the needs of customers. There is also general dissatisfaction with the lack of information and communication provided by Centrelink. This is further compounded by the fact that they rely heavily on automated call systems, which often leads to dropped calls or customers being disconnected while on hold.
These issues affect not just the Older Australians line but the general population accessing Centrelink services, particularly in times of need. This has called into question the effectiveness of Services Australia to provide timely and efficient services to Australians in need.
So why is the wait for their Older Australians line so long?
According to Services Australia, recent weeks have seen an increase in calls as a result of certain government-introduced changes, such as the one-off work bonus balance raise of $4,000. In addition, many people impacted by rising living costs are also phoning about payments and services that could offer them a bit of reprieve.
The issue of long call wait times at Centrelink isn’t exactly new. In 2019, Services Australia was reported to be hiring 300 private call centre workers dedicated to the Older Australians line to address the matter.
However, in June of 2022, Services Australia slashed its call centre workforce by 30 per cent citing reduced demand.
There were concerns aired at the time that the move would mean longer wait times again for many Centrelink users, but it appeared all was for naught as Jongen at the time confirmed that their agency budget had already been ‘reduced… to reflect (the) change in expected demand’.
Recent changes in certain government benefit programs have led to a spike in calls to Centrelink. Image Credit: YouTube/ShakTV
As the problem of drawn-out wait times once again rears its head, Jongen says those who wish to do more online are welcome to try Services Australia’s digital coaches to give seniors in-person support and grow their confidence with technology.
Jongen also said that they were increasing their investments in face-to-face support services such as aged care specialist officers that can be found in some service centres across Australia.
Seniors can also access Service Australia services through the following lines and links:
- My Aged Care - 1800 200 422
- Digital Coaching
- Financial Information Service
You might also want to read about why some are asking if it’s right for welfare recipients to have to relive their hardships every time they apply for aid.
So, have you had a similar experience of waiting for a long time on Centrelink’s line for seniors? How long did you have to wait? How do you think they could improve their service?
Tell us your thoughts and opinions below!
.png){kind=icon}
