For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
  
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
  
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
  
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
  
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.
  

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

 

[Tabby]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

 

[Carpenter]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

Have been trying to phone through to make a person to person interview appointment each time it says wait times are long goodby.

 

[Romida]

67 and 68 yo couple still waiting 14 weeks now for pension application to process.

In a drought on a farm. No income, savings spent, can't afford to feed the stock let alone ourselves. Can't sell the stock because the transport and government levies cost more than they would sell for at the saleyards.

We are not considered in hardship.

 

[Tabby]

Not waiting to receive a payment, but have tried for 3 days to even join a phone queue. It tells you that they know you are trying to call, but they're too busy then cuts you off. If you try again it says and does the exact same thing, won't even let you back in to try.

Today I was on the phone at precisely 8am. I got through to being in the phone wait queue... Hallelujah! Was informed by bot it was a 90 minute wait, so I waited and waited ...exactly 2 hours...and then it cut me off! I tried calling back and of course the bot told me they were too busy, and I couldn't get any access to anything and then hung up on me.

CLink sent me an online letter and there's a mistake their end in numbers, I tried to fix it online, it's a no go. I'm too ill atm to go out and about, and it's something that could be easily fixed/clarified over the phone, but needs an actual human not a crappy bot that misinterprets what I'm saying, or won't allow me to even lodge a request for a call back.

Come on Federal Services dept ..do better! Find an IT solution to this current impossible situation that's affecting millions of people...some 5.2 million apparently, according to a recent news report regarding CLink phone issues. It's happening to everyone and sometimes online 'solutions' are not applicable to a situation.

 

[Cyberchook]

67 and 68 yo couple still waiting 14 weeks now for pension application to process.

In a drought on a farm. No income, savings spent, can't afford to feed the stock let alone ourselves. Can't sell the stock because the transport and government levies cost more than they would sell for at the saleyards.

We are not considered in hardship.

With farming in my history in the more bountiful 60's, fully understand the needs of our primary producers is imperative. I am so very sad for you, your stock and others in this dire situation. A good productive life and important supplies based on what the ruling parties never seemed to put as a priority. One day I fear there will be bare land and no stock and our agricultural lands owned and profits profits gained by only OS countries. Who runs this show I wonder? Looking after home first is the rule of all successful ventures.

 

[Rob44]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

Renationalise CentreLink and employ more properly trained staff on an adequate wage.

 

[Jen77au]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

I'm on DSP and have been battling mental health most of my life. I finally thought I'm well enough to work so I started applying but I'm rejected either by my age or the long time I haven't been able to work. I tried going through a disability employment service but they need approval from Centrelink to say I'm fit to work, and they setup an appointment for a teleappointment at the beginning of March.. still waiting

 

[riskydave]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

That's exactly what happens when governments start trying to save money. This government and all governments in this country need to focus on Australia, not any other country or other countries problems. We have enough of our own problems. Lets get This country right before worrying about Vietnam or Ukraine or China...Really, what is going on!!

 

[Mijen]

We have been trying to get the aged pension since may 22nd last year and we get a different reply every time we speak to someone different Also we are repeatedly asked to submit papers we have already submitted. They have now declined my pension application. We have no income and are trying to survive day-to-day



, '

 

[JerseyBean]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

 

[JerseyBean]

One problem is the people who ar employed there.as the language skills are sometime not the best. Some have been in government employment for so long they know it ius almost impossible to remove them. When Centrelink gets clients supply them with important information about income changes but for unknown reasons it is not recorded or passed on that client is then penalised & treated almost like a petty criminal not because they did wrong but due to the centerlink officer not doing their jobs.

 

[Martin D]

I was on Job Seeker. On 10th March I had a serious operation. On 27th April I applied for the DSP. On the 30th June it was approved. The big delays seem to be new applicants. However, it is very wrong, and I think everyone who is being delayed needs to contact the Prime Ministers office. If enough do, it might make them take notice.

 

[Maurice_McGahey]

For many seniors and families, the current cost-of-living crisis has caused significant distress. Millions of Australians are now struggling with unaffordable bills, reduced incomes and limited support.

Sadly, this situation is now magnified by delays in accessing support from Centrelink. Pensioners, parents, and job seekers are left waiting for months as Centrelink staff struggle to keep up with the demand.

Take Melbourne mum, Laura. After the birth of her son on the 11th of July, she applied for paid parental leave the same week–only to be met with a lengthy wait.

'So it's $882 a week, so I'm currently waiting on eight weeks, and my partner's waiting on two weeks. We've got 10 weeks in total, which is almost $10,000,' Laura said.

View attachment 29774

Centrelink payments have been delayed for parents, pensioners and jobseekers. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

To keep up with the bills, Laura and her partner have had to take on extra work hours and ask family members for support–all while struggling to keep up with the costs of raising a child.

‘With our loans, our rent, our childcare, the cost of food, that probably hit within the first three or four weeks, you know, we used the savings we had built up towards the end of my pregnancy,’ she explained.

It turns out a simple paperwork issue caused Laura’s delay.

It’s not just families affected by long wait times. There’s also 67-year-old Donnie, who applied for the pension in May. He was given an estimate of July 12 but has not received his pension payment.

‘I understand that it could be a bit later, but now it's today, actually 15 weeks, so it's over three months, which is the limit apparently,’ Donnie shared.

Donnie’s plans to enjoy retirement have been put on hold, and he had to use his savings to get by.

View attachment 29775

Donnie is still waiting for his pension payments 15 weeks after he applied. Credit: Michael Leslie/Shutterstock

‘You can't just spend your own money, and then you end up with nothing,’ he pointed out. ‘That's what will happen if they don't sort of pay up, basically.’

Another individual, an anonymous IT worker who wished to be known as Scott, knows this pain too well. After losing his job, Scott applied for the JobSeeker allowance in February, but he had to wait six months.

‘They just put my case in the too-hard basket and gave up on it,’ Scott claimed.

‘It was quite difficult for me. I was running low on my savings, and I wasn't able to access Centrelink. I had to borrow money from friends to continue living,’ he stated

He eventually tried contacting the office of Bill Shorten, the Minister for Social Services. After a week, his claim was finally approved.

‘The same day I received Centrelink, I found out that I had landed a job, which was good for me,’ Scott said.

Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen spoke on the Centrelink delays, citing an increase of two million claims this year as the cause, due in part to changes to parental leave eligibility.

‘July to September is the busiest time of the year for us, and so far, we've had to process something like 816,000 additional claims for the increased eligibility as a result of government decisions,’ Mr Jongen confirmed.

More than that, he cited that their office is currently understaffed.

'We're finding it difficult to recruit staff. It's a very competitive market, and certainly, we're doing everything we can to increase our service delivery staff,' Mr Jongen claimed.

He also noted that age pension payments can take time.

‘The reason we have to be thorough is because, of course, we're putting people on a payment for the rest of their lives, so that's the reason that some of these claims can take some time having said, we acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than they should and for that we apologise,’ Mr Jongen explained.

Minister Shorten has since faced questions about the delays in parliament, stating, 'I'd just like to acknowledge the inconvenience and the frustration caused to Australians'.

'My key piece of advice really is to claim early and to claim online,' he advised. 'That will make it absolutely clear to you what documents you need to provide us.'

Key Takeaways

• A significant number of Australians are experiencing long waiting times for their Centrelink support amid the cost-of-living crisis.
• A Melbourne mother revealed she had been waiting on eight weeks of parental payment, totalling nearly $10,000.
• A man named Donnie has been waiting for over 15 weeks for his pension payments to commence, forcing him to dip into his savings while he waits.
• Scott, who applied for Jobseeker in February, had to wait 6 months for his claim to be approved. He found success after contacting the office of the Minister for Social Services, Bill Shorten.
• Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen acknowledged that Centrelink is understaffed and experiencing increased claims from Australians applying for support, and apologised for the lengthy delays.

We hope that the delays will soon be resolved for those waiting for Centrelink payments.

What do you think of this story, members? Are you, or anyone you know, also waiting for your claims? Share your experience in the comments below!

You HAVE to attend a Centrelink office! I am sorry if you live in the bush 300 kilometres from your nearest Centrelink office, but THAT is a fact of life caused by us allowing those odious God Bothering fringe religion, the "Blessing of God brings Wealth" cult members run the Australian government for three terms.

Don't even bother picking up the phone. The "God nutters" (related to Gun nutters, but using "God" as a weapon instead) facilitated like-minded administrative persons into positions of power within Centrelink and other administrations. I have found that the front counter Centrelink people (including the people at desks that you will get to converse with) are the nicest people. BUT, those front counter people have to work within the rules and constraints of the wackos "out back" or sitting in a plush office in a central city high rise.

Your defense ...

1. Attend Centrelink in person - This keeps Australian jobs IN AUSTRALIA! If you keep phoning and complaining, a person on a six figure salary is going to suggest that, "We can save money by routing all these calls to Mumbai, Hong Kong, (add your Third World place of frustration)." Attend Centrelink in person and smile at the poor Centrelink underling on the Front Counter ... because they do not have the character flaws that allowed them to move into a back office ... where ... they wouldn't have to hear your problems!

2. Attend your local Federal politician's electoral office and bitch long and hard! -

a. If this person is a Labor (in government at this writing) politician, they may have some sway to improve Services Australia (the mega dept that runs Centrelink). Their electoral office person may not WANT to be involved in you personal problems, but persistence pays off. Hint: Pull out a diary and ask if they mind if you take notes of this meeting. Nothing signals a "your ass is on the line" like documentation.

b. If this person is a Liberal or National party politician, they will welcome any opportunity to bag the present government ... despite the problem being of their coalition government's making. They won't expect you to understand that. Don't get bogged down with, "But it was your party that started this debacle!" arguments, that is counterproductive. Remember politicians of today (with a few exceptions) are generally of low intelligence. It is raw ruthlessness that got them to where they could be elected.

c. If your politician is an independent of "minor party" you may think that you have a "Tiger" representing you. Sometimes you are right (Andrew Wilkie, Jacqui Lambie, most of the "Teal" independants) but sometimes they got elected, discovered a similar mire that you are in ... and are just waiting for the lucrative retirement largess. If that is the sorry case you may have to try to contact you state or territory senators.

There is NOTHING that puts the fear of the GODS into an administrator, politician nor, if Alan Joyce is to be an indication, corporate kings, like a Senate Estimates Committee. If you can get a senator to bring endemic corruption, negligence or incompetence into Senate Estimates you have won Lotto and done the rest of Australia a huge favor. But ... to make an impact on senators you need a group of people to be making very similar claims. So join Facebook pages, tweet, twirk or whatever! GET ORGANISED! Organization has worked for unions and corporate lobby groups for a century.

Remember democracy (or even the Republic) was NEVER free. It has ALWAYS required work and maintenance.
Good luck to you all.

 

[Rose855]

Renationalise CentreLink and employ more properly trained staff on an adequate wage.

They had it right when they split the whole system into 3. First stream - Retirements, Carers and Disabilities, Second stream - Families - and the third stream - unemployment. It meant staff working in those departments had a chance to learn their jobs properly and all matters were handled far more efficiently than what they are doing now. All staff in the offices and on the phones are supposed to know it all. Who ever changed the system was so wrong. Also in the years that I worked for them, every time they decided they had too many staff they would do a round of redundancies. Who do you think took up the packages??? Only the most experienced and senior staff as they had the years clocked up to get their super so, the final upshot was that the knowledge base of the whole organisation was grossly depleted. And then you wonder why nobody really knows what is going on.

 

[Rose855]

You HAVE to attend a Centrelink office! I am sorry if you live in the bush 300 kilometres from your nearest Centrelink office, but THAT is a fact of life caused by us allowing those odious God Bothering fringe religion, the "Blessing of God brings Wealth" cult members run the Australian government for three terms.

Don't even bother picking up the phone. The "God nutters" (related to Gun nutters, but using "God" as a weapon instead) facilitated like-minded administrative persons into positions of power within Centrelink and other administrations. I have found that the front counter Centrelink people (including the people at desks that you will get to converse with) are the nicest people. BUT, those front counter people have to work within the rules and constraints of the wackos "out back" or sitting in a plush office in a central city high rise.

Your defense ...

1. Attend Centrelink in person - This keeps Australian jobs IN AUSTRALIA! If you keep phoning and complaining, a person on a six figure salary is going to suggest that, "We can save money by routing all these calls to Mumbai, Hong Kong, (add your Third World place of frustration)." Attend Centrelink in person and smile at the poor Centrelink underling on the Front Counter ... because they do not have the character flaws that allowed them to move into a back office ... where ... they wouldn't have to hear your problems!

2. Attend your local Federal politician's electoral office and bitch long and hard! -

a. If this person is a Labor (in government at this writing) politician, they may have some sway to improve Services Australia (the mega dept that runs Centrelink). Their electoral office person may not WANT to be involved in you personal problems, but persistence pays off. Hint: Pull out a diary and ask if they mind if you take notes of this meeting. Nothing signals a "your ass is on the line" like documentation.

b. If this person is a Liberal or National party politician, they will welcome any opportunity to bag the present government ... despite the problem being of their coalition government's making. They won't expect you to understand that. Don't get bogged down with, "But it was your party that started this debacle!" arguments, that is counterproductive. Remember politicians of today (with a few exceptions) are generally of low intelligence. It is raw ruthlessness that got them to where they could be elected.

c. If your politician is an independent of "minor party" you may think that you have a "Tiger" representing you. Sometimes you are right (Andrew Wilkie, Jacqui Lambie, most of the "Teal" independants) but sometimes they got elected, discovered a similar mire that you are in ... and are just waiting for the lucrative retirement largess. If that is the sorry case you may have to try to contact you state or territory senators.

There is NOTHING that puts the fear of the GODS into an administrator, politician nor, if Alan Joyce is to be an indication, corporate kings, like a Senate Estimates Committee. If you can get a senator to bring endemic corruption, negligence or incompetence into Senate Estimates you have won Lotto and done the rest of Australia a huge favor. But ... to make an impact on senators you need a group of people to be making very similar claims. So join Facebook pages, tweet, twirk or whatever! GET ORGANISED! Organization has worked for unions and corporate lobby groups for a century.

Remember democracy (or even the Republic) was NEVER free. It has ALWAYS required work and maintenance.
Good luck to you all.

I worked for them for 12 years and will be going to my local member within the next few weeks. I can only applaud the gentleman who wrote this piece. Everyone else needs to supply 3 months' worth of statements etc. I have been told I have to provide 6 months' worth. Plus, a lot of other issues, I will be bringing up. Could it be that I was honest enough to put on my form that I pay monthly membership fees to One Nation? I have only just begun to fight but thank you to Maurice McGahey for his insight. I wonder, did you work for them as well sir?????

 

[Rose855]

67 and 68 yo couple still waiting 14 weeks now for pension application to process.

In a drought on a farm. No income, savings spent, can't afford to feed the stock let alone ourselves. Can't sell the stock because the transport and government levies cost more than they would sell for at the saleyards.

We are not considered in hardship.

Quit mucking around. I hope you have documented how many times you have tried to phone and the end result. Don't waste your time anymore trying to phone them. Get on the phone to your local Federal Member. Trust me when I tell you that they move like they have a rocket up their arse when they are faced with a ministerial, please explain. I wish you the best of luck. It is not enough that the weather and everything else that effects your livelihood has let you down, now your supposed welfare support organisation is banging the last nails in your coffin. Just not right.