Struggling to claim your age pension? Centrelink explains why thousands face agonising waits

Navigating the golden years of retirement should be a time of relaxation and enjoyment, but for many, it's proving to be a period of financial stress and uncertainty.

The culprit? A backlog of age pension claims at Centrelink is leaving thousands of seniors in limbo.



Adele McIntosh-Jackson, working as an independent sub-contractor, applied for a partial age pension in August 2023, hoping to reduce her work hours.

However, after a fall in December that left her with a broken ankle and unable to work, her situation became dire.


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Adele McIntosh-Jackson is one of the many waiting for their age pension claims from Centrelink. Credit: Shutterstock


'Over the last seven weeks, I've had no income whatsoever,' she shared.

'I still have a mortgage and strata fees, and I still have electricity bills and all sorts of things.’

‘So, it's not a great position to be in at my age.'

McIntosh-Jackson was told the reason for the Centrelink delay was her work as an independent sub-contractor rather than an employee.

However, her story is not unique.

Many Australians have been waiting months for their age pension claims to be processed, with no clear indication of when they might receive their much-needed funds.

Joe, a 72-year-old pensioner, shared his experience: 'I first applied in July. When you do actually get to speak to someone, they're generally very helpful.’

‘But it's really, really hard to get through on the telephone. I'm just looking for a part pension. I'm 72, and I'm struggling a little bit.'



Other SDC members also complained about these delays.

In a previous story on frustrating call times and pension approvals at Centrelink late last year, member @Casper said, ‘I have been waiting over six months for approval of a disability support pension. Phoned a couple of times at one hour fifty-two minutes wait time and, on other occasions, cut off after waiting over an hour.

‘You never get the same answer twice to a question. And one person tells you one thing, and the next person [gives] a different answer. Talk about bashing your head against the wall. The whole system is a pathetic joke.’

‘It took five months for them to approve my aged concession card. Yesterday, I was on hold for 1 hour and 48 minutes due to my rent allowance being cancelled after one payment,’ member @jackibourn said.

‘Due to non-uploading of a document only to behold, they did have it on file. This is not good enough.’

So, what's causing these delays?



Centrelink has also been grappling with a significant staff shortage.

This has resulted in a backlog of 34,000 age pension claims, with an average processing time of 72 days.

Honk Jongen, general manager of Services Australia, acknowledged the issue, stating, 'I'm the first to concede that we are not meeting demands as we would like to and as our customers would like us to.'

‘Up until now, we've not had sufficient staff to deal with the workload that we face.’

‘Now the government has recognised that, and late last year, they allocated us sufficient funding for an additional 3,000 staff.

‘As a matter of priority, we've been recruiting those staff, and right now, they are all on board but going through intensive training,’ he added.

However, staff shortage isn't the only factor contributing to the delays. Jongen pointed out that incomplete applications and complex financial affairs can also slow down the processing time.

'Many people have got complex financial affairs, trusts, in shares and other investments, all of which need to be appropriately assessed,' he said.

'In some instances, we need to go to third parties to confirm the information that is required, all of which can contribute to delays.'



For those in urgent need, Jongen advised visiting a Centrelink office in person if possible.

‘In Adele's case, this is a clear situation,’ he said.

‘If she's experiencing financial hardship, then what she should do is, if she can, visit her local office because if she explains her situation to our staff, we will do what we can to help her out.’

Centrelink is also working to expedite the training of its new recruits to help ease the backlog.

'We're moving to try and get them on board as quickly as we can,' Jongen said.
Key Takeaways
  • Age pension claimants have been experiencing months-long waits for Centrelink to process their claims.
  • Partial pension applicant Adele McIntosh-Jackson shared her struggles, highlighting the financial difficulties she faces due to the delay.
  • Services Australia General Manager Honk Jongen attributed the delays to staff shortages but noted that newly allocated funding has allowed for the recruitment of an additional 3,000 staff.
  • Jongen advised that urgent cases like Ms McIntosh-Jackson's should visit a Centrelink office in person to seek expedited assistance.
Have you experienced delays with your age pension claim? Let us know in the comments below.
 
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I am disappointed to read the delays are so long. I applied for the aged pension on the 4th January turning 67 on the 14th January. I took my application in so I knew they had it. The guy who saw me told me it was a 30 day process so he was lying that is not good enough. I really want my pension card so I can get cheaper meds and bulk billed at the GP.
Good luck with that bulk billing Doctors, the LNP have been destroying Medicare by stealth since the Howard government, most Doctors don't even bulk bill under 16 years old! ( the way to worsen the public hospital system!)
 
I lodged a claim for Partial Age Pension in June 2023. Aboout every month or so they keep asking for new (old) information like bank statements from when I lodged the claim. It is still not approved or rejected.
 
My hubby will be 67 and I will be 66 this year and he is currently on the DSP and I am on the Carer's payment.
We will not be changing over to the Age Pension due to the delays.
 
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Not easy. I waited 5 months for a part aged pension. Communication from them stopped after 2 months. I was told it was being processed. I thought I had been forgotten but when I rang I had a recorded voice telling me there were delays then hang up. Could only get a recording. Third call went straight to a recording telling me nor to ring again as they were busy. I received a call 3 days later saying it was approved
 
LABOR LABOR !!!!! Worst PM and government in the history of Australia, He turned this amazing country into a 3rd World. 🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡
Hardly he hasn’t been in long enough to do that but give him time ! Previous governments have all been useless and not planned ahead for anything that’s why the housing crisis among other things.
 
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I've applied for DSP pension. It was rejected quite quickly, saying I needed more medical evidence. Which I uploaded, I hadn't heard anything from them, so I went into the Centrelink office., 11 weeks later. The staff were lovely! But I was told just because I uploaded the new document, it hadn't gone to the right department. The staff member then put it in to the DSP department. I'm still waiting! I also don't believe 3,000 new staff members is enough. The government needs to go much further with the budget. I'm angry that the government is allowing people come to our country, just to abuse our welfare system. I know of many women being allowed to come to Australia as a masseuse, they are doing massage work and prostituting from there homes, cash in hand and also getting welfare payments. And yet Australians are being told we are the burden on the welfare system.
 
Take a bex love and a little nap or put down the bottle. You don't really think this is just happened since labor formed govt. The incompetence of the previous 10 years is the start of the problem. Conservative don't have ANY respect for ANYONE in receipt of welfare. Robodebt is all the evidence you need to see this in action.
Are you related to Elbo
 
Take a bex love and a little nap or put down the bottle. You don't really think this is just happened since labor formed govt. The incompetence of the previous 10 years is the start of the problem. Conservative don't have ANY respect for ANYONE in receipt of welfare. Robodebt is all the evidence you need to see this in action.
I think that you are a little out of order as you are no better when it comes to respect Alan. There was no need to insult the person by telling them to ‘take a bex love and a little nap or put down the bottle’. How rude and condescending. Look at yourself before insulting others
 
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I have been waiting 10 months to receive approval for my pension application, it is agony waiting for my income and health cost assistance. Do not know what to do, so stressed must be affecting my health.
 
Myself and I’m sure the majority of you all have worked 50 years plus and the government was certainly not slow in taking the tax from our pay packet. But after all those years of hard slogger, it’s Okay for us to wait to be processed for the aged pension and have us worry how we’ll be able to pay our bill. No it really isn’t good enough, as usual they’re putying us on the back burner 😩😖😤🤬
 
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When they get staff I hope they train them properly. If the staff member does not know the answer to a client's question at least train them to talk to another staff member to find the correct answer.
 
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I always go into Centrelink if I have a problem these days it must quicker than waiting on hold for hours on hours you don't need a appointment with them and you're out before you know it and everything is done. So my advise is go into Centrelink if you can( good luck). Kind regards Beak.
 
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Time to mount a campaign against Centrelink on all levels.

Firstly about Robodebt (we need a Mr Bates to lead the charge against them just like he did against The Post Office in the UK.

Secondly, for unconscionable and outrageous delays which are affecting people's lives.

Centrelink, along with the ATO, Human Affairs and many other departments, are a disgrace And governments cannot continue to bully and cheat and intimidate the people they are meant to serve.
Yes I agree, I was renting NRAS which has finished, now and my rent has increased three times I was paying on the scheme, as an aged pensioner my rent takes nearly all my pay ,I have tried to get help from Centrelink but to no avail it’s disgusting that I reach this stage of my life in a country like Australia and looking down the barrel of homelessness
 
Not just delays. Serial incompetence.
When my father in-law died 2 years ago my mother in law did not receive a bereavement allowance because her pension went up.
His defined super pension partially reverted to her but it took 3 months for it to come.
When the arrears were paid technically she was overpaid. She died and on winding up her estate Centrelink raised the overpayment, 9 months later.
This was challenged but dismissed by Review Officer. We have lodged appeal to AAT about the non waiver of the debt which is stated in the SSAct and also questioned if the debt is waived thrn she should get the Bereavement Allowance, and 4 months have elapsed with no news.

This week a letter came from Centrelink addressed to my deceased mother in law saying they are now reviewing the Bereavemrnt Allownce non payment and that they will be in contact.

We are absolutely gutted and don't know where to start to fix this up as on her passing power of attorney ceased and contact Cam only be done via the executor who is the Public Trustee.


On that, from our experience, do not ever let the Public Trustee manage anyone's affairs or will.
All I say about the public trustee's I agree never,never do any business with them because all they care about is there self's and they will take at least 3years to finalise the will with one hell of a bill at the end. That is when my father passed & we ended up with half of the estate they got the rest (the fee) . So when my mother needed help writing a will out my mother paid a little more and she went through a lawyer done in 3 months when she passed and it ended up a lot cheaper. Kind regards Beak.
 
GIVE ALBO THE ELBOW
All I have to say about Labor & Albo they are doing a better job trying to fix the problems up that the coalition wouldn't do when they where in for nine years because the coalition only think of 4 million people (the elites) not 27 million People like Labor does. So until the coalition realise why they lost the last election I will be voting for Labor or the independent s at the next election. Beak
 
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All I have to say about Labor & Albo they are doing a better job trying to fix the problems up that the coalition wouldn't do when they where in for nine years because the coalition only think of 4 million people (the elites) not 27 million People like Labor does. So until the coalition realise why they lost the last election I will be voting for Labor or the independent s at the next election. Beak
So far it would appear that Albo and his party of wankers, have broken every promise they made, as I said
GIVE ALBO THE ELBOW.
 
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