BLOODY CENTRELINK.

[Roverlord off road spares]

My eldest son Kris is a uni student and lives away from home, he was working in the Hospitality industry. He left his last employer over a wage theft issue and go compensated for it.
He then got a new job at a new venue as a casual worker. The new place were he worked employed about 70 odd staff who are casuals. Now these staff don't have work and have to rely on centre link, but the government rules say casuals must be employed by the employer for 12 month, which these people haven't been so they must now go through job seeker process.

My son tried to apply at centre link and was told to go home and apply online.
Well online was impossible he couldn't upload some file they wanted and after trying for 3 -4 days at all times even 2 and 3 am in the morning it crashed.
He went in again to a centre link office and they said they wanted bank statements earlier than what he has taken in, so he left and went to the bank. The next day he went back to a centre link office with the correct paper work, but this time he was told his partner must also come in with other paper work in regards to her financials.
Why do centre link staff do this , aren't they there to help people and guide them? if he had been told at the first visit to provided this and that, then people can come in prepared and solve an issue at 1st meeting. I can understand how people get so frustrated with centre link and how hard it is to stay clam and civil. If you get uptight with the incompetence then you get blacklisted.

The TV program on ABC called "The Drum" has Kris make a couple of appearances. here is a segment from the last appearance
Hospo Voice - Kris is back on ABC's The Drum | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HospoVoice/videos/809285852814364/)

[travelrover]

It seems the only good news is he managed to logon to Centrelink!

I have been trying for over a week just to register but always get the We’re Sorry, service is temporarily unavailable!! And this is at 2 or 3 in the morning also!

I really don’t want to go and queue and have my intelligence insulted.

[incisor]

i find it usually works well just before midnight...

got my intention to claim through after a couple of nights...

[101RRS]

In understand your frustration - my 85yo uncle got his Seniors Health Card taken off him based on his income determined by the ATO. Fair enough, but it was a one off and since then his income has been well below the threshold. Do they take the new income from his later tax returns - well no as according Centrelink he may have misled the tax office so a new application has to be made.

After a year of dealing with Centrelink where you meet their demands and then they have new requirements and you meet that and then there are more - I gave up.

I started the new application process in March 2019 and after a year jumping through hoops I just gave up - it is just too hard.

As a result you have an 85yo with early onset dementia, living in a nursing home and paying $4500 a month for the privilege but cannot get the Seniors Health card.

Yep - dont get me started on Centrelink (oh they stole my Tax Return a few years back even through I personally have nothing to deal with them - another story)

Garry

[jonesfam]

I think they make it as difficult as possible so you will give up.
That way the figures look better.
No proof just my opinion.
Jonesfam

[DeeJay]

I think they make it as difficult as possible so you will give up.
That way the figures look better.
No proof just my opinion.
Jonesfam

I'm the most stubborn, persistent individual that there is & they certainly are trying to put me off my first renewing of my seniors healthcare card. Three visits ( pre coronavirus) where two complete financials for my wife & I were provided and now - whilst I can log on no problems, my folder says "task reminders are currently unavailable, please try later" & it has said that for the last 5 days, so now I have no card & no way to renew it.
All I know is my renewal was rejected & the only reason I can think of is I didn't do a tax return last year- reason being I don't have the income to pay tax..

[disco gazza]

I know the feeling of centrelink well. :soapbox:
Have been dealing with them for the past 9 months trying to get a part pension.
I have now gone to my local federal member to see if he can put a rocket up there arses to get a pension.:bat:
Have a meeting with a financial bloke provided by centrelink to see where I,m going wrong in dealing with the slackers.
After that, I,ll be writing to the opposition member for social slops oops services and the senate member as well.

I might even write to Scotty and Anthony as well and put my case to them as well.

Rant over.

DG

[Fourgearsticks]

I think they make it as difficult as possible so you will give up.
That way the figures look better.
No proof just my opinion.
Jonesfam
Government policy, it reduces reported unemployment rate. They do all they can to fiddle the figures. Before virus the true rate would have been in the 15% range. Even people who work one hour are considered employed, up to 40% of those employed are underemployed and want to work more hours. The majority of those that are fully employed work unpaid overtime to keep their jobs. This is all before the virus impact on employment. The insidious wages and work condition erosion over the last 30 years or so is substantial.

[travelrover]

I have been out of work for six months, am in my 60’s and until now (maybe) don’t qualify for any government assistance and don’t appear in any statistics. I know of dozens of former colleagues in similar positions and not ‘counted’ in any statistics.

We are living on the wife’s meager income and our savings at present but the savings will not last much longer.

Even a small weekly amount from Centrelink would make a huge difference to us just now but I can’t get onto the app to register!

[p38arover]

I had to send some forms to CentreLink but had no luck uploading until I tried after midnight. I suspect they are inundated at the moment.

[travelrover]

I had to send some forms to CentreLink but had no luck uploading until I tried after midnight. I suspect they are inundated at the moment.

I’ve been trying at 2 and 3 in the morning and still get the service is temporarily unavailable!

[AK83]

Marios original post seemed to be a very common issue.
Same here.
Originally I got made redundant back in March last year, and due to stuff ups and lack of interest by the agency I was listed with, confusion as to when I'd get my next job found me unemployed last year for 6 months.
Finally got my job in Nov in the tourist industry, and now this drama unfolds.
I arranged work with a contact via brother, but tha6t's taking longer than expected.
So technically I have two 'jobs', but can't get any work for probably another 4 weeks or so. [bigsad]

I expected the delay, so planned ahead and applied for jobseeker early on.
Had to upload stupid amounts of paperwork already in their system! .. eg. confirmation of separation from ex! .. daughters birth certificate, and the kicker for me ... my last pay slips from last known employment history they understood me to have had.
That last one was the major issue. They wanted a payslip from my agency where I did some work for SES, last back in May last year, which wasn't my last workplace.
How do you explain this stupid situation to a file server/internet website. My last employment(ie. payslip) was from the bus company I work at in this tourist dependent industry.
Only way to correct it was to go into centrelink, but the advice given is to apply online.
How do apply online, when there clearly have wrong info, even tho they know I got off unemployment in Nov and started working for the bus company, not the SES!

Had to explain this to the counter idiot that I can't apply online, because online services are FUBAR when they have it all wrong, have all my info that they're asking for(no problem to re send it all, just the stupidity of it all).

Anyhow, had to wait a not unreasonable hour in line to get in the door, then another hour and half in the offices having explained to counter idiot(that online applications are too inflexible!).
In 5-10 mins all got sorted with the nice girl at the desk, she laughed when I told her I have two jobs, but can't get work .. all paperwork sorted without me uploading anything .. like I said they already had it all.
All I had to upload were a few bank statements .. easy peasy late at night, and process finalised quickly.

Once again, I'd rather not be on benefits .. pathetic amount that they allow($500ish per fortnight!) .. but ATM no option till this new supermarket work finally comes through for the bloke I'll be working for soon.

MyGov is easier to get through lately, but some services on the centrelink sites are still not accessible.

[Eevo]

maybe its time to do away with centrelink and replace it with a BUI. significantly lower overhead of managing the system, everyone is covered. no fuss.

[superquag]

I dread to think of how i'll deal with my next reporting date. I'm a pensioner who has (actually, "had") a casual bus driving job doing morning and evening school bus runs,,Would that make me Casual or part-time ? - Dunno, whichever costs my boss the least !)
Last one was last Friday 3 April. BAD timing.... Started accessiing my mobile phone app on late Thursady night ("Friday" in ACT time) till Friday till late in the eveing. All I get was "You have no tasks...." which makes it impossible to report income.

In that App, there is a display of your last and next payment. Both were correct, LAST reduced for the income received - and the NEXT payment was full amount for No income , to be paid Monday 6 April as $750.. Sure enough $750 comes through, but the bank statement carries the new description of PENSION ECONOMIC SUPPORT, not the usual CENTRLINK PENSION.
Does this mean the $750 Economic Stimulus / Vote Catcher has been substituted for the $750 Age Pension that was promised on my app a week earlier?
- Government changes name and gets out of paying it's lawful due ? Or are (part-time working Pensioners) not in line to receive this stimulus package?

I've resigned myself to losing large chunks of pension as the Govt claws it back to pay Pollies THEIR pension, but why make it so impossible for us to comply... with such horrendous consequences if WE make an error. Easily solved, even without reducing their gravy trai, Just Means Test THEIR parliamentary pensions (at whatever generous level they want,) but let Centrelink administer it.
Like ours.


EDIT: - sleepless night (unhealthy) and at 0515 WED., finally managed to log in and belatedly report my Final Wages. Now I can sleep well. [happycry]

Surely this kind of behaviour, incompetence, bait & switch tactics is going to add to our annual suicide rate.

[Bigbjorn]

[I]Would that make me Casual or part-time

In industrial law employment is defined as full time, part time, casual. Full time is a 38 hour week worked in equal instalments over 5 days. It has award conditions like annual leave, sick leave, Leave loading, paid overtime, penalty rates etc. Part time is less than 5 days and more than 2 and has award conditions like FTW. Casual is on call ad hoc and casual workers are paid a loading to compensate for the lack of the aforementioned award conditions. Casuals are paid at a higher hourly rate to compensate for lack of conditions. You should be able to work out for yourself how you are employed and paid.

[V8Ian]

In industrial law employment is defined as full time, part time, casual. Full time is a 38 hour week worked in equal instalments over 5 days. It has award conditions like annual leave, sick leave, Leave loading, paid overtime, penalty rates etc. Part time is less than 5 days and more than 2 and has award conditions like FTW. Casual is on call ad hoc and casual workers are paid a loading to compensate for the lack of the aforementioned award conditions. Casuals are paid at a higher hourly rate to compensate for lack of conditions. You should be able to work out for yourself how you are employed and paid.
Maybe in Utopia, not in the real world. :bat:

[superquag]

Agreed... Great in theory. In reality discovering you're paid less - evena few $$s is annoying, though not a deal-breaker. Anyway, it's moot as business could go under from this shut-down, and certainly will destroy his client-base. Quite frankly, 2 hours AM and 2 hours PM really is the thinnest of margins for the drivers if they live distant from depot (I'm25km, total of 100km per day / 12 litres fuel alone) Having a middle of day charter makes it worthwhile. So, not beng in the area to patronize that roadside coffee van.... or buy fuel.... less spending / GST, income and profit for the locals.
IF I decide to let the car go at next rego...there goes taxes to the State, income to the insurance Co... and payment of "full" pension every cycle. So I'll stay home... bored witless... turn up toes prematurely... lesss stimulus for Little Business
Bet Scotty didn't think of that !
--- Or maybe they did.