Thread: 45 minutes at CENTRE LINK

Unfortunately it sounds like your grandson will fit in. Had a mate staying/working with me while he was waiting for his start in the navy, he was on the dole and declaring what he earnt working with me, we used to get to Strathpine centrelink at 9am and the place was always empty- befor 10am is way to early for the grubs

Hodgo welcome to the real world, it's an eye opener. Just shut up about it as if you say anything you'll get shot down by do gooders that say these poor people are victims of circumstances and these are only a minority. This is why every one wants to come to this country as we are stupid enough to give hand outs to every body, even though some of them abuse the privilage to getting a hand out.

If you want another eye opener, spend a morning at the magistrate courts and see the type of people and their attitudes to the law and make a joke of it.

Please someone add a strong dose of chlorine to the gene pool, this sub species should not be allowed to breed.

Yeah, I had a bit of a giggle when I took a friend in there that had just moved from interstate. The one that made me laugh the most was a guy standing in a queue waiting to hand a form in with 'Call me Mr Lazy' on his T shirt...

I used to do maintenance work for a company that managed a building with 2 employment agencies in it in Frankston. Never ceased to amaze me at the people who would be there looking for work, or perhaps they were not really looking for work but had to be seen to make an attempt to keep getting the dole. There was no way any employer would want 95% of them anywhere near their business!

I have been into centrelink a couple of times over the last year with my daughter to try and find out what she may be eligible for as a person going to uni and living away from home in a country town. Not a very good experience at all. Centrelink staff are next to useless and just say to look on line, and the place is full of more useless "customers".

I could imagine the Centre Link staff who start with good intentions are dragged down to the lowest level by the quality of the average customer.

Here in PNG there is zero social welfare for anyone, but thats probably not the answer either.

I had a bloke renting a room off me for a while he said the best time to go was first thing as soon as the doors open that way all the dead heads are still tucked in bed. But saying that this bloke had no Intention to get a job I told him when I kicked him out I had never seen a bloke work so hard at not working

The policy types in Canberra have made the decisions to enhance customer service by introducing on-line self-service. I call it "help yourself". Much processing that was once done at the regional office is now scanned and sent to processing centres where all transactions of a particular type are handled in bulk. There are no longer any field officers or investigators at a regional office. Staff have been reduced, and again and again. No one has available time to double check and ensure claims and continuation documents are correct and kosher. Push them through and get the clients paid is the management creed. The policy types idea is to eliminate the infamous queues and full waiting rooms keeping the clients out of the offices by use of on-line services. Wooly headed thinking by would be do-gooders and social workers who never dealt with the sloppy end of society. Example is the introduction of open plan offices and the removal of the counters which the social engineers saw as "a barrier, creating an us and them environment". So now the benos come into the office and sit alongside an assessors desk. This meant files can no longer be on your desk but must be kept in lockable cupboards alongside to maintain privacy.

I was a field officer and it was quite normal when calling on benos to find them still in bed at 10.30 am or later. Answering the door in their jocks, bleary and hungover, smelling of stale grog and grass. And, most annoyed about being roused from their slumbers so early. My personal policy when calling them into the office for an interview was to book them in for an early appointment, 8.30, 9.00, 9.30 etc. Got them off their butts particularly if they lived on one of the Bay Islands.

What you need to remember, Hodgo, is that probably 90% of clients are ordinary decent people in need of help. The other 10% are the dregs of society who seem to habitually infest the offices. Usually because they have failed to lodge a required document or have lost their paperwork, or not done something required of them.

I would have went back home if he wasn't ready and let the grandson sort his own **** out.............at 21 he should be more sorted

my 10yo know the drill (well quite all the time), I give him a leaving time to get to sport. if he drags his feet than I don't remind him, the coach soon sorts him out. the two older kids 13 and 14 well and truly have their **** sorted, always ontime and ready to go