This Error-Ridden Centrelink Letter Literally Misspelt The Word ‘Centrelink’
It also cited the wrong law and was signed by a non-existent employee.
Sad as it is, when it comes to the folks at Centrelink, our expectations are fairly low. Over the past six months, the welfare agency has sent out thousands of automated letters demanding people pay back money they don’t actually owe, leaked the personal information of a journalist in order to win an argument, and referred desperate, angry, frightened welfare recipients to a suicide hotline via Twitter.
This is of course to say nothing of their marathon-length hold times, glitched-filled online portal, and the fact that the man in charge, Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge, has threatened to jail people who don’t settle their debts.
And yet no matter how low Centrelink sets the bar, they keep finding new ways to slide on under. Their latest act of contortionism comes in the form of a letter to Melbourne student Ben Klein, informing him that his Austudy payments are due to expire. At least, I think that’s what it says.
Shared by Klein with ABC News, the borderline incomprehensible letter is littered with spelling, grammar and formatting errors, including one instance where the word ‘Centrelink’ is spelt ‘Cedntrelink.’ It also cites the “paid parental leave law”, despite the fact that a) it has nothing to do with paid parental leave, and b) Klein doesn’t have any kids.
The letter concludes with a “yours sincerely” but is conspicuously unsigned. Klein graded the letter with an F.
Cenderlink aplogee 4 incomprehensible lettrhttps://t.co/uBssdXU6Bw@abcnews#centrelinkpic.twitter.com/fE2kfvVMoE
— Kerrin Binnie (@kerrinbinnie) April 28, 2017
“It’s so bad, it looks like a scam,” Klein told ABC News. “The only reason I realised it was legit was because all my details were on it.”
Centrelink has acknowledged the error, while assuring the public that it was not the result of their automated debt recovery system. “The mistakes in this letter are the result of human error,” said the Department of Human Services’ Hank Jongen.
Yeah, that’s not remotely comforting.