People Are Sharing Their Worst Centrelink Experiences, And They’re Devastating
"They wouldn’t pay me the sole parent pension unless I gave detail about where, when and how my daughter was conceived."
People have been sharing their damning experiences with Centrelink to demonstrate how rigid and frustrating the government agency can be.
Journalist and disability activist Asher Wolf posted a Twitter callout on Monday, and received hundreds of responses about dealing with the Services Australia body.
Beyond the common concerns of long wait times and unliveable payment amounts, responders recalled invasive and dehumanising interactions at Centrelink — particularly for those from vulnerable backgrounds or who are dealing with trying circumstances.
People recounted the number of hoops and hurdles they have to jump over all the time — from having applications knocked back and payments suddenly suspended over finicky eligibility requirements, to dealing with clerical errors out of their control, Robodebt, and more.
Needing to fulfill ‘mutual obligation’ with lung cancer. What a time to be alive !!
— Lyn @Life Is Good (@FairAusPol) January 31, 2022
Centrelink telling me my stillborn baby did in fact take a breath and therefore my application for stillbirth payment was rejected. I did end up getting paid parental leave tho. But it was the tone that was so hurtful.
— Marcella Brassett (@MarcellaBrasset) January 31, 2022
Gosh, it’s hard to choose the worst, but I’d say being told they wouldn’t pay me the sole parent pension unless I gave detail about where, when and how my daughter was conceived.
— KC Martin-Stone 💉💉💉 (@KCMartinStone) January 31, 2022
Getting a letter from Centrelink to say my 80 year old Mum wasn’t sick enough for me to be approved for a carers payment to look after her. Apparently severe dementia, incontinence, inability to remember to feed herself or take her meds wasn’t bad enough for them.
— Neralie (@NeralieJ) January 31, 2022
The Other Side
A number of former and current employees spoke out about what it’s like from their perspective. Someone who works in HR said that Centrelink’s lack of training was leaving newcomers unequipped to handle the demands of phone and in-centre support, while both physical attacks from the general public and sick leave policies that don’t accommodate COVID put staff in danger.
A call centre operator anonymously said they had to leave because the priorities forced on them were harming people on the other side of the line. “Managers only care about your statistics and having quick phone calls, even if it means abandoning someone,” they shared. “I would have suicidal customers, and our managers would tell us to get rid of them ASAP because it would take too long to deal with. Everyone is just a number to them.”
A current employee described their time at Centrelink as an emotional, “soul-crushing” ordeal. They said their shifts often end in tears for having to reject assistance for people over “stupid rules”, and said the system is designed to “force people to fend for themselves”.
Shocking Comments
Beyond the bureaucracy, many mentioned belittling conversations between themselves and operators, social workers, and customer service agents that perpetuate a culture that continues to put down and invalidate welfare recipients.
“It’s not just about poverty. It’s about the fear and anxiety and dehumanisation. People can survive terrible situations if given hope and mutual support,” said Wolf. “But when you treat people like shit, atomise them, and destroy all belief they have in a better future — it fucks them.”
Hated having to go in and hand in my booklet of job applications to staff and being scolded for not trying hard enough to get employment. Also hated being in a line-up in front of two young girls mocking all the ‘druggo dole bludgers’
— Tim Byrnes (@timbyrneses) January 31, 2022
When My Chick was 5, we moved to my uni town. I walked into CL to update my address. Woman behind the counter shouted, “I KNEW YOU WERE A GOOD ONE!!!” Apparently she served me years prior in a pop up CL office, & bet money I wouldn’t have more kids with more men.
— KC Martin-Stone 💉💉💉 (@KCMartinStone) January 31, 2022
I helped a disabled neighbour to a centreline office to seek an emergency payment for food
They made inquiries. 3 hours later, announced they were closing
Again he said he had no food for the weekend. Employee looked him up and down and said
“You don’t look like you’ll starve”
— 🕯 Susan Smith 🕯 (@SusanSmithAus) January 31, 2022
Oh I forgot another one.
I moved into my cousins spare room when I was living in Townsville for a while.
Centrelink grilled her about whether we were in a relationship.
Upon reiterating I was family..
“You can still be in a relationship with your cousin” she was informed.— New Romancer (@aaronvallen) January 31, 2022
Services Australia told Junkee that the wellbeing of customers and staff is their top priority and that they’re committed to “simple, helpful, respectful, and transparent services tailored to people’s circumstances.”
“All of our staff are trained to help people through some of the toughest times in their lives, and they have an unwavering commitment to serving their community,” said General Manager Hank Jongen. “This dedication was clear during their tireless support to Australians throughout the pandemic. Over the past two years, they’ve managed record demand, paying more than $45 billion in essential coronavirus response support and giving 18.2 million people access to their COVID-19 digital certificate.”
“We always strive to provide the best support and it is regretful when customer experience does not meet that expectation. In addition to our feedback channels, people in this situation can always ask for an explanation of any decision they don’t understand or agree with, or apply for a formal review.”
“We have a large national network of dedicated and specialist staff including social workers. Anyone who is facing hardship should contact us so we can get the right supports in place for their situation.”