Centrelink Reviews 

Forced into apps and online portals that have hardly any features. Ai submitted paperwork to review a decision by centerlink months ago NO CALL NO LETTER NO WAY TO PROMP ONLINE AGENT CHAT OR CALL BACK.

I applied for a bulk recruitment round and made it through to the second phase of reference checks. To my surprise Service Australia have farmed out the recruitment process to Chandler Macleod to assess applications. They are using a process for reference checks called referoo where your referees are expected to complete a reference report and not the usual verbal report. I was surprised by this as my referee would be unwilling to go through this length process and I can't understand why Service Australia would go don't this road. It would be placing a lot of applicant in difficult situations..As a result I had to revoke my application even though I have over 10 years in the public service and was really looking forward to working with Services Australia. Hopefully they move away from this process in the future it seems very restrictive to me.

I found my experience with Centrelink disgusting - not because of the customer service but because of the system. I find it infuriating that I had to go and justify my 93 year old demented mothers finances - money that she worked for and built ., while day after day week after week month after month and year after year there is an army of career DOLE BLUDGERS collecting welfare to sit on their ass and do nothing forever. This place should be CLOSED to anyone under 65 and they can work or die -its a much better system that creates independence rather than entitlement.This observation isn't only from my recent visit to centrelink, but in the past I have had the displeasure of working with the "DB army" the presence of security guards in the office says it all.....I've seen their tricks ( like the woman who produced a Qld pension card after I questioned the address on her NSW one or the grandmother who told her grand daughter to wait til she got her pension) and heard their bs stories .I understand what the staff at centrelink deal with every day and I think they're incredible to keep fronting up to that! Change is needed I'd start with an clean out of dodgy doctors that write these "forever medical certificates"

If I could put 0 I would
I’m not an unintelligent person
Just trying to get husbands senior health care card ( no payment)
Got there Torrensville sa 8:30 am left after lunch after 4 times getting relogged
And still no card
In last visit I accidentally put tax for current year rather than last assessed went for 4th time to counter snd told sorry can’t get back you just now need to wait till this years tax is assessed for both of you you can’t I request this years (which wasn’t put in)
Last 2 years hubby had no income at all and no benefits just relied on my meger money
What a waste of time
Centrelink why don’t you when you see someone do a one and done from beginning to end not send client away after 1-2 minutes to do themselves
A simple you need tax returns passports even for you wife who isn’t applying as not eligible
Poor service and time wasting
Totally unhelpful but pleasant people
I still don’t have matter resolved and went home with high blood pressure and anxiety
Surely I worked 25 plus years in customer service snd this is certainly not customer service
Btw we didn’t even get to nomination form or change address as too complicated
I would have thought with help completing would take 15 minutes with help however they make it more difficult than necessary

Absolutely rude?? disgusted by the sheer lack of empathy. Despite knowing I'm dealing with life changing chronic injury not a single word of sympathy instead was condescendingly asked "how much profit you made selling your house"?
This is the help I got after calling them for 2 hrs multiple times.

Utterly rude staff in Butler that one day told us one thing and then when it's not dealt with just run away from the issue which led to us walking out. The incompetence is horrendous but I'm sure they do this on purpose to make people's lives miserable.

So you can help dead beats that are on drugs and don't want to work. But you can give debts to people that are disabled and people that actually need the money for support. Just because of how you messed up the payment and take it out on the customer? Needs justice mate. You are nothing but scam artist. Can't really call you an artist because that means you're good at something.

Needed to print out a report with the Centrelink payments made to me…
After an hour on the phone on hold, got told that I wouldn’t be able to get the report through the website because I haven’t done my tax return…
What a report has to do with my tax return I have no idea!
Got told that I would need to go to a Centrelink branch in person to get the report I needed, as if I had the time to go there and wait hours for a piece of paper…
The agent then said that she would be able to send it to me and when I gave her my email address, she said that she wouldn’t be able to send it via email, she said she would only be able to post it! A bit more I feel that she would have asked for my fax number!
It’s been days now and I still haven’t received the report in my letterbox, of course…
I cannot believe such a bad service is being provided to Australians, it’s embarrassing to say the least!
JOKE!

If you happen to be overseas on July 1st, Centrelink will cancel all/any Pensioner Concessions that you are entitled to! Even if you are away for that one day!
The onus is then on the Pensioner Concession Card holder to reapply despite having advised Centrelink of the dates you will be out of the country?
So far, this is the 3rd year in a row….
What a shambles!

After working for most of my adult life.i resigned from my job.to move interstate to care for my mother who has terminal cancer. After 4 months no response calling service australia. Saying it escalated. The last consultant said apply for job seekers.even though carers application after 4 months. I'm left with no choice but to go to media

The most disgraceful service I have ever had to use. Not only are they so slow they are basically useless as they are catching up on things from months ago every time. I have become homeless 3 weeks ago due to domestic violence and am ineligible for any crisis support payment as I didn’t apply within the first week of my crisis forcing me out of my fixed address. I didn’t even know about this payment for the first two weeks! When you become homeless things like food and accommodation far outweigh money, most people have a little bit to use to begin with but then end up with nothing. I have now bee in contact with multiple Centrelink officers to try and receive assistance or get some understanding for this and have basically just been coldly denied and told that is it. When junkies are out on the streets collecting their payments every fortnight and funding their own habits, I cannot barely handle what a disgrace a failure like this feels like on a human level. I have absolutely no trust or faith in the Australian government to look after any of its own people anymore.

These counts are shameless, it's easier to just kill yourself than ask these heartless aholes for help.
I hope karma comes for you all in a very vicous way.
Unaustralian pieces of sh.t

Hopeless and why is no one work there Australian 2 hour on hold

I recently had a call from Janith from Centrelink about an application I had made. He was friendly, professional and helpful. Such a positive interaction.

Centrelink is the leading cause of homelessness among Australians. My recent interactions with their customer service highlight significant issues within the system. Numerous representatives provided inconsistent and incorrect information, demonstrating a clear breakdown in competence and process.

Initially, I enrolled in a study course listed as approved on Centrelink's website, a confirmation I received from one of their staff members. Subsequently, I signed up with an accredited provider. Centrelink then informed me of a potential two-month delay in processing my application, prompting my partner to cover the school fees until Centrelink's support would kick in.

After waiting for two months without any communication, I contacted Centrelink, enduring lengthy wait times exceeding two hours. During my first call, I was assured that my application would be expedited, yet I received a rejection letter stating the course was not approved, rendering me ineligible for funding. Upon informing my school of this issue, they provided me with a letter verifying the course's approval, which I promptly uploaded to the Centrelink website. The following day, I spoke to a different representative who advised me to request a reassessment.

Despite this reassessment, I received no further updates and had to call Centrelink again, enduring extended wait times as usual. Eventually, I spoke to a knowledgeable representative who acknowledged the course's approval in Centrelink's system and assured me that my application should proceed smoothly. She even advised me to monitor my messages regularly, leaving me feeling relieved and appreciative of her effective customer service.

However, shortly after this positive interaction, I received a call from Services Australia to confirm my details, only to be informed that the course and provider were not funded by Centrelink, except if I attended Tafe. This information contradicted earlier assurances and added to the confusion surrounding Centrelink's processes.

Despite my school's confirmation that the course is funded by Centrelink and its listing in Centrelink's system as approved, funding was denied unless through Tafe. This contradiction has left me perplexed and frustrated.

Fukn putrid 🐕 corrupt maggots..wait on the fkn line for almost 4hrs...fmd

Unbelievably bad service. Cannot book appointment online. They have been telling me it will be fixed next month for years! Go to counter where all you can do is give a crn number to a staff member so you can then queue again to speak to another staff member who then can make an appointment for at least a weeks time! 2 staff and 40 minutes wait just to make an appointment! Then supervisor advises me if I want to complain tell ‘the government’. What a moron! I worked for the commonwealth government for 30 years and I can say that Centrelink is the worst department because most clients are vulnerable and have no choice and the staff lack brains and initiative! Also, Takes at least 4 months to assess my mother who has gone into aged care or my son and his claim for Austudy! Had to take out a loan whilst waiting on both occasions! No money to pay my mothers aged care fees plus had to pay my sons costs or he would have starved and could not pay rent while studying! Put application for Austudy in at start of semester. Sitting final exams and still waiting for assessment! Must be thousands of people in desperate situations waiting for Centrelink to do their jobs!

i have live dand worked in australia for 35 years,,finally at the age of 54 as i became more unemployable i started to travel and spend time overseas..Came home every year to spend time with the family..7 years ago had cardiac arrest in melbourne ,,my mu had cancer and passes away,we had covid where i got stuck overseas and had huge emotional and physiological problems ..Came home again this year to finally retire and travel more but Centrelink declared me as former citizen and said must remain in australiafor 2 years to get my pensionn overeas while i am travelling..if i have travelled i dont get my pension whilist overseas..i am 67 and my country taking my rights away from me ..so i cant enjoy benefits of retirement till i am 70,,has any one had the same problem ?

I recently received a notice indicating that I owe money to Centrelink, but the notice didn't provide any explanation. I've attempted to contact them several times, but after navigating through an automated system, I'm only informed that they are busy and to call back later. Unfortunately, there's no option to hold or wait to speak to an operator.

It seems nearly impossible to get through to anyone for further information. This issue appears to be prevalent in the public sector.

They state the appeal process takes 49 days. I’m still waiting for any word on my appeal from August 2023. Ten months and counting……
Update! It’s now the start of October and still nothing. 14 months.