Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's attacks on Centrelink and ordinary Australians just keep getting worse and worse and worse. They've ruthlessly cut the Centrelink budget, leaving the service severely understaffed, which means people in our communities face agonising wait times to access much-needed support. I've spoken to members of our community who have been told by Centrelink staff, 'We're just like a post office now.' So they really can't actually solve problems. They're being told to use the phones in Centrelink offices or pushed to the myGov website. Instead of helping those in need, this government is moving them on—turning a blind eye and leaving people without answers. Elderly McEwen residents tell me they can't afford to pay their winter utility bills because of Centrelink delays, yet this government also want to slash their winter energy supplement each fortnight.

I've lost count of the number of stories from my constituents about their horrific Centrelink experiences, but today I'm going to highlight a few. Last November, Cesare from Sunbury applied for the disability support pension. He submitted all the extra documentation in December, yet in April this year he still had no outcome and was told his application was simply waiting on a backlog. In July, I wrote to the minister urging him to progress this application because the delay was causing distress and impacting on Cesare's day-to-day life. It took seven months of calls, emails and daily struggles with Centrelink for Cesare to get an outcome—a period that has become the norm under this government's war on the social safety net.

Kerry and Lorraine, a South Morang couple in their 70s, made an application in May last year after finally retiring. For more than two months neither of them had an income. When they went back to check their application, they noted that they had mistakenly logged only one of the partner's applications, yet, through the months of contact with Centrelink, no-one bothered to even mention this. Like many older Australians, the technology barrier at Centrelink has left them frustrated and confused. It's now been over three months, and their application is still pending. Their treatment by this government and these ridiculous delays are utterly demeaning and insulting.

Terry in Sunbury applied for the DSP in June last year but was rejected due to lack of evidence. He requested a review and supplied even more documentation. But, in November, it was once again rejected. Feeling hopeless and helpless against a system that makes it almost impossible for people who are in need to get help, he turned to Legal Aid, who brought the decision to the AAT. It took another three months to get an outcome. Terry was successful, but his payments didn't start for another month. So they've dragged this process on for over a year, which has taken an enormous personal toll on Terry, his wife and his children.

Callum applied for youth allowance in February. Despite ongoing communication with Centrelink, no-one told him that his tax file number had been omitted until five months later. He supplied it the next day, and his application was again rejected. Callum came to see me, and our team worked very hard to make sure his application was approved. The five-month wait caused Callum and his family major financial and emotional stress. They have told me their poor treatment has left them upset and feeling very distressed with the whole process.

So many in my community have told me they've waited for three hours to see a Centrelink service officer. One resident was told at 2 pm, 'There'll be a three-hour wait, so why don't you just go home and, if you can, just come back tomorrow?' That's not easy in country areas where you have to drive for 40 minutes to get to a Centrelink office—where trains, if they run, run on an hourly basis. In some areas, if you think about places like Kilmore, it's a 40-minute walk before you get to a train station. It's not as simple as, 'Just get on the website or come back tomorrow.' It may be okay in the city but not in regional areas. This is not a crack on the staff. They are under absolute pressure because of the government's hapless handling of Centrelink—cutting staff numbers and trying to privatise it out to companies like Serco, who we know has an appalling reputation.

This side of the House is here to lend a helping hand to those in need. We know that, when times are tough, Australians should be able to rely on the government to make sure they get a fair go. The endless stress of Centrelink applications and payments must end. This government needs to take a good hard look at itself, get off its backside and do something that helps people, not hurts them. I will continue to fight to make sure we get a Labor government who will bring reliable access— (Time expired)