In many ways, I’ve been lucky – I haven’t needed to whinge about Centrelink, because I haven’t really had many dealings with them over the years.
However, that all changed after Miss 19 had a little mishap at ice skating recently. Somebody tripped over in front of her and the blade of their skate, nicked the back of her hand.
Such a simple thing and yet it resulted in:
- lots of blood
- a trip to the Emergency Department
- a severed tendon and fractured bone
- surgery to repair the tendon
- two days in hospital
- 6 weeks of wearing a splint on her forearm while the tendon repaired
- still needing to wear a splint on her fingers
- exercises to strengthen her fingers, hand and arm
- and weekly visits to the hospital half an hour away for occupational therapy and to visit the fracture clinic
in other words, a lot of pain and suffering (for her – and me!).
Waiting for surgery
But perhaps the biggest pain has been in her hip pocket. You see, Miss 19 might be the assistant manager of a cafe but like many in the hospitality industry, she is employed as a casual. Which means if she doesn’t work, she doesn’t get paid.
However just because her income has stopped doesn’t mean her expenses have. She still has to pay rent and other bills!
Miss Fleur was very concerned
Of course we’ve helped out where we can. But with being unable to work for eight or even more weeks, it’s been tough, so she is in the process of applying for sickness benefits from Centrelink.
WOW. All I can say is, it is so flipping hard to get a payment when you actually have a legitimate claim – that I have no idea how people manage it when they don’t!
We’ve spent hours on the phone and online and visiting our local Centrelink office. It’s like they are drip feeding us the information we need – each time we get a little bit more. Why can’t they just give us all the information, and tell us all the documents we need to bring in, right up front?!
Miss 19 is convinced it is because they want her to give up and not claim anything … so perhaps there is a method to their madness after all ….
Still smiling through it all!
At this rate, Miss 19 will be lucky to get a payment – if she gets one at all – before she goes back to work after Christmas!
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. Now it’s your turn – what’s your whinge about Centrelink?!
Don’t forget to enter my comp to win a $100 voucher to spend at Crazy Sales – closes 10 December!
Not good Janet! I had a similar experience when I broke both elbows (yes, both at the same time!) when my children were 3 & 5 years old. I couldn’t drive, cook, clean, bath the kids,do the shopping, etc. Thankfully it happened at work, so WorkCover kicked in a couple of weeks after the event, but it was the chores that were the biggest issue, as hubby was working 1.5-2 hours away at the time. They sent someone to help me for 1 hr the week I got the plasters off – thanks for that WC! It was a VERY long 6 weeks!
Oh my goodness, how on earth did you do that?! I dislocated my knee when I was 20 and had the same thing happen, that’s the only reason I knew Miss 19 could apply for sickness benefits now. And just like you I didn’t get anything until the week before I went back to work!
Yep when my ex-husband lost his job we applied for the dole for him while he looked for more work and we ended up giving up because he had to be off work for more than 8 weeks before they’d even start paying him + in the end after we went through all the paperwork they informed us that I earnt too much he’d only get $20 a fortnight. So we gave up. Yet my mum’s partner has been on the dole almost his whole life and he’s 53 seems to have no trouble getting it {despite the fact he doesn’t really want a job}. Seems to be easy for the dodgy people but so hard when you really deserve the payment.
Mr 21 quit his job at the end of May and even though he is now eligible for Centrelink, he refuses to go through the rigmarole (luckily he has some savings & still lives with us!). He has enrolled in Uni for next year, now looking for part time work so he doesn’t need to do the Centrelink thing!
I am totally convinced that Centrelink make it hard to claim in the hopes you give up. I have had SO MANY eff ups by them over the years. And then their staff all tell my husband he should be able to get a payment but nope, he’s not eligible because you can’t have an undiagnosed medical issue according to Centrelink. Fingers crossed for a good resolution.