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Hi Allegra,
Since last year’s election, my office has often been contacted by constituents who were unable to reach Services Australia to have their questions answered and issues addressed.
They couldn’t get an appointment, their phone calls rang out, they were hung up on, and even blocked.
As a result, many people were extremely distressed, with already difficult situations made much worse.
One of the many emails I received was from a man who paid weekly medical bills of over $1000 for a serious medical condition.
Usually, this rebate would be in his bank account after 10 days.
But he has recently been informed by Services Australia that the backlog for claims is now 3 months long.
He had to go to a physical location to get this information as the Medicare phone line was not accepting calls. This is unacceptable and causes huge psychological and financial strain.
When vulnerable people need money, they often need it quickly.
People must be able to access the government services they need when they need them.
That is why in Parliament, I called on the government to urgently make improvements to Services Australia.
In the wake of that question, the House Crossbench banded together and wrote to Minister for Government Services, Bill Shorten demanding urgent change.
You elected me to speak on your behalf about the issues that matter to you. I am pleased to report that we have made good progress.
Now Centrelink will be getting an additional 3000 staff members to assist with cases.
I am so proud that Crossbench pressure has helped deliver resources that will make a big difference.
While the addition of more staff is a crucial step forward, the government needs to work out how to improve the efficiency of Services Australia's operations.
I will continue to monitor the performance of Services Australia and make sure these additional staff make a difference.
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