Many people applying for an Age Pension are waiting months for their claims to be processed as Centrelink grapples with prolonged staff shortages.
Centrelink has around 34,000 new Age Pension claims waiting to be processed, with the average processing time sitting around 72 days, the ABC is reporting.
Services Australia, the government agency responsible for Centrelink, says the backlog is due to staff shortages, which are in the process of being addressed.
The agency has received funding to hire an additional 3000 staff, many of whom are already manning the phones after Centrelink streamlined their on-the-job training program.
But just a month ago, customers were reporting Centrelink was refusing to answer their calls, especially if they called more than once.
Hank Jongen, Services Australia general manager, says Centrelink staff have been doing the best they can under difficult circumstances.
“Up until now, we’ve not had sufficient staff to deal with the workload that we face,” he says.
“Now the government has recognised that and late last year, they allocated us sufficient funding for an additional 3000 staff. As a matter of priority, we’ve been recruiting those staff, and right now, they are all on board, but going through intensive training.”
But he says the long processing times are not entirely the fault of his staff, with many claimants not supplying all necessary documentation. He said those with complex financial arrangements would also face delays.
“Many people have got complex financial affairs, trusts, in shares and other investments, all of which need to be appropriately assessed,” he said.
“In some instances, we need to go to third parties to confirm the information that is required, all of which can contribute to delays.”
Automation turned off
New Services Australia CEO David Hazlehurst told the Sydney Morning Herald one of his priorities when he started in the role in January was to reduce the backlog of claims by 60 per cent by the middle of this year.
But at the same time, he says the backlog will not be cleared as quickly as it could because the agency has shut off some of its automated procedures in the wake of thee Robodebt debacle.
“Naturally, we’re very sensitive to getting things right around [the use of automation] with the experience of Robodebt for example,” he said.
“We’re really wanting to make sure that [with] everything we do that uses technology to make us more efficient, people can understand how it’s working, it’s done fairly, and ethical considerations are taken into account.
“We’ve actually turned off some of what was able to be done in an automated way, so that we’re making sure that we’re getting absolutely everything right.”
Make your claim as smooth as possible
To ensure your claim is assessed as quickly as possible, ensure you have submitted all necessary information and documentation.
Mr Jongen advises you can lodge an Age Pension application up to 13 weeks before you reach the pension age of 67.
“If you’re thinking of claiming an Age Pension, there are things you can do to make the process easier for you,” he says.
“The first thing is to check if you’re going to be eligible to receive the payment. These eligibility rules also include both income and assets tests.”
Incomplete paperwork is the biggest reason Age Pension claims are delayed.
“The information you need to provide is outlined in your claim form,” Mr Jongen says.
“It includes proof of identity, residence status and income and assets. That could include bank statements, super statements, tax returns and statements for your shares.”
Have you lodged an Age Pension application with Centrelink recently? How long did it take to be processed? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: What to expect when the Age Pension is indexed next month