I have heard that it is VERY hard to get any home help from MAC and sometimes have to wait for years -- is that rigt?

What was so hard about phoning up to get the code? Seemed pretty straight forward, I don't think your rant is justified.

No PlanB that isn't always the case, depends on where you live etc. MAC doesn't ptovide the Home Help, they are the gov body that assesses what you are enttitled to etc.

My 'rant' as you kindly put it is why couldnt they simply send the activation code in reply to my email enquiry?

Having another public servant to state they already have my details seems unnecessary and a waste of resourses

Maybe because sending those codes by email is unsafe and they were trying to protect you. Email is the least secure way of sending information.

Protecting me? Oh really? I dont want to get into an arguement with you as you seem to be protecting bludging public servants.

If you read my post you will see they sent the code by email eventually after my phone call where I only identified myself by  name with no other protection

Talking to my local member (a Labor wanker) would be like talking to a post or dare I say, you, who have accused me of ranting and whinging

McDaddy I will ignore your errant responses from now on

As a person who has to deal with My Aged Care on a lot of occasions I can sympathise with Tanwin but McDaddy also has a valid point where the staff assisting the caller have a set of guidelines that they have to follow.

Very frustrating aged care system that has been introduced by people in the government heirachy who don't have a clue what goes on in the real world.

Getting to work early and clocking on then going to buy breakfast during work hours, nipping down to the shops, stopping work for a ciggy, endless coffee breaks. That’s the life for some public servants. Five people hired to do the job of one and even then they can’t get it right and I’m talking about the bosses too.The problem is, most of them can’t read or spell properly, most of the “bosses” can hardly communicate clearly to staff. The only public servants in my opinion who deserve my respect are Nurses, Firemen, Ambos, Police, Defence who not only earn their money but should be paid more.

Tanwin, I think you have a valid reason for “ranting”. Why couldn’t the person you spoke to simply say, he/she had standard instrutions and has to follow them.That would have been the sensible thing to do.

Most Federal Departments, especially MAC and Centrelink etc, there are 5 jobs to 1 public servant, they are heavily scrutinised, no sly ciggie or coffee breaks, most have degrees and are quite intelligent people. When you picture Nurses, Firefighters, Ambos, Police etc, you think of the front line staff, which is fine, but you forget about all the support staff it takes for them to be able to do their job. Someone to organise the Fleet of vehicles, fuel cards, uniform purchasing, rostering, ordering all the gear they use, training them etc etc.

The instructions for Tanwin are quite clear on the website, call the 1800 number and they will send you a code.

Normally dealing with Call Centres within Australia gives a reasonable result whilst dealing with Indian Call Centres is like going to Mars.  I am always amazed that half of the offshore lot seem to be morons who are barely capable of reading a script.  Very very few can do anything which is not on that scrpit but that is the nature of dealing with morons.

I'm surprised you had a problem within Australia although the public service also has its own low IQ individuals who seem who have little understanding of the spoken language as well.  Good luck.  I feel for you.

It's the price of progress. 

I have a friend who worked for a large health insurance company for many years.  She told me that when she started the rule book was about the size of a child's exercise book and you went up to her counter, handed over your receipt, and she handed you your benefit - in cash.

Fast forward around 20 years or so and the rule book was thicker than an old telephone book and there were no more instant cash payments.  It could take up to five days for your benefit to land into your bank account, and if you didn't want to hand over your bank details, and preferred to wait for a cheque in the mail, maybe a week or more.