Centrelink originally started as the C.E.S, as I remember it anyway, and took care of the payments for the unemployed and pensioners etc.etc.
Over the years, however its role both as a Government department and as a social service was expanded to meet increased demands. One of the major changes during the Howard government was to outsource the job seeking roles into what we now know as job network centres. These centres took care of the needs of job seekers (The unemployed) working along side of centrelink for the total management outcomes of recipients.
Now however the dept has become nothing more then a middle Man for jobseekers ( I am not including pensioners or people receiving other payments in this discussion) as the Job network centres now have full control over a job seeker ( except payments) in regards to agreement signing, job seeking efforts, and breaching of obligation rules.
This is dangerous as the jobseeker is at the mercy of an individual caseworker in regards for, basically, their total welfare.
Are these workers fully trained or have university qualifications for such roles, as you would find with a parole officer or a social worker?
The answer is no, at best they have office or business training or some human resource training that is not suitable for such a role. I say this because, to most jobseekers, this obligation is part of a social and private life that includes a major stake of their future and wellbeing, including the welfare of their families, if they have any.
This is a classic example of a government-funding cut to centrelink and the outsourcing of a very important social welfare role into the hands of caseworkers that lack the experience to deal with the emotional needs of a jobseeker, except the basic administration of each individual.
Basic employment is now out of reach of the average jobseeker, now it is even more difficult when the caseworker lacks the skills to deal with the ‘’Real life’’ experience of the unemployed.

another problem is with Veterans' Allowance which replaces certain allowances that were paid by the Dept of Veterans' Affairs.
When DVA paid these allowances, they were not means tested - when C'Link took over, any other income (vet pension, super, bank interest) was taken into consideration resulting in an allowance of $0.00.
Another cost-cutting exercise from our caring government. If their allowances were ever affected, they'd be out in an uproar (Libs, Labs et al)

I agree Oscar, and it's woeful. I'm frustratingly unemployed after having done some study. I've got other things to do to take advangtage of that study and that takes money.

I've been unemployed - officially - for 4 months and am currently in the mill that is the job networks. I signed up with one because I had too to get the dole. Turns out that they aren't actually interested in getting you a job because it's not in their best interests to find you employment. I just finished "a course" through them. It was a "60 hour" course that "was designed" to figure out what "I want to do" and how to motivate myself and do resumes etc.

Out of that 60 hours they got paid to "tutor" me for I was actually on site for 4 hours ONLY because they HAD to have me there on the first day for 3 hours. I did the "course" at home and went back to get it "checked". All she did was literally flick through to see I had written in - she didn't read it - and then signed me off so I could keep getting paid.

NOT ONCE have they matched me against jobs and set up an interview...isn't that what they're for?.

They also have Productivity Placement Programs which basically are FREE courses for the unemployed. A GREAT THING and I was VERY keen to get a forklift ticket or anything that'll help. Turns out those courses are only specific jobs for specific areas. In my area the only courses you can do are aged care or business. Neither I'm interested in. Not enough for a six month course, at least.

The system is broken I want a job. I'll clean, sweep, wash, drive, or anything, but you can't get effective help.

The old CES was only a control valve/filter to try and minimise the amount of people that went to the dole office. Despite their notices for jobs on their boards etc, it was always a joke. Either the jobs were paltry, temporary or very ordinary.

Back in the 80s I put my name down with the PES (Professional Empoyment Service) and they never got back to me. They spend their time dutifully noting your details and having a token interview with you that leads nowhere. I'm not surprised that nothing's changed. If you're a good worker and you want to keep optimistic and sane, don't go anywhere near them if you can help it.

Actually, Centrelink is the best supporter of exploitative business: the unemployment experience is so bad that people will take any sort of work to get out of that situation. The system's pathetic.

Hi All...

I've only ever had to deal with Centrelink on one occasion, and that was enough.

The brief facts are - My health is no longer as good as it was and my GP suggested that my wife apply for the Carer's Allownace.

I'm a veteran (in receipt of a war pension) and a retired copper, as such I was under the impression DVA handled all such Allowances. They don't, it's within aegis of Centrelink.

I rang them in order to seek what documentation was required. So armed with as much evidence that I could muster, I had an interview
with a enigmatic young lady who possessed absolutely no personality, humour, nor initiative - and who (apparently) was not born in this country.

She appeared to closely examine all my documents and assured me
there was sufficient material there to more than satisfy them, as to my bona fides and identity etc.

I implored her to carefully double check my papers, as it would be quite difficult for me to return to Centrelink, should there be any insufficiency determined, apropos the documentry evidence that I was required to provide hitherto.

Three weeks later I received a letter informing me that I'd not furnished Centrelink with the necessary documentation, and as such my Spouse would not be paid the Allowance ?

Emmmmmmmmmmmm - joie de vivre ?

o sung wu, looks like C'Link stuffs us all around, doesn't it?

It's disgusting that a war vet is treated with such contempt but this, and all previous governments are only good for heaping praise etc on outgoing troops. Any that return damaged are swept into the corner or treated like sh1t. Or others are forgotten until their remains are accidentally found years later. Even then, the governor general is 'too busy' with some unimportant business to attend memorials. All politicians (if any had a conscience) should hang their heads in shame.

If ever ordered to war, we should turn our guns on Canberra - the true enemy.

Ha Ha Ha,Well said.
The divide between the all knowing wise men of Canberra and us,all the commen people is wide and long.

Working as a volunteer community advocate, I see many problems with the privatised job placement system.
Despite complaints about the old CES, officers were sent into the field to try to drum up job vacancies, which were then listed on the board.
Today if you do not get your form in on time, then you will find your payments cut.
One of myclients, a young mother on a special benefit with three children when her six weekly review comes up, has problems receiving the forms in time to enable it to be completed and returned on time.
It appears that they are sent from Melbourne, taking a long time to arrive, and processed in Melbourne.
I pick her up, take her to Centrelink, yet nearly every time her payment is stopped because according they did not receive the form on time.
Absolutely Bull dust!
As soon as she receives it, I call and pick her up to make sure that it gets there on time.
Centrelink back pays on the next pension but does not consider how she is expected to feed her family for two weeks.
There is a problem with the system. I am not sure what it is.
Whether they too much reliance is placed on computerised information; whether the information is fed into the computer on time instead of face-to-face interviews or; there is a lack of staff training; a lack of experienced personnel, a system causing unnecessary delays because it requires everything to be referred back to Melbourne.
In the "Old Days”, people make an appointment, speak with a Centrelink Caseworker or Centrelink Social worker, and have the matter addressed locally.
Centralised government has always failed as they were too far from their clients, especially those in the rural areas and principle cities.
Governments then realising it was not working would return to regionalised services. The old City versus country mentality also seems to becoming more prevalent.
I have seen older workers go through training schemes and when qualified find there are no jobs in that area.

continued

Several years ago, I was employed as a consultant developing employment and training schemes for the government and at one time, I spoke at a forum for older workers. I asked members in the audience what their backgrounds and experience were and their success to obtain work.
Most were highly skilled professionals and trades people and there should have been work available but with the government policy about so-called level playing fields and global economy was allowing jobs that these people could have filled to go off shore.
One older worker, a high skilled technician was advised to “Retrain?? (with his qualifications I would suggest de-skilling), as a teacher’s aide”.
Once qualified, he applied for work in the public and private sectors.
Schools told him they would love to employ him but budgets did not provide funds to employ a teacher’s aide.
Mickey Mouse ideas fail because they do not plan. If the government wanted people trained as teacher’s aides then they needed to provide a budget to the education system for it.
This demonstrates poor quality policy development by government. If you want people to train in specific areas, you must ensure that there will be vacancies available.
Job Placement companies are not interested in job placement. Those they do find there is little checking and very little follow-up. Their preference is that you to study one of the courses they promote and receive grants for.
I have spoken with young people training or studying, find work lasts only as long as a subsidy lasts, then they become unemployed again and the company takes on the next optimist who will receive the same treatment.
Companies complain about the lack of good training; the lack of experienced people, etc. Well, you do not get that until you train.
Instead of allowing companies to steal from other countries the government should insist companies train Australian citizens and then ensure the work is not poor quality and exploitive.
These comments are not aimed at the good employers, but to those who qualify as bad employers, who use the minimum wage to exploit.