|
|
Post by muggins on Jul 12, 2014 15:27:35 GMT 7
Decided i would go down to my local C/L to sign up for DES.
I was nervous about attracting attention and being reviewed but the interview went ok.
They asked me if i would be prepared to go to ANY C/L office for the second interview as they don't have any available, i said yes.
It's been a month now and no interview.
Even if and when i get an interview i still have to have at least 2 appointments with a DES provider before they actually pretend to start to help me find work.
It could take months.
It appears the C/L staff are too busy reviewing those under 35 with all the current changes.
|
|
|
|
Post by dswau on Jan 5, 2016 9:31:37 GMT 7
I think you are right. I'm 47 and went on DSP in July 2014. I had stopped working altogether shortly after, and had a few months off. I still wasn't clear if my application was still being processed or what, so I asked for a copy of my JCA. They had approved it on the basis of medical reports, but interestingly it said in at least three places 8-15 hours per week within two years with the assistance of DES.
Problem was, they never told me this, and they never referred me to a DES. So off I went to go and find one myself. Two of them never even returned phone messages, but one did. They were a great help and I returned to work, my old employer for 15 hours then 20 hours per week.
If they had immediately referred me to a DES back in July 2014 then maybe I would have got back to some level of work earlier, which means I earn income, so lower DSP payments and tax to help the country keep going.
If I was under 35 they would have been pushing and prodding me every week and talking about cancelling payments I'm sure. What you need to do is be persistent with DES providers. They plug straight into the Centrelink computer system so you can bypass Centrelink altogether.
|
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Jan 5, 2016 9:59:04 GMT 7
Good to see you back in the workforce, it can be difficult at your age even without a disability issue.
I think a key point is that you went back to an employer who knew you, the process may have been a lot longer cold calling.
I think that the government has slowed down a little on it's persecution of disabled pensioners, their attack on the under 35s was anything but a success and they could expect little more if any assessing older people.
|
|
|
|
Post by dswau on Jan 5, 2016 10:12:19 GMT 7
Oh I applied for plenty of jobs, I thought I would go for something less stressful, even Coles wouldn't give me an interview. So I went back to law, but on the clear condition that I wouldn't be drowned in work. It's been going OK since June, I still get $440 a fortnight DSP on top of my wage so financially I'm way better off. I wish they referred me to DES earlier.
|
|
