I’m a carer, but who cares?

[Banjo]

I’m a carer, but who cares?

Have you ever tried dealing with Centrelink? Don’t bother, you might as well be dealing with the Knights Templar or a secret society. I have been dealing with them – or ‘trying’ to deal with them – for a year and have not progressed one inch. Out of frustration/desperation I have written to my state Ombudsman. My letter appears below. For the sake of this article I have removed my name and replaced it with ‘The Faceless Man’. A fitting name, I feel.

To the NSW Ombudsman,

I am the full-time carer for my mother, who suffers from advanced stages of Motor Neuron Disease. She is what the medical professional and doctors like to call a ‘worst case scenario’ in regards to terminally ill sufferers.

There truly is no disease more debilitating or brutal as Motor Neuron Disease.

A former youth drug and alcohol councilor, who also taught and volunteered at PCYC, is reduced to living out her few remaining years without control of her muscles.

She is my mum and for over a year now she has been my job.

I am being punished by the DHS for this. In August last year I applied for the Carers Payment to help me in this desperate situation. It has now been almost one year and I still haven’t received the Carers Payment despite supporting doctor’s evidence and application requirements being met. I’ve lodged various complaints/enquiries but these have been to no avail.

Calls lead nowhere, visits to DHS offices result in rebuttals and every DHS representative – whether they be a Centrelink staff member or job provider agent – falls back to a chain of command, conveniently absolving them from the issue. Permission to see the Centrelink social worker was denied despite the Centrelink website advising that I can in fact see the social worker if I should ask for one.

Am I crazy for feeling discriminated against for being a carer by the DHS?

I am forced to look for work when I clearly cannot, constantly earning me payment suspensions from my job seeker payment. No exceptions are given. So tell me, have I been failed by the DHS and will you help me?

‘The Faceless Man’

theaimn.com/im-carer-cares/

[Denis-NFA]

Here, hit me.

There is something that doesn't ring right with this.

For a start s/he's talking about DHS staff and offices. Maybe go to Centrelink.

And I know that lots of us have had problems with Centrelink staff in one way or another but to say,

Calls lead nowhere, visits to DHS offices result in rebuttals and every DHS representative – whether they be a Centrelink staff member or job provider agent – falls back to a chain of command, conveniently absolving them from the issue. Permission to see the Centrelink social worker was denied despite the Centrelink website advising that I can in fact see the social worker if I should ask for one

Maybe s/he speaks in martian tongue. I don't know.

But I declare it Bull that no-one has listened.

And I absolutely feel for the mother.

I used to know someone that had that. She died.

Perhaps s/he needs to contact this forum.

[Banjo]

It's an entry on a blog site so the facts are difficult to check.
Maybe a few frustrating dead ends pushed them over the edge.
I'll leave a comment about Welfare Rights.

I know what it's like to be refused a social worker.

[Denis-NFA]

Jul 14, 2016 11:33:26 GMT 7 Banjo said:

I know what it's like to be refused a social worker.

Gad. Tell me about it.

Did you ever see the movie or read the book by Lois Lowry called "The Giver"?

Like I said earlier, tell s/he about this forum.

[Banjo]

The well type casted social group we fall into cuts us off from all but the most basic assistance, we're just expected to man up and get on with it.