Post by bear on May 28, 2022 12:11:04 GMT 7
These Centrelink facilities to close from June
Centrelink recipients who use the BasicsCard will no longer be able to access kiosks in parts of the Northern Territory from June.
Services Australia told Yahoo Finance the decision to remove the kiosks was made in response to the changing needs of the community.
Since the introduction of the BasicsCard kiosks, we’ve improved ways for customers to check their balance by allowing them to check it online and at ATMs,” a Services Australia spokesperson said.
Services Australia said there would still be other means available for users to check their BasicsCard balances once the kiosks had been shut down.
au.finance.yahoo.com/news/centrelink-facilities-to-close-from-june-231801276.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE03Z50grgbuTdLuR5dVd1_1ppQdeBOEHs8FqNgew6gGF3Mz5pI5Uf9yHo011YK-OQVruytvQHbyGfFOD2XibVXBGsmF3s3LX7bkPYjoZGCEmq1-7QS-QnHrKAaaSNnGBG3TkW6zhW-WsIYI48tU4-8EAGe3PoeLcPRXU9iuz5j6
Change in Centrelink requirements if you live in these areas
Cairns
Mutual obligation requirements are tasks and activities recipients have agreed to do while getting certain payments.
What are the requirements?
So, what’s gone so wrong with myGov?
Centrelink recipients who use the BasicsCard will no longer be able to access kiosks in parts of the Northern Territory from June.
Services Australia told Yahoo Finance the decision to remove the kiosks was made in response to the changing needs of the community.
Since the introduction of the BasicsCard kiosks, we’ve improved ways for customers to check their balance by allowing them to check it online and at ATMs,” a Services Australia spokesperson said.
“As customers take advantage of more convenient options, and with leases coming up for renewal, we have taken the opportunity to review our servicing options to ensure we continue to meet the changing needs of the community.”
Services Australia said BasicsCard kiosks will be closed and removed in:
Darwin - Casuarina Square
Darwin - Casuarina Village
Darwin - Karama Shopping Plaza
Darwin - Palmerston Shopping Centre
Katherine - Katherine Central Shopping Centre
Alice Springs - Yeperenye Shopping Centre
Kiosks in Coles and IGA supermarkets in Alice Springs will remain in place.
Services Australia said there would still be other means available for users to check their BasicsCard balances once the kiosks had been shut down.
These include:
Using the Express Plus Centrelink app on your mobile device
Calling the BasicsCard Balance Enquiry Line on 1800 057 111 on your phone or from a public telephone
Using a Westpac, Commonwealth, NAB or ANZ atm
Visiting Services Australia service centres
All the available options are free of charge.
What is a BasicsCard?
A BasicsCard is a reusable card that gives people access to their income-managed money through EFTPOS facilities at approved stores and businesses.
The BasicsCard can be used to buy food, clothes, health items and hygiene products.
Stores and businesses that are approved to accept it include some supermarkets, service stations, pharmacies, shoe shops and department stores.
Some services, such as transport, Australia Post and some medical centres, also accept the BasicsCard.
This means you may be able to buy bus or train credit, pay some bills or pay for a doctor appointment using the card.
It can't be used to buy any of the following:
Alcohol
Pornography
Tobacco and tobacco products
Gambling products
Gambling services
Home-brew kits and home-brew concentrates
Gift cards or vouchers that can be transferred for cash or credit
au.finance.yahoo.com/news/centrelink-facilities-to-close-from-june-231801276.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE03Z50grgbuTdLuR5dVd1_1ppQdeBOEHs8FqNgew6gGF3Mz5pI5Uf9yHo011YK-OQVruytvQHbyGfFOD2XibVXBGsmF3s3LX7bkPYjoZGCEmq1-7QS-QnHrKAaaSNnGBG3TkW6zhW-WsIYI48tU4-8EAGe3PoeLcPRXU9iuz5j6
Change in Centrelink requirements if you live in these areas
Some Centrelink recipients will have their mutual obligation requirements paused due to “site issues” in Queensland.
The pause affects some job seekers living in:
Cairns
Mackay
Darling Downs
Services Australia said affected participants would get an SMS message from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
If you’re affected and have questions, call the National Customer Service Line on 1800 805 260.
Mutual obligation requirements are tasks and activities recipients have agreed to do while getting certain payments.
Penalties can apply if you don’t meet them but residents in those three areas will not be penalised while the pause is in place.
Who has mutual obligation requirements?
You have mutual obligation requirements if you get any of these:
JobSeeker Payment
Youth Allowance as a job seeker
Parenting Payment and are a compulsory ParentsNext participant
Parenting Payment single after your youngest child turns 6
Special Benefit paid under certain conditions
You’ll need to meet mutual obligation requirements if you’re both:
A sole trader or other self-employed customer
Getting JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance as a job seeker
What are the requirements?
If you’re a job seeker you must:
Do all the tasks and activities listed in your Job Plan
Go to appointments with your employment services provider
Complete and report your job searches
Go to all job interviews
Accept any offer of suitable paid work
Not leave a job, training course or program without a valid reason
If you don’t meet your mutual obligation requirements, suspensions, demerits or financial penalties may apply.
What penalties apply?
If you don't meet your mutual obligation requirements you may have your payment suspended and you could get a demerit.
If you get three demerits in six months you will need to attend a capability interview to discuss your circumstances.
If you get five demerits in six months you will need a capability assessment to ensure your requirements are reasonable for the circumstances.
The most serious penalties include losing your fortnightly payment or having your payment cancelled entirely.
Calls for changes to 'disappointing' Centrelink myGov system: 'Despair'
The myGov portal for accessing Centrelink services online has fallen well behind user expectations, according to a former architect of the digital platform.
The myGov portal for accessing Centrelink services online has fallen well behind user expectations, according to a former architect of the digital platform.
Former Australian Government chief information officer Glenn Archer, who was instrumental in the launch of the platform a decade ago, told InnovationAus he felt “despair” over the lack of progress on the platform.
This follows Labor’s pledge to conduct a user audit of myGov if elected, with the portal “not up to scratch” in Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s view.
“Millions of Australians interact with myGov everyday and rely on it to provide essential services,” Albanese said.
This follows Labor’s pledge to conduct a user audit of myGov if elected, with the portal “not up to scratch” in Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s view.
“Millions of Australians interact with myGov everyday and rely on it to provide essential services,” Albanese said.
“It’s not up to scratch, and Australians deserve better. That’s why we will review myGov, and make improvements where necessary.”
Labor noted that while myGov has improved over the years, there have been “blindspots and disappointments”.
The Opposition pointed to problematic outages, including when myGov crashed in March 2020 when the pandemic prompted higher-than-usual traffic.
“None of us should forget the March 2020 crash when there was a surge in demand, and we had Stuart Robert, the disgraced Minister for Government Services, blame invisible hackers,” Shadow Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said last weekend.
“And then he was found out - it wasn't the hackers, it's just that the Government didn't prepare.”
The site also crashed in July 2019, leaving many people fuming because they were unable to lodge their tax return.
Labor has also pledged to stop closing Centrelink shopfronts and hire an additional 200 new Services Australia workers.
“This Government has a terrible record on service delivery – Labor will change that,” Shorten said.
If elected, an Albanese government would also launch a Royal Commission into the Robodebt scandal, which saw the Government unlawfully raise $1.73 billion in debts based on a flawed income-averaging metric.
So, what’s gone so wrong with myGov?
According to Archer, who was involved with myGov in the early days, the Government had failed to keep improving the platform over the years.
He pointed to poor integration with other government services, meaning that it’s not a smooth transition to hop from the tax office services to Medicare and so forth, as well as other user experience faults.
Archer said part of the problem was relying on private companies to improve the platform, and not having the right skills inside the public sector to keep the platform running smoothly.