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Post by sallyri67 on Oct 23, 2012 23:07:38 GMT 7
I have only recently been accepted onto the DSP and I don't know what to expect from centrelink. Is there anyone that could share their experiences with Centrelink contacts after getting on payments? I am specifically wondering about how often reviews / check-ins / interviews will occur. Do they usually do it over the phone or do they come out to your home? How aggressive are they at trying to get you off of payments or enquiring about your personal circumstances? I understand that there is some sort of review at least every two years? What does that involve?
The information from Centrelink has been extremely vague and has not given me an idea of what to expect.
Thank you for your answers!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2012 5:49:18 GMT 7
hi there ,i dont no what you mean by whilst in australia,you do no that from the 1st jan next year you will only be payed for 6 weeks while out side aus not 13,they may call you in after 2 years for a review then again may not,they wont come to your house,once your on dsp if you just go about your bisness and live in aus you wont hear from them at all ,your pension will be put into your bank account every 2 weeks,so keep your head down and dont rock the boat lol, good luck. ps.if they do come to your house make sure you have cake biscuits for them lol,
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Post by Banjo on Oct 24, 2012 8:39:04 GMT 7
Welcome to the board Sally. Your query is definitely relevant to your circumstances, I'd say that a review every two years could be possible if not expected but I'd be surprised if it consisted of much more than a couple of forms for your GP to make sure your disability has stabilised. Centrelink are under enormous pressure at the moment with staff cuts and changes to the regulations so it's even likely that you may never hear from them again. You can check their website for more information at www.humanservices.gov.au/ or even give Wefare Rights a ring in your home state. www.welfarerights.org.au/
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Post by sallyri67 on Oct 24, 2012 12:27:19 GMT 7
Thanks so much for your responses.
By "whilst in australia" - I meant simply just when you are living in Australia. I'm sorry to introduce a question that may not be so relevant to this forum which concerns living overseas - since i have no plans to leave the country any time soon (I am too ill to do that). But I couldn't find any other forum online that deals with DSP and is as active as this one. My apologies if my question is not relevant, but thank you for your answers.
Banjo - when you say review, are you talking about a medical review, a JCA-type review, a home "inspection" (to check up on living arrangements, etc)... or all of the above? How much warning will I be likely to get that a review is upcoming?
terry - so are you saying that in your experience they will basically leave you alone if you don't rock the boat? is that the experience of most people that you've talked to that are on the DSP?
I guess that would be surprising to me considering the amount of harassment and trouble I went through every month whilst on newstart waiting to be approved for DSP... I can't believe that it would all just stop and they would leave you alone. It would be great.
I ask these questions because it took years to accumulate the paperwork to establish my case which resulted in my claim being granted. I am fearful that if I am suddenly forced to re-prove my disability and situation that I won't have time to get in to see my specialists etc (we know how many months they often make you wait).
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Post by sallyri67 on Oct 24, 2012 12:47:05 GMT 7
PS: So has anyone reading this had Centrelink actually come to their house for an in-home interview / review / check-in, etc? Or does that never happen? Are the interviews usually at the office or over the phone? Thanks
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Post by Denis-NFA on Oct 24, 2012 13:30:32 GMT 7
i haven't..... nearest thing i could do was find homeless support groups where c/l would have attendance days
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Post by scallywag on Oct 24, 2012 13:45:17 GMT 7
They will come to your home if you want,I had them come to mine for an ID check/interview and I had one JCA interview over the phone.
Hope it helps .
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Post by scallywag on Oct 24, 2012 13:47:51 GMT 7
I assumed I would be reviewed after two years but when I asked them they told me that was not the case.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2012 13:49:15 GMT 7
sally i would'nt worey about it,they dont come to your house ,if u do have to go 4 an review its just at c/l office with a nerse usually no big deal ,but chances are it will never happen.they dont put you on a pension and then spend all there time trying to get you back off it again,you will be ok you have your pension and thats the way it will stay.thousands and thousands of australians are just payed every 2 weeks just like i said no reviews
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Post by Banjo on Oct 24, 2012 14:14:03 GMT 7
I'd be surprised if they normally made a home visit to anyone capable of attending the office, or for that matter answering the phone.
My place of residence was under scrutiny for years and when they prepared their case for the SSAT appeal the best they could do was provide one of those street views you get on Google Maps.
As Terry says, they don't give you the pension then spend time trying to take it off you, unless your circumstances change and it comes to their attention.
In the case of most of our members our residency has come under question due to the amount of time we spend overseas, a situation easily monitored by their computers.
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Post by sallyri67 on Oct 24, 2012 18:48:16 GMT 7
Thanks, Banjo - that makes perfect sense. I guess that you all on this forum are particularly experienced in these processes because of the fact that you pop up on their system so easily. I'm glad that I posted here. scallywag - how often have these JCA, ID check, etc interviews occured? Yearly? I have no plans to change my circumstances in any significant way, so I'm hoping that they will leave me alone for a while. And thanks to everyone else for your comments - you have certainly eased my trepidation and confusion. It certainly is a stark difference to go from the battles of Newstart to being on the DSP. nofixedaddress - I laughed out loud at your signature, then realised that it may be the truth.
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Post by scallywag on Oct 24, 2012 19:37:10 GMT 7
Once,three years ago and at my request .
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Post by newtodsp on Oct 25, 2012 11:37:28 GMT 7
Hi Sally Welcome to the board. I am also relatively new and very curious about the review process. I read that one should expect a review typically every 2 years. I am curious about how often the longer standing members have had reviews. Have reviews become more frequent over the last 5-10 years? scallywag, if you don't mind me asking, why did you request a review? And was this 3 years since being granted the DSP? If other members could share how often they have had reviews, and how much notice they got to prepare, that would be super. I understand that currently less than 1% of those reviewed end up losing the pension. So it seems the policy is to make it difficult to get the DSP, but easier to maintain it. However, I find this confusing because the new impairment tables are so strict and biased against those with mental health issues/multiple disabilities, I would have expected many more to be disqualified if these tables were strictly implemented... Also note that going back to work/volunteer work, even for 1 hour a week would trigger a JCA - the last time I checked. Of course centrelink don't tell you this. Also, if you were signed up to a job network agency while on newstart, you can get yourself off their register. I was in a situation where they kept making appointments for me despite being told I was on the DSP, they are a business trying to maximise profits, so be aware that you have no obligation to meet with them once you are on the DSP. Of course, no one tells you this...
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Post by baranghope on Oct 25, 2012 12:55:21 GMT 7
Dig around in the Forum and you will find the stats on random reviews. Not worrisome odds, as in they have done 12,000 or so reviews out of 890 thousand DSPers and out of them less than 200 were demoted to Newstart or whatever. For a "random" process though some seem to be unlucky, as in my poet mate has had two in just over 2 years, but only the last one of course used the new tables. A dipsomaniac on the wagon, he gave the grog a huge nudge prior to his JCA and basically was wheelchaired in delerious by a mate. That and other med factors accounted for . . . they said they would leave him alone now permanently. Anyone getting onto the DSP within the last year or so should have no concern. And I suspect too that only those with a mental illness affecting the workplace are most likely to pass a UP application JCA. For the rest of us it is just a lottery.
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Post by zorro1 on Oct 25, 2012 14:17:04 GMT 7
welcome Sally and very good questions you ask and nice to see a fresh perspective. Im a year and four months in and have found this board exremely benefical and not just about travelling either. The mods and posters played a big part in advising how to apply for the DSP which as you know is a mountain of paper work. my understanding is its very difficult to get the DSP and seems to be getting harder by the year however its just as hard to get booted off. Even the travelers who appear to have broken all the C/L version of residency rules get called in threatened but Im not aware of anyone actually losing the dsp once they agree to go back.
Dont let illness put you off travelling if you can still walk a bit, remember its taxi, airport,wheel chair, taxi, hotel
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