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Post by lynne on Feb 20, 2012 20:25:13 GMT 7
ooooooooooooooooooooops sorry
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Post by zorro1 on Feb 20, 2012 20:59:16 GMT 7
Hi Lynne you come to the right place loads of experience here to help guide you and a nice bunch of people to chat with, welcome.
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Post by lynne on Feb 20, 2012 21:07:52 GMT 7
Thanks for the welcome. Most of the information is to say the least invaluable and I have gained a lot of knowledge as to my rights. Also it has helped to know others are in the same situation so we are not alone with this ongoing battle. Definitely there is strength in numbers and having the correct information is the sword we can all wield... cheers
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Post by latindancer on Feb 21, 2012 8:13:45 GMT 7
Centrelink, International or otherwise, have never answered my emails. I understand some people talk to individual officers by this means but I don't think I've heard of a general inquiry receiving an answer. Maybe an understandable reluctance to commit themselves in writing. It's rude and mannerless enough for them to not answer if a person is making a general enquiry, but if you have some kind of business with them, it can be infuriating. And what happened to their service charter ? They do apparently have some kind of obligation to answer enquiries. You never know if they are busy and going to deal with it later, or if you are going to get an answer at ALL.....EVER. I have emailed them and received an automated notice that they have received my email and that it is being sent to the appropriate person to deal with. It then took them 2 weeks to answer. I have also emailed a specific person, and received a reply that I cannot do that, and that my email has been sent to "the appropriate person to deal with it", only to find later that it was FINALLY sent to the person I originally addressed it to. I'm ___STILL____ waiting for my Authorized Review to be completed. I applied to have it done on December 2. And I spoke to the ARO herself 3 weeks ago, and she said that it would "probably be completed next week". That was 2 weeks ago. I feel like phoning them and giving them a piece of my mind (without using swear words) but the ARO actually comes across as quite a nice person. I may settle for sending the original officer who bullied me into returning to Australia an actual letter, complete with colour photos of my wife and I and explaining the many things that have happened to me as a result of her decision to deem me non-resident. And the stress caused by it all. She needs to know there are actual REAL PEOPLE being profoundly affected by her decisions. It'll probably bounce off her thick hide (she sounded pretty hard on the phone) but it may strike a chord. Who knows ? Miracles may happen
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Post by spaceyone on Feb 21, 2012 8:26:26 GMT 7
That's outrageous LD, to still be waiting for your ARO appeal. I would phone the SSAT, and try to lodge an appeal. When they question why you are doing it, and say you are not at that stage as you need to have had an ARO appeal first, explain that they have breached the time frame in which it should have occurred, and that you now want to move onto the next step.
It might get some strings pulled, to make it happen. Also, I used to go online to a feedback portal last year, and have a winge about things that were happening. Often, someone would ring me back, saying they had to act on my feedback.
So, put in a little electronic note to them, letting them know that you are sick of this breach of guidelines by them, and will be appealing it all to the SSAT NOW.
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Post by latindancer on Feb 21, 2012 15:52:44 GMT 7
Thanks Spacey, but I think they actually have 13 weeks to complete the review. If they haven't by then I'll give them a broadside the likes of which they haven't had for some time. However that may not happen. It's just too tempting to ring the ARO in the meantime and politely ( through gritted teeth ) ask why she's taking so long. I'd really like an explanation.
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Post by lynne on Feb 21, 2012 18:14:00 GMT 7
Had an response from ICL this morning. They haven't mentioned they received the same email only that it went to the tribunal - laying blame elsewhere? Anyone else getting thiese letters wanting to know of a persons intention for residency? ? .................... I am responding to your email of 9 January 2012 requesting a review of the decision that you can only be paid Disability Support Pension(DSP) after 01/01/2012 if you return to live permanently in Australia. Unfortunately your email was sent at first to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal in Perth and only forwarded to Centrelink International for action on 9 February 2012. The new legislation requiring that DSP recipients be normally resident in Australia in order for payment to continue does not provide any discretion in its application and consequently I cannot approve payment for you to continue to live in Bali as you have requested. I have referred your case to an Authorised Review Officer(ARO) for further review and that ARO will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your case. Please also advise your current intentions regarding your long term residence.
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Post by Banjo on Feb 21, 2012 18:56:42 GMT 7
All I plan to say should I enter into similar discussions is that I feel I can make no decision about my future under the current legislation. Therefore I consider myself to be an Australian resident, and at this point in time cannot see myself as anything else. You are under no obligation to tell them what you plan to do.
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Post by lynne on Feb 21, 2012 19:41:38 GMT 7
GREAT BANJO! THANKS FOR THAT.....Answers it all in a nutshell. my fear has always been if you say too much they can twist it to suit their own purposes. Makes me wonder if ICL is aware of the new legislation.
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Post by lynne on Feb 21, 2012 19:45:36 GMT 7
SPACEY Thanks for your comments. I had intended to connect SSAT - moreso since Centrelink has passed the buck on saying they did not forward the email when an officer from SSAT emailed me the same day - hours in fact to inform me he had rung centrelink to speak to an officer who was on holiday so he has forwarded my email onto the right department for review.
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Post by Banjo on Feb 21, 2012 19:50:21 GMT 7
They are quite shameless about using hearsay in their reports and leaving out what it suits them to. A popular question I've had is "..but where do you want to live? Where would you live if you were allowed to?" Definitely give that one a miss.
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Post by lynne on Feb 21, 2012 19:59:59 GMT 7
If they ask where do you want to live..... what do they want to hear..... my reply would have to be .... well I was thinking of coming to live with you since you are so concerned about whee I am going to live.
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Post by Banjo on Feb 22, 2012 11:34:47 GMT 7
One of our members just arrived from Australia with another 13 weeks portability.
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Post by anotherdsp on Feb 22, 2012 14:51:57 GMT 7
to banjo do you know what was said to him when he talked with them.also i rang c/l inter today an treied to talk to them about leaving in a couple of weeks,they tranferred me through an they said that i need to speak with a'' specialist'' about that but he had left already,and i miss informed you about time spent in aust,in the past year it is about 2 months 2 weeks.
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Post by Banjo on Feb 22, 2012 15:57:15 GMT 7
The only message I got was that he was back today, no problems with Centrelink. Hopefully we'll get more information later. I'm looking forward to speaking with these specialists.
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