MASSIVE BLOW OUT IN WAIT TIMES FOR AGE PENSION

The Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge is failing older Australians by making them wait for months to receive the Age Pension they’ve worked all their lives for. 

 

In 2012/13 the average processing time for an Age Pension application was 31 days.

 

By late 2016, the Department of Human Services average processing time had almost doubled to 57 days. 

 

Australians shouldn’t have to wait 57 days to have their application for the Age Pension processed.

 

Under the Turnbull Government older Australians are being forced to wait six, seven or even eight months for their application processed.

 

And when pensioners try reaching Centrelink by phone, you will wait up to an hour for someone to pick up the phone.

 

I have heard from many constituents who have been waiting since January and February but have been told that the Department is short staffed.

 

Prior to the 2014/15 fiscal year, the Department of Human Services set a key performance indicator for the department to process at least 80% of new applications within a 49 day period.

 

While the Department met this KPI in the first quarter of 2014/15 at 84.4%, its processing rate fell to 61.8% by the 2016/17 fiscal year.

 

It is also being reported that applicants are asked how much they have in their savings. They’ve been told that if they have $13,000 or less in their account that their applications would be escalated. Is this the Government’s policy? This is the first I’ve heard about it.

 

The Auditor General, Ombudsman and an independent reference group chaired by Patrick McClure have concluded unequivocally on multiple occasions that the Department of Human Services is understaffed; under resourced and underfunded.

 

Alan Tudge is taking an axe to the Department’s staff and funding at the expense of honest Australians who have worked all of their lives for their pension.