Centrelink disability interview.

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Comments

  • Mira
    Mira Member Posts: 678 ✭
    Hey Brenda, complain!!    I just reread your original post and this bit sticks out

    "She picked through my side effects one by one about the lymphedema and the eye trouble and seemed happy they weren’t too bad at the moment. "

    Tell the truth but don't downplay what you are going through.  You need to tell them how it is on your worst day, not your best day.  Also you can try getting your local mp involved, they can sometimes pull strings that we can't.

    Good luck with it.  Keep on top of them.

  • onemargie
    onemargie Member Posts: 1,264 ✭
    The system bloody sucks that's for sure Brenda. I work in a gp clinic and theres plenty people still on a disability pension when they don't have to be. You work hard all your life and pay your bloody tax and can't get shit when you need it. Income protection costs a bloody fortune. I couldn't claim anything either I might have told you. Can't use any of your super unless you are terminal and have 12 months or less to live can't or have been on a Centrelink payment for 26 weeks and then you have to meet certain criteria. My hubby worked to pay the bills and mortgage so couldn't claim that. Can't claim financial hardship unless you are 3.months in arrears with your mortgage and the bank is about to sell your house plus you have to have been on a govt payment first too. Can't claim for travel unless you live more than a certain amount of kms from the hospital which we didn't but it took at least 45 minutes to get there can't claim medical expenses unless you go private. But I see all these bloody bludgers taking the system for granted and it shits me to tears. Brenda hang in there it's bullshit what you've been through. Contact your local federal member for some support and advice and let them know how you've been treated. I have good one who has taken my concerns about the above and my whinge about the waiting list for public recon in Brisbane to Canberra at least for discussion. Good luck keep us posted. Margie xx



  • June1952
    June1952 Member Posts: 1,935 ✭
    Hi Brenda
    Have you thought of meeting with your local MP ?  Walk into his/her office with a folder and lots of notes so you can be specific but not bitchy or anything.  He/she may just take on the case and find out what is happening.
    I asked some months ago about a partial aged pension.  Was told a form would come to me automatically.  A week before my birthday still no form so in I went (I travelled 75 kms. to get to a less busy office) to be told that was not the case !  Completed the forms and attached all the documents.
    Here we are 5 weeks later and still no contact from them.  Rang ... ha ha ... they have 49 days (guess this is their 'working days' - probably different from just days they front up at the office) to process the claim and that time is not yet up and besides they have a huge backlog.
    I agree with Jailbirdstreet - get a medical certificate as apparently they are not allowed to disregard them (info from a lass I met one day).
    Keep plodding on and be a thorn in their side - and maybe try a different office.
    Hugs  Summer  :-)

  • Brenda5
    Brenda5 Member Posts: 2,423 ✭
    After hearing absolutely nothing and no mail from centrelink I spent hours the other day on the phone trying to get some answers.

    Line 1 The lady told me they didn't have the job assessment details yet and I would have to wait. ( I am thinking did she die, resign, go on an overseas holiday or just plain lose my assessment?)

    Line 2. I rang the interview letters number and this lady said yes they have the assessment and just waiting on the team to go through the whole application for approval. (So what? The first lady just lied over the phone to me?)

    Line 3. The approval team. Yes they have all my details, doctors letters, job assessment and its ready to be assessed by the team but sorry they are swamped and may take some time to assess. You will get a letter in the mail in a few weeks. (No details on what will be in that letter.)

    I wonder sometimes WHY they have telephone contact numbers as nothing ever seems to get resolved.
  • LMK74
    LMK74 Member Posts: 795 ✭
    There whole purpose I think is to make life as miserable and difficult as possible. There shocking to deal with.
  • Hankster
    Hankster Member Posts: 86 ✭
    You may have already looked into this but I was declared permanently disabled by my super fund and have been able to access the insurance component of my super .  I was fortunate to have a phycolgist that had previous had cancer .  I was told that her report had more influence on the decision than my oncologist and gp .  So hope it works out for you.  You and your family do not need the stress
  • Brenda5
    Brenda5 Member Posts: 2,423 ✭
    I asked for a psychologist from my GP. What I got was a psychiatrist who said I don't know you so I cannot do a mental assessment. He put me on some antidepressants which gave me diarrhea so bad I lost 5 kg and had to go off them. The medication also blew my glands up including in my underarm which triggered ultrasound tests to check. That was way back in March or April. My next appointment with the psychiatrist isn't until next month. Thinking of cancelling on the useless prick.

    I rang center link again this week. I got the same old "we are waiting for the job assessment reports". I got stroppy with the girl and said "well that is a lie" so she had another look and changed tactics and said the claim was lodged on the 16th of this month and the assessment team will send out a letter when they make a decision but she couldn't commit to when that will actually be. If they pass my claim they will have to cough up over $7,000 in payments backdated to February. Pity I cannot claim the interest bill from the loans I had to use to cover no income.
  • Zoffiel
    Zoffiel Member Posts: 3,374 ✭
    Why do they make us do the whole cranky old bat thing? Surely there must be another option? Such as them doing their bloody jobs, for example.

    There is all this talk about people behaving badly when dealing with Centrelink but it always seems to come down to doing the gritted teeth, look up this receipt number, I want to talk to your manager performance. Which means walking a fine line between getting efficient service and getting dragged out of the building by security.

    Keep going, if only to piss them off. Look at it as sport for the moment. If you start concentrating on what they are doing to your life you will lose the plot and get taken away in The Van. Marg xxx
  • steplightly
    steplightly Member Posts: 185 ✭
    Hi Everyone.. was going to start another thread.. and may still do so about this whole issue of Centrelink and DSP and other payments but wanted to throw something around here.  So please bear with me. 
    I have literally just come up with an idea to possibly step towards a change.  I know this may take some time to implement as it will require lobbying government, local members etc but here is what I am thinking in a number of ways.

    1. Could BCNA employ an advocate, lobbyist or  just raise awareness through media of this issue for women and men to bring it into the public arena
    2.  I wondered about suggesting a "DSP Light" for those needing it, at any time, from time of diagnosis, through initial treatment and then ongoing follow -up, to be reviewed 12 monthly as to status for work.  This could also be for others with Chronic issues but currently deemed ineligible.  The collective team players could document the medical side for the Centrelink powers that be and a review form could be developed for completion by them at different stages as they are the ones with the fullest knowledge of what stage of treatment, care or intervention people are in. 
    3.  At review times it is the specialist team who take the responsibility to evidence what is happening for the individual including any social worker, psychologist, physio etc.  They already will have follow-up reviews  with patients at regular intervals and as new things develop as side effects of treatment or results of surgery etc they are on the ball with medical evidence immediately.

    I was feeling so sad and frustrated this afternoon as I read this thread and there seems to be limited resolution, so just wanted to throw my thoughts out there and see what people think.  As if this crap cant be humiliating and debilitating enough for people and the hoops and hurdles we are asked to jump through when there is precious little energy(physically, mentally, emotionally and practically) which should be focused on recovery, treatment, care of self or family and less stress.

    I would be willing to put my hand up to work with a team of people on this.. but would prefer an overarching organisation to take the lead of it. 
    Anyway.. just my prattle.... Hugs to everyone.


  • onemargie
    onemargie Member Posts: 1,264 ✭
    Bloody awesome idea lovey. I got pissed off again the other day reading an article in my local free newspaper about a young fella who had a dog who had bone cancer. It was a heartwhelming story for sure but this is where I got pissed off.  The guy is studying vet nursing - all credit there but was able to claim his super to pay for his dogs surgery! And I'm happy he was able to access it for that I have two labs and they are a Huge part of our family, but it's obvious he met the criteria to claim as he must be on acentrelink payment of some description and has been for at least 26 weeks Some of you would of read my earlier post about me not being able to claim my super. I was pretty fucked off that he got to claim his super for his dog and I couldn't get anything to help pay the bills while I was having treatment as my husband worked his arse off through it all contributing to the young fellas centrelink payment with his tax! And he also got a go find me page set up for him too even though he had the money from his super to pay for the dogs surgery

    Perhaps a loan from the govt could also be implemented to help those of us in this situation to get through and then an affordable payment plan organised when you get back on your feet?? At least people like Brenda wouldn't of had to take out bank loans etc and pay interest and struggle through this shitty disease.  I looked into starting a fundraiser to try and help others in this situation but I don't have the money or resources to even get a look in. I've emailed my local member and I've read how she has advocated on behalf of people in her electorate to get a push on these Centrelink payments and she has been successful so maybe Brenda5 you can try your luck there.  Margie ❤️
  • Zoffiel
    Zoffiel Member Posts: 3,374 ✭
    Politically I'm a non participant but it does worry me that we appear to have a government that is very proud of its performance when it comes to 'weeding out' malingerers who have engineered themselves into the public teat. Admissions to the pension system are at all time lows.

    Terrific. Except that Newstart is a punitive payment that is set so punishingly low that you need to starve or embrace criminal enterprise if that is all you have to live on. Not quite fair in our circumstances when you genuinely can not take on enough work to keep yourself solvent.

    I'm grateful that my treatment was delivered at a reasonable cost in one of the most medically advanced countries in the world. That I now can't afford to pay my bills is bizarre, but that's what it is. Save you then strip you back to nothing and make you beg. If I had to choose between money wasted on chemo rads and reconstruction repeated over  decade and some financial peace of mind now it would be a no brainer. But there are no crystal balls.
  • June1952
    June1952 Member Posts: 1,935 ✭
    Hi @Brenda5
    Re your comment "said the claim was lodged on the 16th of this month and the assessment team will send out a letter when they make a decision".  This is not unusual and they will try to not give any backpay as they say that is when they received the claim.  This is distressing but if that happens you can lodge an appeal - and please do so !
    When you call re their assessment,  ask the operator to read out what he/she is typing in the appeal statement and then give you a receipt number.  Keep them on their toes.
    Good luck
    Summer  :-)
  • melclarity
    melclarity Member Posts: 3,528 ✭
    It seems absolutely crazy and ridiculous, however when it comes to Psychologists/Psychiatrists or anything mental that you have to prove incapacity, Centrelink seem to drag their feet and make the hoops higher for you to jump. This seems to be across the board even for people suffering depression are just not able to get support from Centrelink. 

    There needs to be more communication and education at Centrelink in regards to all facets of individuals affected by Breast Cancer. It is not a one size fits all, or diagnosis/treatment either, some can return to work but some cannot and they shouldnt have to turn themselves inside out to prove to Centrelink why the hell they can't!!!!! Hugs to you Brenda.  Melinda xo
  • Brenda5
    Brenda5 Member Posts: 2,423 ✭
    If any one's interested I have some unemployment statistics for Bundaberg to Hervey Bay. There are 6700 unemployed up to the age of 35. I looked up seek to see what jobs there were and none of them I was qualified for but there was a total of 212 for Hervey Bay, and 236 for Bundaberg. Some of the jobs were for as far away as Ipswich in SE Qld. I am 55 yrs old and cannot concentrate properly for long on even my eye periphery tests. My brain just won't do it. If I don't write everything down every day I forget it. I get dizzy just putting my groceries in the crisper at home. I make myself walk the dogs of an afternoon but that's pretty much all the energy I have. I take heaps of naps. If I could drive and do a real estate course I would do that as a job but atm on this medication I would be down right dangerous on the roads. I get 4% extra cancer prevention on the Tamoxifen so I guess I will stick at it but it is tough to take. I have become drug sensitive and can't even take a whole 100mg aspro. I have to cut the silly little things in half. 
    Funny thing with centerlink, they have been paying my husband a carers pension supplement for both my dad and I for months. Not that it is much at $240 or so a fortnight but hey it is a help. :)

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