Category Archives: Your Stories

‘HOW THE AUWU ADVOCACY HOTLINE GOT ME BACK ON NEWSTART’

By Penumbra George Gently

05/24/16

Many thanks for the assistance provided by the Unemployed Workers Union to help get my below poverty line payments known as ‘Newstart’ re-instated.

In the lead up to this situation I had attended centrelink Maroubra office in person multiple times November 2015 to the present Jun 2016. Due to the fact that I was getting multiple cut-offs, instigated boy the jobnet monitors, Mission Prividence and MTC Maroubra.

I was having physical and psychologicial problems that persist, however when I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and other medical conditions that require investigation and medication. Centrelink refused to accept the standard doctor certificate and stopped payment.
I attended clink in person and requested an Employment services assessment three times.

Each time I was denied the assessment with a variety of dubious reasons given. When i asked to speak to a supervisor to address the issue I was denied the request and told to supply a ‘Centrelink’ medical certificate.

I returned to my local General practitioner to request the Centrelink authorised medical certificate. The doctor was not aware that such a document existed.

Eventually I got the required certificate after the doctor searched online for the Centrelink document and downloaded it.However when I attended the chemist to get a medical prescription to prevent heart attack or stroke, the chemist informed me that my medications would cost full price
because my healthcare card had been cancelled. At which time i was so broke, I could not afford the medication. I returned to centrelink who once again tried to stone-wall me by assesing the medical certificate themselves.

Next they place me on the phone informing me I would have to talk to the ‘ work participation team’. After an hour on the phone the person responding asked ‘ how i was managing to support myself.’ then put me into a cycle of call transfers that ended in the phone being hung up from
their end.

It was at this point that I emailed Daniel from the Sydney branch of the Australian Unemployed Worker’s Union and arranged to meet me the next day weds 12/05/2016/ At Maroubra Clink to assist in my struggle and advocate for me.

Dan (as a representative of the A.U.W.U) presented in an extremely professional mannerintroducing himself as the above and gave excellent counsel and assistance.

The Clink representative advised me once again that I required a ‘Valid’ med certificate to get an Employment Service Evaluation.

Whereby Dan insisted it is not a legal requirment and that he had received an E.S.A. at another Clink office without supplying a medical certificate.

At this stage the Clink advisor contacted a supervisor who was the person that put me on the phone on the previous visit.

The supervisor drew attention to the authorised Clink certificate and stated that the G.P. had ticked ok to work in the box.

My response was that the Doctor is a G.P. not a Pyschologist or Psychiatrist so the box in question is not valid; particularly since there is a pre-pysch diagnosis of post triaumatic stress disorder and associated medical problems that require futher investigation.

In hindsight I would advise anyone in the same situation to stress to the G.P. to tick no to the work fitness question as per reason above.

The supervisor responded by restoring my payments inclusive of back pay via computer and made a booking for the requested E.S.A. (even though every other peron in Clink i encountered has said payment resoration was not possible.)

A couple of days later Clink contacted me by phone to infome me they had booked the requested Employment service evaluation.I attended and was informed by the Clink psychologist that she would recommend a 3 month ‘non attendance’ period at the Job monitoring agency assigned to me.

However that it would be a reccomendation only and that the final say would be assessed by another unseen beaurocrat.

As of this date I still have not received notification in writing from Clink as to my ‘ Job monitoring’ requirements.

I am now investigating the new enterprise incentive scheme,to see if i can get away from the parasite job monitors MTC job solutions and start my own pool servicing business.

Once again I thank the Australian Unemployed Workers Union Dan from the Sydney Branch who gave powerful representation to uphold my rights and Owen Bennet (Melbourne office) who assisted.

The batttle was won but the war is not over.

Yours in Job seeker emancipation.

Penumbra George Gently

P.S.

I spoke to Matt Thistlewait Labour minister today (as he was canvassing the Matraville) area, regarding job network issues .

I mentioned the Australian Unemployed workers union and the assistance given to me and it appeared to ping his radar.

‘My Payment Was Suspended Cause I Was Sick’

I would like my story to remain anonymous please.

I am receiving Newstart and I comply with all of my mutual obligation activities. I have only once reorganised another job network appointment.

I was recently very sick with a flu virus. I rang my Job Network Provider within plenty of time  to speak to my case manager to rearrange another appointment. I was so sick I kept having to stop talking on the phone so that I could vomit. I wanted at least seven days to recover but my case manager was pushing for me to reschedule an appointment within only two days of the original one. I kept trying to push for another seven days but they said they were all booked out and could only fit me in on a day that was only two days after my original appointment. Being so sick I was tired I needed to go back to bed, I said yes, thinking if I was still not well enough I could rebook.

I had the home doctor service come out to see me, and received a medical certificate for 48hrs only. I was much much sicker than that. I was in bed for seven days and I had a post viral fatigue for another seven days. I rang my Job Network agency to find that I could not reschedule a second appointment and would need a medical certificate and that I would need to take it to Centrelink. I was so sick I could not walk, I don’t drive and I don’t have someone to drive me to a GP and even if I did I wouldn’t have been able to go. I rely on public transport. I also have a spinal disability and lying in bed for seven days makes it worse. My vertebrae stiffen and I can’t walk. My case manager kept saying she didn’t understand why there wasn’t someone anyone even a neighbour to take me to the GP. There isn’t, I have no family and my neighbours all keep to themselves.

Because I couldn’t get to a GP for a medical certificate nor take this to Centrelink my payment was suspended until I was well enough to go to a re-engagement appointment.

When I was well enough I attended my appointment my payment was reinstated and I received back pay. However, if the new compliance measures were enforced I would have lost my payment and essentially I would have been fined for being too sick.

Why Are Max Employment Harassing Me?

Josh, AUWU member

“Been applying for for 20-40 jobs a week since I got on centrelink in May 2014 and I’ve had no luck. I was a straight A student whose parents split up in late 2012 and had to live with my mother. She began dating a psychopath who would beat me up for any reason under the sun. I realised my only options were suicide or centrelink so I applied and it took over a year before they accepted my claim. This was because I needed to get a third party to fill out an unreasonable to live at home form. They told me it couldn’t be a friend of mind and had to be someone like a teacher or family friend. Considering I aced school you might assume I got along with my teachers but it was quite the opposite. I never once had a good teacher and would literally sleep through school because it was so easy(boring).

It wasn’t until I got lucky and was brutally beaten up a day before a centrelink appointment that I was finally able to get approved by the system. They even tried to deny me when I had dried blood all over my face. I had to beg the lady and start crying before she decided to speak to one of their social workers who took one glance at me then said I’ll be accepted. Both myself and my mother were told that I should have gotten centrelink when I first applied for it a year prior but they took no accountability and refused to back-pay me a single cent.

What makes matters worse is that I originally had about $6000 in savings when I first applied for centrelink in Feb 2013 but this disappeared quickly when I moved out for 6 months. I was a student at the time and had hoped that centrelink would accept me so that I could continue my studies in a non-abusive environment. When my life savings had all been used to pay for rent, bills and food I was forced to move back to the abusive environment or become homeless. When I was finally approved 9 months later(May 2014) it was not as a student but as a job seeker. I really did want a job and decided to give it my best knowing that I could always return to university and remain on centrelink.

So this is when centrelink stopped being such a thorn in my ass and max employment took over. At first I was on level 1 and it was okay but I’d only worked casual jobs so I had a lot to learn about the job industry. They taught me nothing and the more I requested help the more of a deterrent they became. So I stopped trying to get any help from them and tried to be grateful that such an incompetent agency only wanted me to come in once a month. It wasn’t until a couple months ago when I moved suburbs that they moved me up to level 2. At this point I was shocked and appalled by the system in place and had decided to just get a casual or part-time job and return to university. Once I got my acceptance email I notified both centrelink and max employment and was told that I would be switched to student youth allowance on the day I start university. For some reason this was when max employment decided to gear things up a notch. They started dragging me in for 3h resume writing seminars and 2h of job searching per week on their slow computers. This inhibited my ability to look for work and killed most of the motivation I had left. They then decided to drag me in for physical/psychological assessments which they admit was a mistake yet still force me to attend. I’ve told them many times that I’m going back to uni in less than a month yet they keep adding more compulsory appointments for me to attend. It’s absurd that I’m being forced to jump through their hoops when it does not benefit me in any way.

In the end the one good thing that has come from these appointments is when I saw an advertisement on their job board requesting temporary staff to help pack flowers during next week(valentines day). Out of my own accord I took it to the only person in the entire office who seems to give a shit and asked for the position. Initially he told me that the employer only wanted girls for the role but I remarked about how it doesn’t seem like a gender-based role and that seemed to change his mind. I now have 30 hours of work lined up for me next week but I’d really prefer a stable part-time job.”

‘Work for the Dole is Slave Labour’

I am 51 years old, work as a casual Medical Receptionist. Was told I have to do work for the dole in a Local Charity shop. I know the manager there, she told me she is already over staffed but I was most welcome but I would be DUSTING all day..

I have over 20-30 years work history in admin, customer service, and owned a retail business for 10 years.. How is dusting going to give me the full time work I desire?

This work for the dole program is not feasible AT ALL!!!!!!!!! Does the gov understand that??? The Employment Ministers office told me I am not allowed to volunteer in an admin role for a allied health professional (with potential for further paid work) as it is SLAVE LABOUR… are they kidding…..

‘Raising Children and Living on Newstart’

By Kat Lee, AUWU Member

My name is Kat Lee, I am 56 and have been on Centrelink payments since 1996 when my marriage broke down. I had been married for 17yrs, and during that time had given birth to 4 children.

At the time of my marriage breakdown, we were running our own business and also paying off our own home. Due to the breakdown of my marriage, I lost my home and also my business, and was left to raise 4 children alone. At this stage, I was also pregnant with our 5th child, because of this, I was unable to gain employment and I was also unable to process the fact that my world had fallen apart.

I went to Centrelink and was granted Parenting Payment Single, I went on and raised my children, and gave birth to my son. My children adjusted to living with just their mother around, and grew into wonderful young people.
Time passed, my youngest child began to show signs of health problems, he had been found to be vision impaired at the age of 3, and required regular eye checks and to wear glasses at all times. Once he started school, he began showing signs of anxiety, he could not settle in class unless I was there, and for the first 5yrs of his school life I found myself needing to be there in his class so as he could be at school and learn.

I volunteered at his school for 5yrs, doing such things as listening to children read, helping teachers with printing and computer work, doing art work for assemblies and special occasions, such as Easter and Christmas shows, photography for the school and also going on excursions when there was a lack of adults to go. I was also part of many school committees and had my police clearance to be involved in all of the above.

My son ended up being diagnosed with Depression, as well as Anxiety and also mild ADHD and full blown ODD. Because of this, when the legislation came in that you needed to start looking for work once your child turned 7, I was exempted due to my son’s health problems. Even though I was exempt, I still tried to find work, and though that it would be a good idea to use my volunteer experience to approach my son’s school and see if I could get a position as an SSO. Although the school thought this was a good idea, and that I had the experience required, they denied my application, because it then meant they would need to pay me for what they had up until then been getting for free.

It was at this stage that I moved areas, and therefore moved my son to a new school. I was unable to volunteer at this school, and therefore decided to look into further study to give myself a better chance at gaining employment as my son grew older (he was now 12 and about to finish primary school and enter high school). The legislation had also changed, and I was no longer exempt from looking for work and thus had to register with an employment agency or better known as JSA. I did this and through the JSA enrolled at TAFE in a program called Women’s Education. It was during this time that yet again legislation changed and at the end of 2012 I was taken off Parenting Payment Single and placed on Newstart. This change had a huge impact on my situation, I lost $260p/f and found day to day life extremely difficult. I could no longer afford my rent, food, utility bills, clothes, medical costs, glasses for my son, public transport costs (I do not drive), and I became extremely stressed. My study suffered, my dreams of a better future went out the window. My plans fell apart and I had no choice but to go into survival mode.

I had to give up my rental property (I had been in the same place for 5yrs) and go into share accommodation. This did not go well, my son suffered, both physically and mentally, and so did I. After 6mths of sharing, things went downhill and after an attack on my son (by the fellow housemates son), we had no choice but to leave the accommodation (on police advice).
After a couple of months of living with one of my older children (me sleeping on the lounge), I was able to secure a property. It is a modest 2br place, and costs me $250 a week in rent. This as you can guess is extremely hard. I am left with very little for anything else after paying rent. Rent more or less takes all of my Newstart, which leaves me with family payment of just over $400 per fortnight to cover everything else. My health has suffered greatly, I do not sleep, and rarely eat (so as my son can have a decent diet), I am extremely stressed and am constantly still expected to jump through all the usual hoops associated with being on Newstart.

I have just recently been told by my JSA that I need to find volunteer work of 15hrs a week, or be studying or working to be meeting my requirements for payment. I am in constant fear of being cut off of my payments, as there is no work, I can not afford to study, and if I volunteer, I can not afford to travel.

I have been giving my time to running such things as March Australia in Adelaide SA, and have also offered my time to your union as well. I attended your initial meeting, and hope that I am able to offer you more as time goes by.

Thank you for giving me the time to tell you my story.”