Trouble with Centrelink payments

by Bob Briton

Every Centrelink office will have leaflets available about what to do if 
you disagree with any of their decisions affecting you. Most of their 
handouts about benefits and pensions will have a paragraph or two along the 
same lines. Nowhere in their offices will you find a document like 
Trouble with your Centrelink payments.

The underemployed peoples Movement Against Poverty (UPM) in Adelaide has 
produced an invaluable guide for people receiving payments from Centrelink, 
especially those facing "breach penalties" or otherwise having their 
payments suspended.

Here in one slender publication, you have laid out the various steps you 
jight have to go through to overturn a decision that might reduce or cut 
off your income.

The other feature that distinguishes it from the Centrelink glossies is 
that this booklet is on your side and contains the reassurance that , if 
you want, there are people to help you through the appeals process. BY the 
way like most self-defence mechanisms of the system, the appeals procedure 
involves twists and turns and lots of acronyms.

For instance if you want to appeal against a decision, you need to approach 
the ODM. If you don't have any joy, its if off to the ARO. Next stop is the 
SSAT. Last port of call before the matter enters the courts is the AAT.(See 
below for translation.)

There is also advice on how to obtain information documents about your 
"case" form Centrelink under the freedom of Information Act. You will also 
find an handy form in the centre of the booklet that you can use to ask 
that your payments be kept up while the appeal goes ahead. There are no 
guarantees attached to this form but using it does save some of your energy 
for the battle ahead.

As I mentioned previously, one of the most important pieces of information 
in the booklet is that you don't have to face the battle alone. There are 
contact details for the Welfare Rights Centre(in Adelaide phone 8226 
4123)and, of course the un(der)employed people's movement itself on 8352 
4950.

* * *

* ODM-Original Decision Maker ARO-Authorised Review officer SSAT-Social 
Security Appeals Tribunal AAT-Administrative Appeals Tribunal