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What you can expect from Centrelink

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expect from Centrelink

Centrelink’s Customer Service Charter

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This charter tells you the standard of service you can expect from Centrelink and what to do if you are unhappy with the service you received. It also tells you about your responsibilities as a Centrelink customer.

It was developed with input from customers, policy depar tments, community representatives and Centrelink staff.

If you have any comments about this Ser vice Char ter please email us at customer.charter@centrelink.

gov.au or contact us using any of the other options described in this document.

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About Centrelink

Centrelink is an Australian Government agency within the Human Ser vices por tfolio. We deliver payments and ser vices for a number of government depar tments.

Our purpose is to assist people to become more self-suffi cient and improve the oppor tunities of people who are of working age to fi nd a job, while suppor ting those in need. We also suppor t those who require special assistance during different life stages such as planning for retirement, experiencing illness or a crisis.

We have over 300 Customer Ser vice Centres Australia-wide and more than 20 Call Centres. We also have over 500 agents and access points in rural and remote Australia with free phone and fax available for Centrelink business. You can access our online ser vices from any computer with internet access, Centrelink offi ce or Centrelink agent.

CEO statement

We know you value good customer ser vice. Our aim is to give you access to easy, high-quality ser vices that work for you. This Ser vice Char ter tells you what you can expect from us, what you need to know about your responsibilities and how to let us know if we are

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Contents

About Centrelink 3

CEO statement 3

Contents 4

What you can expect from us 5

1. You can expect us to make it easy for

you to use our ser vices. 5

2. You can expect us to treat you with

respect and cour tesy. 6

3. You can expect us to explain your

options to you. 7

4. You can expect us to respect your rights. 8 How will we know whether we have met our

commitments to you? 8

How you can help us 9

Your responsibilities 10

What to do if you think a decision is wrong 11

Compensation from Centrelink 11

How you can tell us what you think

of our services 12

The Commonwealth Ombudsman 14

Your privacy 14

You can see documents we hold about you 15

How to contact us 16

By phone 16

In person 18

In writing 18

Centrelink self ser vice 19

How to fi nd out more about other relevant

Centrelink publications 21

Help in other languages 22

For further information 22

Languages other than English 23

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What you can expect from us

1. You can expect us to make it easy for you to use our services.

We will do this by:

• making it as convenient as possible for you to contact us or do business with us in person, over the phone or through agents and access points in rural and remote Australia

• making information available online that will satisfy your need for general enquiries and increasing access to Centrelink ser vices on the internet

• providing offi ces where you can feel safe and your personal privacy is assured, and

• providing interpreter or teletypewriter (TTY) ser vices if you need them.

If you need an interpreter or a translation ser vice for any documents you need to suppor t a Centrelink claim we will provide one at no cost to you.

Confi dentiality provisions and a Code of Ethics cover Centrelink interpreters and translators which means you can be sure that your information remains private.

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact Centrelink using the free TTY ser vice (see page 17). A TTY ser vice is also available if you wish to contact the Customer Relations line to provide comments, feedback,

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This is how you can judge whether we have made it easy for you to use our services.

• We will answer 70 per cent of your phone calls within two and a half minutes (you may have to wait longer during our busiest times).

• We will reduce the time that you wait in a queue when you come in to a Centrelink offi ce.

• If we can’t answer your question immediately, we will get back to you within an agreed time.

2. You can expect us to treat you with respect and courtesy.

We will do this by:

• being friendly, cour teous, fair and impar tial in our dealings with you

• treating you with dignity and respect

• behaving with honesty and integrity

• identifying ourselves when we talk to you, and

• having trained and professional staff who will uphold the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct.

This is how you can judge whether we have treated you with respect and courtesy.

• We will always behave towards you in a way that upholds the Australian Public Ser vice Code of conduct (www.apsc.gov.au) and the principles of the Char ter of Public Ser vice in a Culturally Diverse Society (www.immi.gov.au).

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3. You can expect us to explain your options to you.

This means we will:

• explain the Centrelink ser vices and payments that are available to you and that meet your personal circumstances

• give you complete information that is accurate, consistent and easy to understand

• explain what you need to know and what you need to do

• do all your Centrelink business when you contact us

• correct any mistake openly, honestly and quickly, and

• respond cour teously and promptly to any complaint you have about our ser vice.

This is how you can judge whether we have explained your options to you.

• At all times we will work with you to match Centrelink ser vices and resources to your individual circumstances.

• We will work with you to resolve any complaint as early as possible but we may take up to fi ve working days to answer more complicated complaints.

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4. You can expect us to respect your rights.

This means we will respect your right to:

• seek a review of, or to appeal social security decisions we make (see page 11)

• see the information we hold about you in accordance with the law (see page 14), and

• have your personal information protected and not disclosed to anyone else without your consent or unless the law requires us to disclose it (see page 14).

This is how you can judge whether we have respected your rights.

• We will clearly explain our decisions to you and tell you about your rights and responsibilities and what you need to do.

• When you ask Centrelink to review a decision we have made, the review will usually be completed within 28 days.

How will we know

whether we have met our commitments to you?

We will be asking you through regular sur veys, listening to your feedback and talking to community organisations and other government agencies and depar tments to monitor how well we are doing. The results will be used to regularly update and improve the way we deliver ser vices to you and will be published in the Centrelink Annual Repor t and online at www.centrelink.gov.au

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We want to hear from you if you feel we haven’t met our commitments to you (see page 12).

How you can help us

We can provide a better ser vice if you:

• treat our staff with cour tesy and respect

• have your Customer Reference Number (CRN) handy if you are already a customer (this appears on letters we send you)

• call us fi rst if you have any questions—this may save you time. Our website may also have the information you need (for example, confi rmation that your Centrelink payment is in your bank account). Remember in order to protect your privacy and security when using our self ser vice facilities, never tell anyone else your PIN

• have all the requested information, documents and completed forms when you apply for any payment. Call us if you are unsure what you need to provide

• tell us as soon as possible if you have made a mistake, or you think we have made a mistake, and

• let us know if you will be late or are unable to keep an appointment you have with us. You can either call the number shown on your letter if you have one, or call to let us know.

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Your responsibilities

To continue to receive correct ser vices and payments from us, you are expected to:

• Tell us if your circumstances have changed or are about to change

If you have changes in your circumstances like fi nding a job, changing living arrangements or address, or star ting or stopping study, you need to tell us. If you don’t tell us about changes in your circumstances, you may receive payments you are not entitled to receive.

• Meet any other necessary conditions for the services or payments you are receiving You may need to meet certain conditions, for example, look for work, study or meet appointments that are arranged for you, to receive payments from Centrelink. If you are unsure about the conditions for receiving your payment, please ask us.

• Read, or have read to you, all the information we send or give to you

Contact us if you don’t understand the

information. Tell us if you want to give someone else permission to do this on your behalf.

• Reply to our requests on time

If we ask you to provide us with information within a cer tain amount of time, it is impor tant that you do so. If you don’t, your payment may be affected.

If you are having trouble getting the information, please let us know.

If you are unsure about any of your responsibilities, please ask us.

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What to do if you think a decision is wrong

Our decisions about your entitlement to a payment or ser vice are made under the law. You don’t have to but if you wish, you can talk to the person who made the decision. Many people fi nd this a useful fi rst step. If you think a decision we have made is wrong, you have the right to:

• ask for the decision to be looked at by an independent senior offi cer (called an Authorised Review Offi cer)

• appeal to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (www.ssat.gov.au or call 1800 011 140, or TTY 1800 060 116) if you disagree with the Authorised Review Offi cer’s decision

• go to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (www.aat.gov.au or call 1300 366 700, or TTY 1800 650 662) if you disagree with the Social Security Appeals Tribunal’s decision.

Claiming Compensation from Centrelink

If you think Centrelink has made an error that has caused you a fi nancial loss or some other detriment, you may claim compensation from Centrelink. You can apply for compensation by visiting a Centrelink

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How you can tell us what you think of our services

We value your opinion and want to hear what you think about the quality of our ser vice. We want to know about the things you like about us and if you have any suggestions about how and where we could do better.

We also want to hear from you if you have a

complaint, as your experience can help us to improve our ser vice to you and to others.

To tell us anything about our ser vice, you can:

• call our Customer Relations line on

Freecall™1800 050 004 between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday

• call the teletypewriter (TTY) ser vice on

Freecall™1800 000 567 between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday if you have a hearing or speech impairment (a TTY phone is required to use this ser vice)

• visit our website at www.centrelink.gov.au and follow the ‘contact us’ link then go ‘message us’

to send us an email

• fi ll in a Tell Us What You Think customer comment card available at any Centrelink offi ce or access it online at www.centrelink.gov.au

• talk with a Centrelink staff member at any of our offi ces

• write to us at:

The Manager

Centrelink Customer Relations Reply Paid 7788

Canberra BC, ACT 2610

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You don’t have to tell us your name if you don’t want to, but it will help us keep you informed about the progress of your complaint. Your privacy will always be respected.

Centrelink will not discriminate against you if you make a complaint. If you think you have been discriminated against or disadvantaged because of a complaint you have made, please write to:

The Manager

Centrelink Customer Relations Reply Paid 7788

Canberra BC, ACT 2610

You can also ask for a copy of the factsheet Helping Centrelink improve its ser vice—complaints, compliments and feedback or access it online at www.centrelink.gov.au

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The Commonwealth Ombudsman

You can contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman if you think we haven’t provided you with an adequate ser vice or if you think your complaint was not handled satisfactorily. The Ombudsman is independent of Centrelink. You can fi nd more information about the Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.gov.au or you can call 1300 362 072.

Your privacy

Your personal information is protected by law.

We cannot look at, use or disclose any personal information we have about you unless it is allowed under the Privacy Act 1988 and the confi dentiality provisions in the laws that Centrelink administers.

If you have a question about privacy, confi dentiality, access or disclosure of information, ask to be put in touch with the Centrelink privacy offi cer in your area.

If you think that Centrelink has breached your privacy or confi dentiality, you can make a complaint to any Centrelink Customer Service Centre or by contacting our Customer Relations Line on FreecallTM 1800 050 004 or TTY FreecallTM 1800 810 586. You can also ask for a copy of the factsheet Your Right to Privacy or access it online at www.centrelink.gov.au

You can contact the Offi ce of the Privacy

Commissioner if you are still unhappy or if you want to talk to someone other than Centrelink. You can fi nd more information about the Offi ce of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992 or TTY 1800 620 241.

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You can see documents we hold about you

Under Freedom of Information you can make a request to:

• access documents that Centrelink holds about you

• amend records containing your personal information that is incomplete, out of date or misleading, and

• access manuals, rules and Guidelines that Centrelink uses to make decisions about various legislation it administers.

A request for access to documents, including your personal records should be in writing. You can use the Centrelink Freedom of Information form ‘I want to access or change documents’ available online at www.centrelink.gov.au or at any Customer Ser vice Centre. You can also lodge a freedom of information request by letter, fax or a statement over the counter at any Customer Ser vice Centre. Centrelink Customer Ser vice Advisers at Centrelink Customer Ser vice Centres can provide you with a range of documents that contain your personal information without the need for a written request, such as forms and documents that you have supplied to Centrelink.

Centrelink manuals and instructions are generally available under the Freedom of Information Act without a written request.

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How to contact us

By phone

About to retire or in retirement 13 2300 Needing help after someone has died

Are you ill, injured or do you have a disability 13 2717 Caring for someone

Looking for work (21 and over) 13 2850 Are you a farmer, self-employed or rural Australian Needing help in a crisis

Recently moved to Australia

Parent or guardian 13 6150

Family Assistance Offi ce

Studying or training 13 2490

Looking for work (under 21) Youth Allowance

Austudy

Pensioner Education Supplement

ABSTUDY 13 2317

Assistance for Isolated Children 13 2318 Australian Government Services Fraud

Tip-off Line 13 1524

BasicsCard Balance Check Freecall™ 1800 057 111 Centrelink Business Hotline 13 1158 Centrelink International Services 13 1673 For information about claiming a payment from a country other than Australia and about claiming or receiving an Australian payment while outside Australia Customer Relations Freecall™ 1800 050 004 Suggestions, complaints or compliments

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Drought Assistance 13 2316 Financial Information Service 13 2300 Financial Information Service

seminar bookings 13 6357

Foreign Income Exchange Line

Freecall™ 1800 050 041 If you get income from a countr y other than Australia and want to know the exchange rate that has been applied to that income by Centrelink.

Indigenous Call Centre 13 6380

Income Management Line 13 2594

Murray-Darling Basin Assistance

and Referral Line Freecall™ 1800 050 015 Payments for Australian Apprentices 13 3633 To speak to Centrelink in a language

other than English 13 1202

TTY* Customer Relations Freecall™ 1800 000 567 TTY* Enquiries Freecall™ 1800 810 586

*TTY is only for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment. A TTY phone is required to use this ser vice.

Note: calls from your home phone to Centrelink ‘13’

numbers from anywhere in Australia are charged at a fi xed rate. That rate may var y from the price of a local call and may also var y between telephone ser vice

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Some tips when calling

• Stay on the line—tr y not to hang up and redial, you may wait longer

• Have your details ready—it helps if you have your reference number and any letter you want to talk about with you when you call

• Have a pen and paper ready to take notes

• We will not give you details about other people, even family members, unless you have written permission or they are with you when you call.

In person

When you visit a Centrelink Customer Ser vice Centre you will be referred to an appropriate Customer Ser vice Adviser. Appointments can also be arranged.

If you live in a rural or remote area, Centrelink has an extensive network of Agents and Access Points that may also be able to assist you. For more information call 13 2316 or ask at a Centrelink Customer Ser vice Centre.

In writing

Our contact address is on ever y letter we send you, or refer to the White Pages for the address of your nearest offi ce.

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Centrelink self service

A growing number of our ser vices are available online and over the phone. Centrelink self ser vice is a quick and convenient way to repor t, update or view your personal details without having to speak to a Centrelink Customer Ser vice Adviser or visit a Centrelink Customer Ser vice Centre.

You need to register to access these ser vices. There are several ways you can do this:

• online—go to www.centrelink.gov.au and select

‘Register for Online Ser vices’ under the ‘Logon’

button. You can register for both the Online and Phone Ser vices using the online registration

• phone—call 13 6240 to register for the Phone Ser vice

• call your regular ‘13’ or ‘1800’ number, or

• in person at a Centrelink Customer Ser vice Centre.

We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information. When you register, you will need to answer a few questions about yourself and your Centrelink record if you have one. It will be helpful if you have your Customer Reference Number (CRN) and proof of identity documents, including those you have already provided to Centrelink.

Secret questions and answers are used to help verify who you are. You will be required to provide fi ve secret questions and answers when you register for

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For terms and conditions regarding the use of Centrelink self ser vice, please refer to

‘Conditions of use’ in the Online Ser vices section at www.centrelink.gov.au

Online Services—are secure, convenient and protect your privacy. Some of the options that make it easier for you to do business with us:

• check your past and next expected Centrelink payments

• apply for an Advance Payment

• print an income statement, rent cer tifi cate, application for for tnightly payment or online mail

• update contact details, bank account details and study intentions

• check appointment details and repor ting dates, and

• apply and claim for Age Pension, student payments and family assistance payments.

Phone Self Service—provides you with a convenient way to do some of your Centrelink business:

• call 13 6240—to access a range of phone ser vices

• call 13 3276—(13 EARN)—to repor t for tnightly employment income (if eligible).

For more information about repor ting requirements visit www.centrelink.gov.au

Nominee access to Online Services—gives nominees the choice to do Centrelink business on behalf of a customer they are nominated for, using Online Ser vices.

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Secure Online Mail—gives you the choice to view some letters from Centrelink online rather than having them sent to your postal address.

Electronic Message Reminder—is a free personalised reminder ser vice that sends a text message or email to remind you about appointments and lodgement dates.

For more information about Centrelink self ser vice visit www.centrelink.gov.au

How to fi nd out more about other relevant Centrelink publications

You can download other publications from the Centrelink website at www.centrelink.gov.au—follow the ‘Publications’ link—or you can ask for a copy at your local Centrelink offi ce.

Translated versions of the Customer Ser vice Char ter and a range of products in languages other than English can also be found on the Centrelink website.

Follow the ‘we speak your language’ link.

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Help in other languages

If you need an interpreter or translation of documents for Centrelink business, we can arrange this for you free of charge.

To speak to us in a language other than English, call 13 1202 or visit a Centrelink Customer Ser vice Centre and ask for an interpreter. For information in languages other than English visit www.centrelink.gov.au and select ‘We speak your language’.

For further information

The information contained in this publication is intended as a guide only.

You should consult a member of Centrelink’s staff or an agent duly authorised by Centrelink to provide you with fur ther information about the material in this publication.

This document was published in August 2006 and last updated in March 2010.

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Languages other than English

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www.centrelink.gov.au

References

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