Residents flock to Centrelink ahead of business shut down

Dozens of concerned residents across the region have rushed to their nearest centrelink after new regulations set overnight have left them without work.

Dozens of desperate residents have rushed to Centrelink this morning after new regulations set overnight have rendered them jobless for an unknown amount of time.

As of noon, tighter gathering restrictions will see the closure of pubs, clubs, gyms, sporting and entertainment venues,  while restaurants and cafes will be limited to only take away options.

Line up at Ipswich Centrelink. Picture: Cordell Richardson

The announcement means many people employed on a casual basis could be without work for up to six months, causing panic across Australia as many are left wondering how they will afford to live.

MyGov has also been flooded with technical issues this morning as hundreds of Australians try to use the website all at once.

A large group of people showed up at Ipswich Centrelink this morning chasing up claims and payments that had been stopped or closed because of JobSeeker payments that had commenced on Friday, March 20.

As the Jobseeker announcement was made only last Friday people have had to wait until today to be able to get into a Centrelink office.

Queues formed outside the Annerley Road Centrelink after the announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday night. The line continued to grow until it was around the corner. . Picture: Kieran Bicheno

Ipswich resident and Jobseeker claimant John Lamaba said he decided to turn up to Centrelink Ipswich when he couldn't get anything done online.

"I made a claim online and the website, I guess you can say broke, so I've come here to sort it out," Mr Lamaba said.

Some of the payments affected are:

• Newstart Allowance
• Sickness Allowance
• Wife Pension
• Widow B Pension
• Bereavement Allowance

Originally published as Residents flock to Centrelink ahead of business shut down