Register intent to claim Centrelink on myGov to avoid coronavirus queues
Despite the government telling people they don’t need to queue outside Centrelink offices, many are still waiting for hours, but there’s a new solution.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
After days of long lines outside of Centrelink offices, the Federal Government is offering people a new way to apply, but that didn’t stop queues stretching out the doors on Wednesday morning.
The government has introduced a new “intent to claim” registration system to relieve the pressure on people now reliant on Centrelink payments who have been queuing for hours. l
Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen told ABC News on Wednesday morning the new capability was introduced “only a matter of hours ago”.
“We released a new intent to claim capability online. So what I'm trying to say to people is: you don't need to queue. You don't need to ring us. You can now lodge your intent to claim through myGov,” he said.
RELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates
RELATED: All your questions about coronavirus answered
RELATED: Woolworths reduces hours
But the assurances did not stop people continuing to line up because the website was unavailable and they cldnt get through over the phone.
Outside one office in Sydney’s inner-west on Wednesday a line of around thirty people extended out the door of the Centrelink office at around 11.30.
An hour later only about half of them had made it inside, where security officers enforced social distancing as a similar number of people waited on every second chair to be served.
One woman told news.com.au it took her around two hours to get in and out, but the line was shorter when she first arrived.
Two others who had come down to provide moral support for family members applying for payments said they’d been in line since 8.30am.
By noon they had made it inside, but the two supporters were asked to leave because they weren’t applying for help.
They’d heard the government tell people not to line up but said it was the only option because the website kept crashing and they couldn’t get through on the phones.
NO TIME TO PREPARE
Mr Jongen said the agency had been effectively blindsided by the sudden surge in people needing support.
“What we've faced is a completely unprecedented situation. Nobody could have anticipated the volume and the extent to which people have been, sadly, displaced.”
A little over three weeks ago, when only 57 coronavirus related deaths had been recorded outside of China, the World Health Organisation warned governments to “get ready” as it raised the global risk assessment from “high” to “very high”.
“I think this is a reality check for every government on the planet — wake up, get ready, this virus may be on its way and you need to be ready,” WHO’s head of emergencies Dr Mike Ryan said at the time.
Mr Jongen said three weeks was not enough time.
“I think it's important to understand that when we normally are faced with change, the government usually makes announcements months ahead,” Mr Jongen said.
“We then have time to develop new systems, to test them and release. In this unprecedented situation, we've been asked to respond within weeks, and we're doing that.”
Centrelink is now scrambling to hire 5000 additional workers to help clear the queues.
“We've embarked on an extensive training program, and we are in the process of recruiting,” Mr Jongen said. He added IT staff have been working “24/7” to build the new system that lets you register your intent to apply.
Two chefs who were recently placed on “unpaid leave” had also come down to the office after previously trying to apply online and over the phone as well.
They said they wished they’d applied sooner before there was so many people but it didn’t matter because they felt like it would be weeks before they got any of the money anyway.
Mr Jongen said the payments will be backdated.
“You will be eligible for Jobseeker payment from this Monday, because we've recognised that some people have been trying for two days to get through. So it is backdated to Monday,” he said.
The new capability lets you register your intent to apply for Centrelink payments if you have a myGov account.
A staff member will then contact you to guide you through the rest of the process.
”We've had a couple of days of terrible scenes where people have been queued up outside of our offices and where people have been attempting to get through,” Mr Jongen acknowledged.
“This capability has just been released. I'm told, already tens of thousands have been able to register their intent to claim, and it is up and working,” Mr Jongen said.
Originally published as Register intent to claim Centrelink on myGov to avoid coronavirus queues