{"id":175224,"date":"2017-04-12T18:13:06","date_gmt":"2017-04-12T08:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=175224"},"modified":"2020-09-19T15:38:56","modified_gmt":"2020-09-19T05:38:56","slug":"centrelink-ready-for-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/04\/12\/centrelink-ready-for-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Centrelink Ready For Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Government agencies are facing disruptions from holidays and rolling strikes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 12, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services are gearing up for the public holidays – but the government agencies also face upcoming industrial action.<\/p>\n

Department of Human Services general manager Hank Jongen said service centres and most phone lines would be closed on Good Friday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAutomatic payments will not be delayed because of the holidays but some people may receive their payments earlier than usual,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you receive an early payment it\u2019s important to remember that this is not an extra payment.<\/p>\n

\u201cPayments are made as close to your regular payment date as possible but you may need to budget carefully to ensure this payment lasts until your next payment is due.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Jongen said some reporting dates have changed for the Easter holidays. If people were due to report on a date when services will be closed, they may need to report early.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are due to report, you must do so before your payment can be processed.<\/p>\n

“Reporting dates can be checked on your reporting statement using myGov<\/strong><\/a>, the department\u2019s online options, or phone self-service. We would have also sent you a reminder,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201dChanges to reporting dates do not affect the assessment period, and earnings estimates will still need to be reported for your normal 14-day period.”<\/p>\n

While all face-to-face and most telephone services will be closed on the public holidays, full access to self-service options will still be available.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can still use your myGov account, Express Plus mobile apps and phone self-service to complete your business with us during the holiday period,” Mr Jongen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will be able to quickly and easily check their reporting dates, update their details, report their earnings, and even lodge some Medicare claims this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The revised holiday arrangements will also not impact Child Support arrangements or the majority of Medicare services.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMedicare claims can continue to be lodged at your doctor\u2019s office or using self-service,\u201d Mr Jongen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCritical services for Medicare providers such as organ donor and PBS authorities will remain available over Easter and Anzac Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

People can transfer funds to their BasicsCard throughout the holiday period by using self-service or calling 1800-132-594 between 8:00am-5:00pm. BasicsCard balances can be checked at any time by calling 1800-057-111.<\/p>\n

Mr Jongen said the industrial action by the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) from Thursday, April 13, to Wednesday, April 26, would not affect payments.<\/p>\n

The CPSU is planning rolling strikes and other work bans, saying talks to resolve a three-year dispute over enterprise bargaining had broken down.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe CPSU\u2019s industrial action is designed to disrupt the face-to-face and telephone services we provide to the community,\u201d Mr Jongen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur priority is ensuring that those most vulnerable or with urgent queries get the support they need.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther recent stoppages have had minimal disruption and services will continue during this latest action. We ask people for patience and apologise in advance if anyone experiences delays, but don\u2019t forget our self-service options can help you beat any queues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CPSU\u2019s actions will not change the department\u2019s position in relation to the new Enterprise Agreement.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services are gearing up for the public holidays – but the government agencies also face upcoming industrial action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":165107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCentrelink Ready For Holidays - southburnett.com.au<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services are gearing up for the public holidays - but the government agencies also face upcoming industrial action.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/04\/12\/centrelink-ready-for-holidays\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Centrelink Ready For Holidays - 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