America's safety net is becoming one big hole.
#usa #america #usaisaterroriststate
#usaisfundingGenovide
#USDAloans #usda #republicans #RepublicansAreTheProblem #classwar #poverty #welfare #centrelink #socialsecurity #auspol #ausgov #politas #tasgov #taspol #australia #fuckneoliberals #neoliberalcapitalism #anthonyalbanese #fucktherepublikkkans
@frogglin I wish you both luck. #Centrelink are painful to deal with. Breathe.
I guess Centrelink learned absolutely nothing from Robodebt. And why would they? They were never held accountable. Now more people have died.
Having dubious pleasure of dealing with the Mainz Arbeitsagentur by proxy, for the person taking over my old lease, and much like #Centrelink a core goal seems to be to make the process so hard that never being on welfare is the more attractive option. We started this process 4 weeks ago (!) and now they are asking for details that are in the contract before they will approve it.
Someone needs to spend a very long time in a very small room for this. But as it affects only the poor and helpless, I imagine there will be no consequences.
#AusPol #Welfare #Centrelink
Exclusive: Ten dead after welfare glitch ignored by government | The Saturday Paper
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2025/02/15/exclusive-ten-dead-after-welfare-glitch-ignored-government#mtr
Deliberate and corrupt dealings.
Why we get upset with little lines like “They have aggressively increased pensions and benefits”: Aside from it not being true? Or that it was in an article lamenting that Labor and Albanese weren’t getting enough credit for helping people and the economy? #RaiseTheRate #NobodyDeservesPoverty @AmandaRishworth https://t.co/1LbHAVorlT pic.twitter.com/Cj6Ftt4Xv5 — Avery Howard (they/them) (@averyhowardau) April 28, 2023 I think… https://phonakins.com/2025/02/01/why-we-get-upset-with-little-lines-like-they-have-aggressively-increased-pensions-and-benefits/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #costofliving #welfare #centrelink @phonakins
@MsDropbear42 @grogsgamut Thanks for nuance, Droppie, I agree with your observations. I should not have made such sweeping statements.
Like so many I have an emotional response to this issue that arises from my personal situation. A few years ago I applied for Age pension, first for my husband & later for myself (I have a tiny public service pension that the wonderful AP brings up to a liveable level as we have f-all super). My siblings, retired small business people, take pride in being ‘self funded’, in contrast to bludgers like me & my partner who never make a fortune in our working lives & now claim benefits. For all that I know better, on an emotional level I bought into this to some extent (Joy Hockey’s ‘lifters & leaners’ idiom was so insidious) until I realised that the amount they receive in #FrankingCredits is Higher Than The Full Age Pension Amount For A couple!! So here were we, jumping through hoops & all the indignities of #Centrelink to claim a few thousand a year, while they were receiving more than the full pension amount annually from the government while holding their identity as virtuously independent of taxpayer support! And while so many of my friends struggle to get by on way less, especially while paying crazy rent, while being stigmatised for their lack of money. I have big, big feels about this.
Our taxation, welfare & retirement income systems are overwhelmingly generous to the most wealthy among us while blaming others for their poverty.
AND… the narratives around them are easily weaponised to pit those of us who contrive to stay afloat in the shrinking middle, against each other. In my comments I contributed to that. Thanks for calling me out. 
Centrelink payments increase, higher passport fees and pay rises: all the 1 January changes in Australia in 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/02/centrelink-payments-australian-passport-fees-january-1-changes-2025-australia #MedicareAustralia #NorthernTerritory #SouthAustralia #Australianews #NewSouthWales #Climatecrisis #Centrelink #Queensland #Agedcare #Victoria #Plastics #Legalaid #Banking
All the 1 January changes in Australia: Centrelink increases, import bans and pay rises https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/01/january-1-changes-new-year-laws-rules-2025-australia #MedicareAustralia #NorthernTerritory #SouthAustralia #Australianews #NewSouthWales #Climatecrisis #Centrelink #Queensland #Agedcare #Victoria #Plastics #Legalaid #Banking
All the changes coming to Australia on 1 January, 2025: Centrelink increases, import bans and pay rises https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/31/centrelink-increases-import-bans-and-pay-rises-all-the-changes-coming-to-australia-on-1-january-2025 #MedicareAustralia #NorthernTerritory #SouthAustralia #Australianews #NewSouthWales #Climatecrisis #Centrelink #Queensland #Agedcare #Victoria #Plastics #Legalaid #Banking
@briankrebs
Do US govt agencies do what #Centrelink etc do in Australia and coercively train the people they’re “engaging” to do the opposite of good practice?
Surprise calls from people who won’t identify themselves properly when demanding sensitive information, and who will cut off your below poverty line payment if you don’t comply, is standard practice here.
FYI
#Centrelink Christmas Payment Dates 2024: Centrelink December dates for welfare recipients to watch for
https://amp.9news.com.au/article/92de5f89-0cf1-4540-8dba-e32e17b2edc8
Corruption watchdog to reconsider its decision not to investigate Robodebt referrals
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-30/nacc-to-reconsider-robodebt-referrals/104535738
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has announced it will reconsider its decision not to investigate referrals from the Robodebt royal commission, after finding the commissioner did not properly deal with a declared conflict of interest.
Who Watches the Watchmen?
This is one of those moments that makes you wonder if the system is so corrupt that the people who should be investigating corruption are also corrupt. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) itself has questions to answer.
#RoboDebt #Centrelink #@AusPol #NACC
What changes in the Australian Public Service have been made to help public servants report and get appropriate support if they find they're faced with departmental actions that are, unreasonably, harming people and triggering suicides?
A social worker testified to the Royal Commission that Centrelink compliance officers took a "So sad. Too bad.", approach.
Clearly this was grossly inadequate.
What changes have been made?
#RoboDebt
#HowManyDied
#APS #AustralianPublicService
#Centrelink
Perhaps it’s time that the commonwealth, in addition to being a model litigant, is required to be a model funder - that once it has given money to someone for the #NDIS or #Centrelink, it is prohibited from seeking the return of that money, or raising debts for “overpayment”, on the basis that it has the scale, capability & responsibility to ensure payments are correct before they are made. #AusPol
https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/bill-shorten-caught-out-ndis-debt-appeal-rights
Centrelink ‘ignoring Muslim polygamous relationships’ pays spousal benefits to several wives http://dlvr.it/TB4yWr #Australia #AustraliaPolitics #BreakingNews #CentreLink
No increase to base jobseeker rate in budget means Centrelink payment remains below poverty line
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2024/may/16/australia-federal-budget-2024-jobseeker-centrelink-payments-welfare-services-australia
This latest federal budget offers little hope to unemployed people. Again, the government's safety-net is not enough for people left without work by the sad state of the economy. They should raise the dole until it's over the poverty line. Or, even better, offer a real fix in the form of a universal basic income.
𓅠 
