Department in Charge of Medicare, Centrelink Says Staff Shortages Not a Problem

A Medicare and Centrelink office sign is seen at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, on March 21, 2016. Matt King/Getty Images

Services Australia, the agency that oversees Australia’s public health and social security schemes, Medicare and Centrelink, has dismissed community concerns over staffing levels.

This follows allegations that tens of thousands of calls went unanswered leaving thousands of Australians without access to vital services.

A spokesperson for Services Australia told The Epoch Times in an email that while there were staff cuts at the agency, this was because staffing was returning to pre-pandemic levels.

“As the Budget papers show, our staffing is returning to more regular levels now that pandemic era work, and associated extra resourcing, has concluded,” the Services Australia spokesperson said.

“However, we’re bolstering our emergency response capability with 850 staff directly supporting frontline service delivery.

“We’re also bringing staff back in-house and are actively recruiting to [Australian Public Service or APS] service delivery roles.”

People are seen lining up at Centrelink in Flemington on March 23, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia after COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns started. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The spokesperson also noted that to provide the best possible support, the department was adjusting resources to maximise frontline staff levels.

“This includes drawing from these emergency response capabilities,” he said.

Union Worried Australians Unable to Get Help

The comments from Services Australia come after the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) revealed on July 6 that due to significant staffing shortfalls, tens of thousands of calls went unanswered.

Melissa Donnelly, the CPSU National Secretary, said that it was clear the staffing situation in the department had reached a crisis point, and the federal government needed to act quickly to secure the future of current employees and increase overall staffing numbers.

People queue up outside a Centrelink office for government payments in Melbourne on April 20, 2020. William West/AFP via Getty Images

“Prior to the pandemic, Services Australia staffing levels were not adequate, and they aren’t adequate now,” Ms. Donnelly said.

“Tens of thousands of phone calls are going unanswered every day in Services Australia because there aren’t enough people working in the agency to meet demand.

The union is concerned the situation will only worsen following budget cuts.

The cuts were announced in May, with the agency being told they would lose an estimated 1,868 staff or 6.5 percent of its workforce, news website RIOTACT reported on May 16.

This will see Services Australia with 26,692 employees, down from 28,560.

“The unfortunate reality is that Australians trying to access help from Services Australia can expect this situation to deteriorate if the Government fails to act,” Ms. Donnelly said.

Australians could find the phone waiting times to access help for government services extended, which CPSU National Secretary Melissa Donnelly believes could lead to people missing out on vital help. A person speaks on their phone on a balcony of an apartment in Melbourne, Australia, on June 15, 2021. AAP Image/Daniel Pockett

She said there was a concern it could have flow-on effects and lead to other important work being delayed.

“Services Australia should be doing everything in their power to retain the staff they currently have,” she added.

“This agency isn’t immune from the attraction and retention crisis currently plaguing the APS so the idea that they are letting staff who are trained and experienced go is simply absurd.”