I'm so angry at the injustice

[alexander*beetle]

My friend’s daughter, 22yrs old, has epilepsy. She is on medication and under specialists but sometimes she still has seizures. She is currently on Newstart and looking for work but not having much luck because of the seizure issue. Two weeks ago she had an appointment for a job seeker interview. At 8.30am she had a seizure and at 10.00am, after the ambulance left, her sister phoned Centrelink to explain what happened and why she couldn’t attend. It usually takes her a few days to be mobile enough to get to the doctors to get a certificate. So, on the Friday she went to the docs and took the certificate in the day after the Monday public holiday.

Consequently, even though she has a certificate and it is noted on her file that she suffers from epilepsy, she was told that as a result of her not attending the initial interview, she must undertake 20 hours of community service. No amount of explaining and proof meant anything. They have, in their twisted wisdom, decided that she is not eligible for sickness benefits because the seizures are not constant. But when she has them is not able to do anything for a week or more because of the impact they have on her.

She started the community work on Monday and found out she was working with a whole lot of court ordered people who had been charged with offences and this was their punishment. Consequently, she is now deeply depressed and feeling hopeless.

What on earth is going on here. I personally know of someone with 2 adult children who are both drug addicts and yet they don’t even have to report to Centrelink. They automatially get their sickness benefits.

I’m so angry for this young woman’s situation. It pains me to see her so distressed and all because someone deigns to think it is ok to punish a person for being unwell.

[cherry*135]

Can your friend and/or her daughter go and see their local MP about this? It can't be right what she is being made to do.

[alexander*beetle]

Yes, I'm already trying to get a few things started. The family have had a lot deal with over the past few months and this is just another difficulty for them. They are all a bit burnt out. It's just disgusting.

[purple_haize]

She could go to another centrelink office...........take it from me, they say different things at different offices, one centrelink office will tell you one thing and another one in another suburb something different for the same thing........they are useless.

Do what AM*3 said to do.

[**meep**]

One of the things she needs to do is to appeal

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/information/reviews-and-appeals-payments

[lionrose.7]

I would phone the daily news paper in your area, they would have a field day with this and make centre link look like the idiots they are.

That is with the poor girls permission

[the_hawk*]

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@alexander*beetle wrote:
Yes, I'm already trying to get a few things started. The family have had a lot deal with over the past few months and this is just another difficulty for them. They are all a bit burnt out. It's just disgusting.

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apeal and ask to speak to a social worker at CL

[alexander*beetle]

Will certainly encourage her to appeal. Problem is she is already doing the community service work and is so depressed she is almost incoherent. Not speaking and coming home going to her room and crying. I don't know if she is up to the fight with them.

I've offered to be her support but she is struggling to deal with it all at the moment. The privacy thing is the real issue. I can't intervene on her behalf and her family is just not capable at the moment. All round it's just too sad.

However, I'm just not going to let this stand. It's just not on.

[the_hawk*]

get her to get a medical certificate until she can get it sorted out

[alexander*beetle]

She's got a medical certificate and they are not acknowledging it.