Leanne's story

Lessons from a low income earning sole parent:

Dealing with Centrelink, Job Search Agencies, Insecure work and Parenting!

Background (to cut a long story short!)

In 2004 I’d had enough.  I had been married for almost 10 years and was the mother of two children aged 8 and 6.  My family was reliant on my husband’s income as a sub-contractor however this was irregular due to the nature of the work, his tendency to not finish jobs and a growing gambling habit.  Financially we hovered around the poverty line.  I finally asked him to leave after finding out for the third time in six years that he’d blown out our credit card to the maximum and spent the children’s family payment.  Taking money from a social club he was involved with was the last straw.  I needed to somehow protect myself and my children.

I applied for and received Parenting Payment Single (PPS) and found myself an administration traineeship at my children’s local primary school.  I found the situation ironic as I was financially better off having sole control over our meagre finances, even though we were living well under our previous income.  Our situation was looking up and I also really enjoyed spending extra time at the school volunteering my time on committees and helping with organising the other parents to volunteer.

Later that year, I also began a relationship with the man of my dreams.  In a nutshell - I’d jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.  It took me two years to realise I was in serious trouble and another two years to find a way out.

Jumping ahead to late 2008: I’ve escaped, I am a sole parent again, the children are now 12 and 10, I’m getting counselling, I’m still working and volunteering at the school and have applied for welfare benefits.  I’m put on Newstart.  What the!? 

2009 is still a bit of a blur but I DO remember that after talking to many neighbours, workers, friends and family I found out that although so many of us were in similar situations, Centrelink benefits depended so much on our individual circumstances and even though I had been working and volunteering since 2004, and still was, I was classed by the system as “unemployed”.  I didn’t cleanly fit into any ‘box’ to meet my 15 hours a week mutual obligation (MO) as a Principal Carer on Newstart–

·         I was employed as a casual                        

Therefore classified as ‘unemployed’ as the work wasn’t considered ongoing

·         I was employed at a school                        

So, never worked continually for more than 13 weeks (another MO requirement)

·         I volunteered                                                    

Not a centrelink approved activity as the education department (DEECD) had now changed the rules.  Volunteering to cover C/link commitments meant you weren’t covered by their volunteers insurance.  This insurance is necessary in order to meet the requirements of a Centrelink Approved Activity.

·         I was a Principle Carer                                   

The majority of Centrelink employees tended to treat me as long term unemployed.

·         Unable to receive financial assistance for training/upskilling

Unlike my friends on PPS, I was ineligible for assistance on Newstart as I was employed (Ironic, see above!)

·         Loved my job (now admin/parent liaison) which fit around school hours and terms!

Too bad – was sent to complete 100 hours of Job Search Training from 9am to 4pm. 

I somehow managed to fit this ‘training’ in around work, volunteering, getting my youngest into After School Hours Care (which I helped set up because I could see the growing need with grandfathering finishing in 2013!) and gave my eldest, in Year 7, a key to the house.

I picked up a second 14 hour a week job in administration to try and supplement our income and meet mutual obligation requirements.  I also started making longer term plans to get out of this trap and tried warning others that they were on the ‘grandfather/sunset’ rule.   I was also accepted into a Diploma of Community Welfare course and began by fitting in one subject/unit in Term 3.  I also managed to sneak my enrolment in before the Health Care Card concession rate was abolished, so therefore was on a fee maintenance scheme as long as I completed the course by the end of 2012.   I still wasn’t sure how I would afford to pay for study at the HCC rate until a gorgeous workmate / friend gave me the cash to pay for the course  - no obligation to repay.  I intend to ‘pay it forward’ as soon as I can.  I’m still not there yet.

Then the ‘wheels fell off’.  My eldest and his friends had been getting into serious trouble at school.  What I noticed about the situation was the similarity in all our family situations.  The children were all boys, all parents were low income earners, half had sole parents who were trying to work / study / volunteer and most of the children were the eldest sibling.  I quit the second job after looking at risk and protective factors for psycho-social development in adolescents.  The only risk factors I had any control over were – authoritive parenting and parental supervision.

I changed Job Search Agencies and discovered a lovely worker who listened and took into account the fact I had been working 15 hours a week continuously (during school term) at the one workplace for 5 years and exempted me from further job search training.  I tried convincing my employer of my (and others) need for ‘ongoing’ employment of at least 15 hours per week however I only managed to negotiate 6 monthly employment contracts.  A small reprieve but meant the need to re-evaluate my finances and course subject selections every six months.

A year later our workplace amalgamated with other sites and I discovered my contract wasn’t going to be renewed.  I lost my job.  I was eventually offered another 6 month contract, which I accepted however with the realisation there would be even less job security with further school closures so I negotiated less hours and picked up the pace with my studies.

Last year (2012) I applied for and received Austudy so I could finish the second year of the Diploma as a full-time student before fee maintenance ran out and I incurred even higher course costs with the state government cuts to TAFE funding.  Awesome!  No reporting requirements, no job search agency.  I had nearly a whole year of being treated like a mature adult! However, having no time to fit in any paid work meant we would be living way under the “poverty” line for the rest of the year. 

Not everything went as planned financially, but that’s another story.  We were surviving but by term 4 my choices for final field placement were being affected by my inability to put petrol in the car.  Luckily I found placement within my neighbourhood and also applied for a small part-time job (also local) which paid well, with flexible hours I could fit around part-time placement - Short term pain for long term gain.  Phew!  Some extra cash just in time for Christmas holidays would be fantastic.  This, unfortunately, is where I remembered what it was like to be treated as one of “those” people; The Undeserving.

Centrelink Timeline

Late Oct               Commence casual project work

15/11/12              Received first fortnightly paid income

26/11/12              After numerous failed attempts to call the Austudy phone line (continually engaged) to set up ‘income reporting’ I attend the centrelink office.  Long queue.  Eventually told to return and report first thing on 3/12/12 as the office would be less busy and it would be before my next Austudy payment.  Assured this would not affect any payments.

3/12/12                9-10.00am           extremely busy and waited half an hour to speak to someone

·                                       Set up online reporting and reported 2 x f/nightly income

My mistake here was then being unable to sit through an explanation of working credits for 2013.  I should have remained silent!  However, I pointed out that as I was finishing Austudy on the18th December, this information wasn’t relevant to me and I really needed to get back to work /field placement.  Started being ignored at this point!  In centrelink’s eyes, I assume I ‘disclosed’ information even though I had previously confirmed this end date a few months prior.

This disclosure meant an additional 15 minutes where, after declining a business hours appointment because of work/placement commitments, the customer service advisor (CSA) appeared to have difficulty in accessing an after-hours phone appointment for me on the 13^th December to discuss my Intention to Claim Newstart.  Hitting the ‘enter’ button on the keyboard numerous times didn’t appear to improve his efforts.  It didn’t go down very well either, when I suggested the system may not accept an appointment prior to the Austudy end date.  I decided to stand up and leave after stating that if I didn’t receive a phone call on the 13^th December, I would phone again after the 18^th. Now not sure whether to laugh or cry … so did both.

•             Possibly given a phone appointment for the 13/12/12

•             Later received an SMS reminder of said phone appointment (well, 2 SMS’s actually!  I guess the CSA entered this information twice?)

•             Received 2 online letters – Phone appointment confirmation and Intention to claim Newstart

13/12/12              6pm                      

·                         Received my phone call by appointment.  The CSA explained to me that she couldn’t assist me at this point until after the 18/12/12. (See above!!)

·                         Another phone interview arranged for the 19/12/12

14/12/12              Successfully reported fortnightly income on-line.

18/12/12              Received an online letter regarding cancellation of Austudy

18/12/12              Discover the system is requesting I report again today. (This was an accidental discovery as I’d logged online to try & confirm dates & payments & work out a budget).  I am unable to find any prior notification of this request to report; however when I try to report online the system states that I am “unable to report prior to the report date”. ???

·                         Grab all paperwork and attend centrelink office to physically report a zero income from the 14^th to 18^th December. 

                                                  I assume the system needs to finalise Austudy payments.  I didn’t ask any questions however!

19/12/12              4-5.00pm             Phone Interview to claim Newstart

                                                                Interview arranged with Job Search Agency (JSA) for the 20/12/12

·                         Received online letter re. future Family Assistance payments

·                         Received online letter re. Your Newstart Allowance (payments & dates)

·                         Received online letter re. Your Reporting Statement (return 28/12/12)

·                         Received online letter re. Customer Declaration Form: Newstart Allowance

Discover a few mistakes on this form:

1)      Relationship status: Separated.  Well, that was 4 years ago.  Note to self: find out if it matters if I request to change this to’ single’.

2)      Dependent Children: Yes

In your care: Yes

I am the principal carer: No

What the!? If I have dependent children in my care then how can I NOT be the principal carer?  Uh oh!  Should I phone??  Decide not to just yet.

3)      Current employer details: not currently working

Sigh!  I’ve been here before!  I AM working part-time/casual however this might not be taken into account

20/12/12              11-11.30am         Attend arranged appointment with JSA and leave with:

·         An Employment Pathway Plan (EPP)

·         An Appointment for 4/2/13 to review the EPP

Next appointment would have been on the 3/1/13 except it was picked up that I am a ‘principal carer’.

·         The knowledge they are now called Employment Service Providers (ESP)

·         The discovery that I have been placed in Stream 3.  I query this assumption of my inability to find paid work but the details on the system appear to be correct.  Not happy Jan!  Stream 3 to me means I’ve been assessed has having high needs and will be micro-managed.  I return home to do some research.  Find Job Seeker Classification Instrument – Factors and points: http://deewr.gov.au/job-seeker-classification-instrument?resource= 

Female aged 45-49                                                                          6 points

P/time work (8-30 hours) in last 2 years                                 0 points

Duration on Income Support over previous 10 years        6 points

More than one time on Income support                                               1 point

Education/Qualification (TAFE Diploma)                                 0 points

Has useful vocational qualifications                                          0 points

Medium/Very High Employment Service Area                    3-5 points?

Lone Parent with youngest child under 16                            3 points

No sleep, anxiety or stress problems self-reported          0 points

•             Grrrrr … feels like assumptions based on my age & postcode.

21/12/12                              SMS reminder to report early on the 24/12/12 instead of the 28/12/12

24/12/12              Reported income/work looked for/EPP activities undertaken, early online.  Next report date is the 11/1/13

24/12/12                             

·         Received Pensioner (?) Concession Card in mail

What the!? But I’m not a pensioner?  Only sole parents with dependents under 8 years old are entitled to this. Aren’t they??

·         Received online letter re. Confirmation of my Intention to Claim Newstart

·         Received online letter re. Preliminary Claim for Newstart Allowance

(remember to lodge preliminary claim form by 2/1/13)

28/12/12              Lodge Preliminary Claim Form today as I’m not going near the joint on Monday, 31^st December.  Quite a few cranky people in the queue and while waiting have a quiet giggle as Medicare is now in the same office. Some of the people coming to collect their Medicare rebate seem quite hesitant about entering the Centrelink doorway.  I feel like pasting up a sign saying Yes, Medicare IS welfare too!

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4/1/13   Centrelink Appointment at 9am for an in office interview to discuss my Newstart payment & collect my Job Seeker Diary.  Note to self: remember to correct the information on the Customer Declaration Form.  Nice guy this time – signed changes but didn’t receive a Job Seeker Diary.  Also didn’t ask for one!

11/1/13                                Next Reporting: income/job seeking requirements

22/1/13                Received phone call from ESP asking if I would be interested in a 15 hour a week job in retail selling mattresses.  I said no.  Now unsure if that is classed as a participation failure?

25/1/13                Receive ESA phone call asking if I’m interested in interviewing for either a short term phone sales job, casual counter work at a pay day lender or casual cash register or garden dept work at a hardware chain.

                Took this phone call while I was working on a communication and engagement strategy with an employee from a large govt dept, who listened in with disbelief that this was the only work being offered to me. I wasn’t game to say no, so said yes to the interviews.

29/1/13                After stewing over last week’s job interview offers, I attend the ESP to query the Manager about how these short term/casual job interviews will assist me in meeting my long term personal pathway off Newstart.  Also asked quite bluntly about participation failures and found out it is up to the manager’s discretion.  Had a chat and she organised for me to see her Supervisor that afternoon.  Uneventful meeting apart from feeling they now know myself and my story a tad more personally.  Left with the promise the manager would look over my resume and investigate the sector where I was looking for employment.  Wondering if that means they have no options for anything other than casual, low paid work?  Never heard back from her anyway!

Monday 4/2/13 Next JSA/ESP appointment.  Brought in evidence of all the positions I have applied for so far in the community services sector.  Appointments will be fortnightly after this if I haven’t succeeded in finding additional work.

11/2/13                Nope!  Now weekly appointments  – “Congratulations! You have been selected to participate in our Business/Community Services ‘Elite’ for the months of February/March 2013”.  Interesting, considering this note is attached to another letter telling me what punishment I will receive for non-compliance.

So presently I am attending weekly ESP ‘training’ sessions where I am advised on how to look for work as I am considered one of the most employable job seekers.  Really!?  I am also working approx. one day a week enjoying doing Project work for a school in partnership with our local health department and local university.  I have also picked up another short term role for this term facilitating two orientation sessions at our local TAFE provider.  I’m spending at least two full days per week writing job applications, addressing key selection criteria.  Oh, and you know, I’m also caring for my children!

I’ve also not only completed the Diploma of Community Services Work but was nominated and then shortlisted to the final four, for most outstanding Diploma student of 2012. 

So, the reasons I have been able to able to educate myself and survive on Newstart are:

·         Enrolled in TAFE prior to HCC concession cut backs in 2009

·         Even then, a workmate/friend paid for my course fees

·         Another workmate/friend sold me their old laptop very cheaply

·         I saved and scrimped for two years (04/05) to pay for a property settlement ‘outside the square’ where my ex. husband signed over his share of our (ex. commission property) house enabling me to take over a low mortgage ($30,000).  Therefore my housing costs have ranged from $115-$230 per fortnight.  Repairs and maintenance to the property are altogether another issue!

·         I’ve relied, for short periods, on food parcels and the kindness of friends eg. When I’ve had unexpected education costs for my children, the car needs repairs, the hot water service needed replacing.

I have now been back on Newstart for 10 weeks and its depressing and humiliating and time consuming.  Apparently I had an exemption, as a Principal Carer from looking for work for four weeks over the Christmas/January break … so really have been ‘job-seeking’ for 6 weeks. 

All I want, and all I’ve EVER wanted, is to find some kind of permanent, ongoing paid work (minimum 15 hours per week) that fits around caring for my children and which hopefully fits with my interests and chosen career path.  It’s now been a 9 year journey … and appears that’s too much to ask for!