Does Centrelink pay its way? is the title of an article I wrote a week or so ago for retirement advice specialists, Retirement Essentials. Given that Services Australia has a budget of $5.6 billion annually to service federal government payments, it’s a fair question. Sure, it’s a big job, but the ongoing Senate Estimates Committees which scrutinise Centrelink’s performancecontinue to uncover blowouts in call wait times and processing of applications and enquiries.

The current claim time for an Age Pension (measured year-to-date to 31 March 2024) is an average of 84 days. Is this really the best older Australians can expect from our government agency?https://retirementessentials.com.au/news/centrelink-age-pension/does-centrelink-pay-its-way-or-is-it-time-for-a-change/