Shall We Fiddle While Social Security Burns?
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- Fairdinkum
- feistyfemale56
- humorous_sage
- Fairdinkum
- humorous_sage
- Fairdinkum
- humorous_sage
- Fairdinkum
- humorous_sage
- Fairdinkum
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» Fairdinkum - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty posted by humorous_sage:I'll underpin my comments with a statement that I reckon our social security system is better than most...a reasonable safety net in fine weather sailing. BUT, it is fragmented when problems happen. OK...we don't have call centres in India..yet but most major functions are "centralised" in separate centres. 
And Call centres in Tasmania and Queensland can handle enquiries from New South Wales and vice versa etc etc.
My friend is overpaid and the debt should have died with his bankruptcy. We applied for access to documents under FOI and 250 papers arrived after the period required by law. Getting a lot of papers sounded good but perusal shows a lot of chaff and a bit of "Bluff 'em with (bleep)"
I'm trying to deal with all the issues we need to outside his home state. There are 4 separate and remote units within Centrelink apart from his local office to try to negotiate with. Sad really..when Centrelink's creation and take over of the welfare system from the old cumbersome "Social Security" was towards a whole-of-government integrated approach and personalised service. Their customer relations unit concedes they've let that approach slip by the wayside. So, tougher times ahead as the topic discusses..and lesser access to deal with it.
We have only 8 states/terrorities to cover. So, compared to the USA, we should be able to have a simpler system. Well..the framework for ours probably looks fine for those who don't use it.
Jeff
-- posted by Fairdinkum
» feistyfemale56 - Re: Hi Feisty
Hi Jeff,Interesting points you make--as usual. : )
I suspect the framework of many things looks fine: it is the difference between theory and application. You know, as in physics, where theories are true IF done in a pure vacuum. And there's the rub--there is no pure vacuum, just as there is no perfect system.
-- posted by feistyfemale56
» humorous_sage - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty posted by Fairdinkum:It is easy to concentrate on the advantages of someone elses system -- ignoring the bad points. Of course, it goes the other way around, also.
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Fairdinkum - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty posted by Deb & Hank:One of my lifetimes ago..from 20 years??..I actually looked at how other country's systems worked through to reciprocal agreement processes. I was in a team that talked to visitors about their's when they visited here to talk about ours. I later looked at what sort of system we needed to work towards in 10-20 years. But politics ensured much "nibbling at the edges" and re-naming re-cycled ideas. Palindromic but also heady stuff.
Japan sent 3 teams over. (I got little gifts and a great to 'interesting' Japanese meal at a top restaurant but never important enough to get an overseas trip out of it) One African country wanted comparative advice on introducing what seemed like a primitive village based welfare system. Maybe our combined technology aint all its cracked up to be?
Jeff
-- posted by Fairdinkum
» humorous_sage - Perfect?
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hi Feisty posted by Fairdinkum:There are no perfect retirement or welfare systems. Too fancy a safety net tends to encourage people to get lazy and to quit saving for their retirement. Too flimsy a safety net lets many hard working people starve. C'est la vie.
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Fairdinkum - Re: Perfect?
In response to Perfect? posted by humorous_sage:There is a major welfare industry needing to be better paid so they can look after the needy masses who need to be fed. That'd be perfect for them. I always reckoned that if the welfare industry really was so understaffed, overworked etc..all the unemployed could be hired then they wouldn't be needed. Aaah....the conundrums of life. We should make doctors redundant too. ABC
Jeff
-- posted by Fairdinkum
» humorous_sage - Re: Re: Perfect?
In response to Re: Perfect? posted by Fairdinkum:Who uses doctors? I have my own medicine man.
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Fairdinkum - fiddling??
In response to Re: Re: Perfect? posted by humorous_sage n all:An alcoholic is defined as someone who drinks more than their doctor. Don't know why I felt the need to add that. ABC
Refuse to be intimidated. Whatever clumsy system...my advice has always been to keep every letter in a file, record details of every contact made ( incl name or description if not given, time, date, place) ask for a phone contact receipt (call centres have em) and put everything in writing to avoid misunderstandings over the phone. If objecting/appealing, seek relevant papers under FOI, if FOI laws permit and attach explanations if the forms are restrictive.
I'm doing this for a friend who only partially followed my earlier advice. I am amazed at discovering gross errors in the debt calculations, copies of letters not received and decisions where letters were not sent etc. Watch this space...I'm hoping for a successful advocacy.
Jeff
-- posted by Fairdinkum
» humorous_sage - Being Selective
In response to fiddling?? posted by Fairdinkum:When it comes to contracts, I tend to take what I'm given. I even sold a piece for $5 and then had it show up on Google more often and longer than any of my other creations.
I've also sold over 50 articles for 17 cents per word. C'est la vie.
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Fairdinkum - Contracts?
In response to Being Selective posted by humorous_sage:Hi Hank. I'm really slow tonight in connecting the dots. I'll re-check tomorrow.
Jeff
-- posted by Fairdinkum
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