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Issue No. 288 | 04 November 2005 |
Terror Laws
Interview: Public Defender Legal: Craig's Story Unions: Wrong Way, Go Back Industrial: WhatChoice? Politics: Queue Jumping History: Iron Heel Economics: Waging War International: Under Pressure Poetry: Billy Negotiates An AWA Review: A Pertinent Proposition
The Soapbox The Locker Room Culture Parliament
Australia, 2005 Truth in Advertising Investment Advice What a Woman! It's Not Pretty Screwed
Labor Council of NSW |
Letters to the Editor Screwed
While the Federal Government is spending $20 million exthols the alleged virtues of its Industrial Relations "reforms" and an unknown amount on television, radio and newspaper advertisments asking those recieving Social Security payments to "support the system that supports you", I, a single male on a Disability Support Pension, considered myself fortunate to have secured part-time employment. I dutifully "did the right thing", as espoused by these above mentioned public funded advertmisments, and reported my earnings - the princely sum of $15-60c for a half day's work - to Centrelink... and that is where my troubles began! Despite the fact that Centrelink was duly notified on time and in the manner it had advised me to, the appropriate forms were not "actioned" as Centrelink later advised me. As a result, my Pension payment did not go into my bank on the usual day and my bank has charged me $45 because the necessary funds were not in the account to cover regular payments I had arranged to pay by direct debit. Despite numerous calls to Centrelink and the assurances of Centrelink staff, four days later, my Disability Pension has still not been paid into my account and I am out of pocket - solely because I chose to "do the right thing"! Yes... "support the system that supports you"... but I for one now have much greater sympathy for those that instead opt to "screw the sytem that screws you" and not report their meagre earnings to Centrelink - it certainly does not seem to pay - as doing the "right thing" obviously is not always the same as doing the "smart thing"!! Jean-Luc deVere
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