# Healing and Wellbeing > Study, Work and Welfare >  >  Centrelink (Australia's finacial assistance department) makes me want to cry

## Dumplpings

I'm so mad and upset. I'm still constantly on the verge of tears since my appointment this morning. For context, I have a severe generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Also, I know I'm probably luckier than some people, but I'm super not coping and I feel like everything is against me. And some very important things really are. 

I'm a student. I can't study full time - I can barely cope with one unit. I do accounting which is very full on, and my current unit (Taxation) is worse than normal. I don't know if I'm even going to pass, and considered withdrawing but couldn't because I'd have been evicted. Because Centrelink (the government department that deals with providing financial assistance, such as student allowances, the dole and disability) does not count study at all if you are not a full time student, with zero exceptions. I'm trying to get disability (theoretically for anyone who is not physically able to work more than 15 hours a week), but I've been told that I have very little chance even though I'm really not physically able to work even 15 hours per week - even without study. I've also been told that mental illness doesn't count as a disability anymore because ability isn't at a consistent level every day - there are better and worse days. Which makes no sense when the best days for some people are still worse than the average person - even far worse. So I was first advised that I should get a job capacity assessment, which gave me a permanent decreased capacity for work of 15+ hours and an exemption from looking for work for 6 months. However, I can't get another assessment for 2 years after that one (July next year) and 6 months was the most they could give me. The only exception is if the person's condition "considerably worsen"s - Like, "Oh, so you didn't get any better, maybe even a little worse. You couldn't work before, and we assessed and agreed on that, but you totally can now." 

So after that 6 months, I got sent to a provider (an independent company paid by Centrelink) to "help me look for work". It was one for people who had a decreased work capacity, and told going to one would help if I ever wanted to get disability (basically that they are a lot less likely to consider qualifying you for disability if you hadn't attempted all this first). I have appointments with them every two weeks. I had one today. There is only two staff members for four locations, and it seems pretty poorly run. I doubt there is any mandated training in regards to having any understanding or sympathy towards people with mental illness. I've told them multiple times about everything I'm doing to improve my condition, and how hard things are for me. I have so little energy that on good days I have to choose between study and doing one bit of house work, like washing my clothes or cooking food. And once a week I need to do a share of cleaning of common areas, or I get fined $40AUD. I have the athleticism of a morbidly obese person; I couldn't run more than like 10 meters to save my life. I need 11 hours sleep. It's been so bad lately, and I've had headache non-stop for 2 months that prescription pain killers only really take the edge off for. It's bad enough that I had to be tested for arthritis and meningitis. I also have IBS, tachycardia and a bunch of other physical issues as a result of my anxiety. Trying to improve is such a slow process. But they constantly make me feel like I'm acting like a baby, and don't believe me on how bad it is. Today, the provider told me "I really think working [25 hours a week] would really help you. Do you want to be like _this_ when you're 30?" The 25 hours a week wasn't specifically said in that sentence, but she constantly tells me that's what I should be doing. Anything labelled as "part time" or "casual" and she applies for it on my behalf, even if it's 30 hours a week. I'm desperately trying to finish my degree, which will qualify me to be an accountant, and want to ease into work after I've finished or am close to finishing. Whenever I've pushed myself to be more functional like average people (sleep for 8 hours daily, be more active, etc) I've made myself ill from exhaustion. Last time was when I spent a week at my parents (with a torn ligament from yoga almost healed and then a pinched nerve) and I was only slightly more active for a little of that, and then spent a couple weeks with my sister's family and went by her family's sleep patterns and schedule and ended up with such bad IBS from exhaustion that I was running to the bathroom before I'd even finished eating. I lost almost 5kg in 2 weeks. 

I also tend to do things like pull a muscle in one shoulder/collarbone area while trying to scratch the other shoulder. I've suddenly gotten quite ill for 2 months just from stress, and I couldn't have predicted it. That time they thought it might have been an ovarian cyst or appendicitis, because my stomach hurt so much. I was really starting to get good progress on my energy levels and exercise and stuff, and then I got glandular fever for a year and ended up worse than I was before. My psychologist thought 15 hours being mandatory for me was crazy when I mentioned it, and was very concerned about how detrimental that would be to my health, let alone my studies. 

I've also recently started trying to contact politicians about this. If I'm having this much trouble, it must be so much worse for other people so I really feel like I need to do something. The only person that responded was a local member (state/territory member) who has offered to talk to some other people for me - locally and federally. Just having an option to study part time and not work would mean a world of difference. I really want to finish my degree. I hate feeling like I'm over reacting because people think someone with a "minor" mental illness should be a lot more capable than I am. That they should be mostly functional, just need a small amount of help. 

Also, I can't ask my parents for financial help. My mum has no say over finances since she had a psychotic break a couple of years ago and is now heavily medicated for schizophrenia. Dad is paranoid and narcissistic, and uses money as a tool for control. He already pays for my health insurance, which I'm super grateful for, and will sometimes give me a little help for things like when I had wisdom tooth surgery, although he is always begrudging about it and reminds me how expensive everything is (he is supposedly in the top tax bracket). If I suggest a more regular allowance, or mention struggling, he just suggests moving back home or becoming a full time carer for my grandmother (both live in different states/territories to me).  He gives one of my sisters an allowance while she studies, and regularly bails one of my other sisters out because she'll spend money getting drunk/high or going to India and then be all "I can't afford rent" and he knows this. And then tells me he can't help me because he's helping her. He also thinks my boyfriend (a provisional psychologist) should be treating me for free (he didn't say this directly to me, in fact he hasn't even acknowledged to me that he knows I have a boyfriend) but talks about everyone behind their backs. I know he thinks I'm being silly and stupid and should have long since finished university and probably thinks that I should be giving him money or at least free accounting services. 

Although so something in this is more upbeat, baby spinach is really good if you want a cheap, super healthy veg that goes well on sandwiches and doesn't need to be pealed or cut up. In case anyone has energy levels like mine. 

Also if anyone is interested and/or having similar troubles in Australia, I have a really good page that goes in-depth about the short falls of Centrelink in regards to mental health if you want to send it to your local MPs. 
(https://mhaustralia.org/general/comp...-out-solutions)

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## Member11

> ...



First off, I feel your pain  :Hug:  I too have to deal with Centrelink and it is hell, no doubt.

You should go and sign up to Medicare (if you haven't done so already), it is free for you and will cover most if not all of your health costs. In Australia unlike USA, you don't really need health insurance, as whatever your health insurance will cover, Medicare will cover too.

When you are dealing with Centrelink, make sure you document everything to do with your medical conditions. If you see a psychologist or a specialist, and they say you have an condition, tell them to put it in writing like a letter or a report, as long as it has their letterhead on it and it is signed it will be okay. If you don't see a psychologist, you should look into it, Medicare will give you 10 appointments per year for free.

If you take any medicines, list them on paper, so you can easily pull it out and show when asked. If you don't take medicines and never have, it is a good idea to look into as Centrelink will never consider your disability application if you haven't at least tired medicines to help with your conditions.

If you keep things documented and show that you have been checked out by psychologists and specialists, Centrelink will start treating your conditions more seriously and give you more exemptions, etc.

I'm sorry about what happen in your interview, sadly that is a common thing that those providers do, but please don't take it to heart and stay strong  :Hug:

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## Dumplpings

I have medicare, but it doesn't get me free glasses or help cover things like the chiropractor. Medicare only gets $55 off the physio I've had two doctors refer me to, and few medical professionals other than GPs bulk bill where I live, except for the public hospital and the waiting lists there are months long. But thanks for the suggestion.  ::): 

Actually, medicare has changed. ATAPs only gives you 6 free appointments now, and there is another option for 10 half-priced sessions but that still leaves maybe $100 or more. 

Thanks again. I'm taking antidepressants (far from the first I've tried) as well as 4 other medications for symptoms of my anxiety disorder. I'll get the psychologist to write a letter, as well as my GP and the physio and get a copy of the report from the psychiatrist. I've already provided some of this to Centrelink awhile ago, and only go one exemption and was told repeatedly I couldn't get reassessed, even though the assessor told me to ask specifically for one. They are so confusing. Part of why I took it so badly was that I forgot to take my antidepressants that morning. Oops.

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## Antidote

It sounds like you have symptoms of multiple conditions (IBS, chronic fatigue, sleep disorder etc). Have you received an official diagnosis to explain your symptoms other than anxiety? I'm wandering if non-psychiatric diagnoses would bolster your claim for disability?

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