A vent!

[Lash]

But first I should probably introduce myself... i am the proud godmum of my best friends 2.5yo toddler. I spend lots of time with him and cant wait to have kids of my own, however we are not going to start ttc until next year for various reasons.
One of them being that I want to finish my studies first... So I have been accepted into youth work at tafe this coming semester. Back to dealing with centrelink and government agencies.. and its already getting to me!!!!

Centrelink have told me that i will not get back paid as a student; so i need to enter all my forms before the first day of my course - i said thats fine!

THEN they told me that I need to do everything online - i tried that and it didnt work. Of course the lady in the call centre was a complete B**** and didnt help at all. She said THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO. Im like well if applying over the internet is the only way to do it, and i cant do that, you have to help me some other way. She said there is simply nothing she can do. I told her i could go INTO a centrelink office, she goes "Oh yeah thats an option" DUUUH.
Finallly after some unfriendly words from my behalf, she gives me the technical support line number.

In the end i decide stuff it, i went into centrelink got all the details and they reminded me about having my forms in BEFORE i start studying.

HOWEVER, i rang tafe to get my student id number (what centrelink needs to finalise my claim) and they "havent been generated yet"
I asked when we can get them - was told to come for an appointment THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL HOLIDAYS - so basically 3 days before my course starts, 2 of which are sat and sun so no centrelink open!!!

Also at this appointment, i am meant to prove concession and organise fees. Well I cant GET the concession until i get my bloody id numer can i!!!

So i explain that to tafe over the phone, said i need to id number to get the concession because there is simply no way i can pay for full fees (there is a massive difference - like 700 concession, 1500 NORMAL!!!)

She got angry and started being extremely rude to me; i ended up just hanging up.

Another girl i know at the SAME campus and the SAME area already has her id number and YES shes a new student too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The lady on the phone told me thats not possible, i said yes it damn well is coz she has it!

B****

So now im REALLY frustrated, incase you cant tell.

Pffffffffffft. Sorry that was so long!!

[BrokenButterfly]

*hugs*

don't give up.

if it's not resolved already, or gone passed and not been properly resolved, centrelink has an appeals process and i'm sure you can explain that the tafe wouldn't give you your student ID.

I'm pretty sure the tafe would have some kind of appeals process too where you can say centrelink stuffed you around about getting your concession.

sadly tafes seem to work on the assumption that people applying will either continue working if they were working (or have a partner working to support them) or if they aren't working through their course, were already on some form of centrelink payment.

there are obviously quite a few people like yourself that don't fall into either of those categories and therefore the system becomes messy.

but don't let it put your off studying. I'm sure it can be sorted.

good luck, with both centrelink and studying.

[LizzardLover]

have another talk to the tafe but i'd go in and do it face to face. Also perhaps if it's possible you can enroll as a full fee student but then when you present you card they will refund the difference? If your application is in to centrelink before the start date of the course your card should be issued with the date of lodgement on it which would be ok for the course if you know what i mean? is there someone you can borrow the difference from just for a couple of weeks?