Personal Advisers Start Today: More Help for the Most Vulnerable
Many Australians on income support will receive even more personalised services with the launch of Centrelink’s Personal Advisers, as part of the Australians Working Together (AWT) package.
Over 400 Personal Advisors will start work at Centrelink offices across the country today with more to be added as the program expands. (see attachments below)
The Personal Advisers are a big part of Australians Working Together. With 2.8 million Australians of working age on income support and 850,000 children growing up in households where no adult works, the need for an active welfare system is self-evident.
The best way to help people is to help them get a job. But we also realise that not everyone is job-ready, and that people’s skills, circumstances and experiences vary.
Personal Advisers will assist people identify their barriers to work and help them develop a plan to overcome these obstructions. The assistance will take into account a customer’s goals and aspirations, their existing skills and education, their health and other personal circumstances, their family situation and caring responsibilities.
The groups of people who will be helped by Personal Advisers are:
- aged between 50 and Age Pension Age and who are in receipt of Widow Allowance, Partner Allowance or Mature Age Allowance;
- in receipt of Parenting Payment;
- in receipt of Newstart Allowance who are temporarily incapacitated;
- Newly claiming Newstart Allowance and who are either Indigenous Australians, recently released from prison or who have certain exemptions from the Activity Test.
Other measures that will start today include an improved assessment process for Disability Support Pension claims that will focus on what people can do, not what they can’t.
Over the next three to four years we will provide an extra 32,000 disability employment assistance places, rehabilitation places, and vocational education and training places.
The Language, Literacy and Numeracy Supplement will also start today. It will offer an extra $20.80 per fortnight to help eligible participants in the Commonwealth’s Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programme with the costs associated with undertaking their training course.
Australians Working Together provides an innovative range of new and expanded initiatives. The initiatives starting today will help a range of people on income support receive the right help, at the right time.
PERSONAL ADVISERS BY STATE
State | Full Time PAs | Part Time PAs |
---|---|---|
QLD | 99 | 1 |
NSW | 117 | 13 |
VIC | 81 | 0 |
TAS | 14 | 0 |
SA | 35 | 1p/t, 2 relief |
WA | 40 | 0 p/t, 9 relief |
NT | 19 | 0 p/t, 1 relief |
ACT | 1 | 3 |
PERSONAL ADVISERS BY AREA
Queensland
- Bayside , 4 full-time
- Beenleigh, 2 full-time
- Biggera Waters, 2 full-time
- Bowen, 1 full-time
- Browns Plains, 2 full-time
- Bundaberg, 3 full-time
- Caboolture, 3 full-time
- Cairns, 6 full-time
- Caloundra, 2 full-time
- Dalby, 1 full-time
- Fortitude Valley, 1 full-time
- Fraser Coast, 3 full-time
- Gladstone, 2 full-time
- Goodna, 2 full-time
- Gympie, 2 full-time
- Inala , 2 full-time
- Ingham, 1 full-time
- Innisfail, 1 full-time
- Ipswich, 4 full-time
- Kingaroy, 2 full-time
- Kippa Ring, 3 full-time
- Mackay, 3 full-time
- Mareeba, 2 full-time
- Maroochydore, 2 full-time
- Maryborough, 1 full-time
- Mitchelton, 2 full-time
- Mt Gravatt, 2 full-time
- Mt Isa, 2 full-time
- Noosa, 3 full-time
- Nerang, 2 full-time
- Nundah, 2 full-time
- Palm Beach, 1 full-time
- Rockhampton, 4 full-time
- Roma, 1 part-time
- Southport, 3 full-time
- Stones Corner, 4 full-time
- Strathpine, 2 full-time
- Toowong, 1 full-time
- Toowoomba, 3 full-time
- Townsville, 6 full-time
- Warwick, 2 full-time
- Woodridge, 3 full-time
New South Wales
- Albury , 2 full-time, 1 part-time
- Auburn, 2 full-time
- Armidale, 2 full-time
- Ballina, 1 full-time
- Batemans Bay, 1 full-time
- Bathurst, 1 full-time
- Baulkham Hills, 1 full-time
- Bega , 1 part-time
- Blacktown, 3 full-time
- Bondi, 1 full-time
- Bourke, 1 part-time
- Broken Hill, 1 full-time
- Brunswick Heads, 1 full-time
- Canterbury, 6 full-time
- Caringbah, 1 full-time
- Liverpool, 9 full-time
- Cessnock, 1 full-time
- Charlestown, 3 full-time
- Coffs Harbour, 2 full-time
- Cooma, 1 part-time
- Corrimal, 1 full-time
- Cowra, 1 part-time
- Dapto , 1 full-time
- Darlinghurst, 1 full-time
- Dubbo, 2 full-time, 1 part-time
- Ettalong, 1 full-time
- Gosford, 2 full-time
- Goulburn, 1 full-time
- Grafton, 2 full-time
- Griffith, 1 part-time
- Hawkesbury, 1 full-time
- Hornsby, 1 full-time
- Hurstville, 2 full-time
- Katoomba, 1 full-time
- Kempsey, 1 full-time
- Newcastle, 1 full-time
- Lakehaven, 1 full-time
- Leeton, 1 part-time
- Leichhardt, 1 full-time
- Lismore, 1 full-time
- Lithgow, 1 full-time
- Macarthur, 6 full-time
- Maitland, 2 full-time
- Maroubra, 1 full-time
- Marrickville, 1 full-time
- Mayfield, 1 full-time
- Merrylands, 2 full-time
- Moree, 1 full-time
- Mount Druitt, 3 full-time
- Mudgee, 1 full-time
- Muswellbrook, 1 full-time
- Nambucca Heads, 1 full-time
- Narooma, 1 part-time
- Nelson Bay, 1 full-time
- Northern Beaches, 1 full-time
- Nowra, 2 full-time
- Orange, 1 full-time
- Parkes, 1 full-time
- Parramatta, 2 full-time
- Penrith, 2 full-time
- Port Macquarie, 2 full-time
- Queanbeyan, 1 full-time
- Redfern, 2 full-time
- Rockdale, 1 full-time
- Ryde , 1 full-time
- Shellharbour, 2 full-time
- Springwood, 1 full-time
- St Mary’s, 2 full-time
- Sutherland, 1 full-time
- Tamworth, 2 full-time
- Taree, 2 full-time
- Toronto, 1 full-time
- Tweed Heads, 2 full-time
- Ulladulla, 1 part-time
- Wagga Wagga, 1 full-time, 2 part-time
- Walgett, 1 full-time
- Wallsend, 2 full-time
- Wollongong, 2 full-time
- Wyong, 1 full-time
- Young, 1 part-time
Victoria
- Ararat/Stawell, 1 full-time
- Ballarat, 2 full-time
- Bendigo, 3 full-time
- Box Hill, 2 full-time
- Broadmeadows, 3 full-time
- Camberwell, 1 full-time
- Cheltenham, 1 full-time
- Cranbourne, 2 full-time
- Dandenong, 2 full-time
- Darebin, 4 full-time
- Echuca, 1 full-time
- Epping, 2 full-time
- Essendon, 1 full-time
- Fitzroy, 2 full-time
- Footscray, 1 full-time
- Fountain Gate, 1 full-time
- Frankston, 1 full-time
- Geelong, 4 full-time
- Newmarket, 1 full-time
- Glen Waverley, 1 full-time
- Greensborough, 2 full-time
- Heidelberg, 2 full-time
- Horsham, 1 full-time
- Knox , 3 full-time
- Lilydale, 2 full-time
- Melton, 1 full-time
- Mildura, 1 full-time
- Moreland, 2 full-time
- Mornington, 2 full-time
- Morwell, 1 full-time
- Newport, 1 full-time
- Oakleigh, 2 full-time
- Richmond, 1 full-time
- Ringwood, 2 full-time
- Sale , 1 full-time
- Seymour, 1 full-time
- Shepparton, 3 full-time
- South Melbourne, 1 full-time
- Springvale, 2 full-time
- Sunbury, 1 full-time
- Sunshine, 2 full-time
- Wangaratta, 2 full-time
- Warragul, 1 full-time
- Warrnambool, 1 full-time
- Watergardens, 2 full-time
- Werribee, 2 full-time
- Windsor, 3 full-time
Tasmania
- Devonport, 1 full-time
- Hobart 10 full-time
- Mowbray, 3 full-time
South Australia
- Berri , 1 full-time
- Ceduna, 1 full-time
- Adelaide, 1 full-time (2 relief)
- Elizabeth, 2 full-time
- Enfield, 2 full-time
- Gawler, 1 full-time
- Glenelg, 1 full-time
- Kadina, 1 full-time
- Kilkenny, 2 full-time
- Marion, 2 full-time
- Modbury, 2 full-time
- Mount Gambier, 1 full-time
- Mount Barker, 1 full-time
- Murray Bridge, 1 full-time
- Noarlunga, 3 full-time
- Norwood, 1 full-time
- Parkside, 1 full-time
- Port Adelaide, 2 full-time
- Port Augusta, 1 full-time, 1 part-time
- Port Lincoln, 1 full-time
- Port Pirie, 1 full-time
- Salisbury, 3 full-time
- Torrensville, 1 full-time
- Victor Harbor, 1 full-time
- Whyalla , 1 full-time
Western Australia
- Albany, 1 full-time
- Armadale, 1 full-time
- Broome, 2 full-time
- Bunbury, 1 full-time
- Cannington, 2 full-time
- Carnarvon, 1 full-time
- Derby, 1 full-time
- Esperance, 1 full-time
- Fremantle, 2 full-time
- Geraldton, 2 full-time
- Gosnells, 2 full-time
- Innaloo, 1 full-time
- Joondalup, 2 full-time
- Kalgoorlie, 1 full-time
- Karratha, 1 full-time
- Kununurra, 1 full-time
- Mandurah, 2 full-time
- Midland, 3 full-time
- Perth , 1 full-time (9 relief)
- Mirrabooka, 3 full-time
- Morley, 2 full-time
- Northam, 1 part-time
- Rockingham, 2 full-time
- South Hedland, 1 full-time
- Spearwood, 1 full-time
- Victoria Park, 2 full-time
Northern Territory
- Alice Springs, 6 full-time
- Darwin, 9 full-time
- Katherine, 3 full-time
- Tennant Creek, 1 full-time
ACT
- Belconnen, 1 full-time
- Braddon, 1 part-time
- Tuggeranong, 1 part-time
- Woden, 1 part-time