I'll call him Napoleon Solo. He told me he had worked for the Department for twenty-seven years. I told him he deserved a medal.
He was calm, conciliatory and clear in his explanations. This shambles over our assets was not his fault. The blame can be squarely planted at the feet of the Minister for Social Sevices. Oh hail, Caesar - Christian Porter.
Those changes that came into being on 1 January are solely due to the Minister's actions. Today, Napoleon actually explained the process that has reduced our pensions by fifty-seven dollars each per fortnight. All in plain English.
Michael and I are permitted to have $375 000 in assets before we lose any proportion of our pension. At the moment, we have $38 000 more in assets. For every thousand of being over the asset limit, we each lose $1.50 off our pensions. This may not sound like a lot of money but when we live on just over $600 each per fortnight, that $57 is the difference between surviving and living.
Our Man from U.N.C.L.E. suggested we reduce our assets. When the house is built, the spare block will no longer be counted we will reduce our assets by $30 000. And we discussed getting that millstone of Michael's share in the Wanerie property revalued. Bought at the top of the market, Michael is unlikely to ever recoup the $80 000 he sunk into this enterprise. Our best bet is to get an appraisal from the local real estate agent to reflect Wanerie's value now. Hopefully, these actions will reduce our assets back under the ceiling.
In view of this lengthy but worthwhile conversation, I decided to can the proposed review of our situation. Napoleon also promised to send me, in writing, all of the details of our conversation. I explained to him my frustrations of six different interpretations and six different asset changes and six different pension rates over the last six weeks. He commiserated and apologised but his hands are tied.
Centrelink has turned into a monster, a juggernaut. Very few people seem to know how to drive this complex, arbitrary and unwieldy hulk. Those who do, like Napoleon, are squirreled away from the mug punters, lest they actually explain how the system operates. I consider myself to be very lucky to have had conversations with two articulate and understanding Centrelink staffers, Napoleon and Agent 99, in the previous few days.
At long as K.A.O.S. is at the helm, this situation will continue. And Commander Christian can make any changes that he sees fit. He appears to delight in punishing the vulnerable, the sick, the elderly and the disabled. His partner in crime from Human Services, the Invisible Man is no better. They have declared war on us.
The only silver lining I see is to create posts like this one, to inform, to question and to keep this appalling treatment by this conservative government in the limelight until the next election. As my friend, Brenda would say, "they are not nice people".
Our agent from Technical Peer Support
Napoleon Solo, decent human being from the Department of "Human" Services
And the current persuasion of those in power
And my not so brave alter ego!
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