Centrelink-viewd from the community sector
By: RAPER, Michael
.
Material type: 
ArticlePublisher: Oxford : Blackwell Publishers Limited, September 1999Australian Journal of Public Administration 58, 3, p. 101-108Abstract: The government's introduction of a new service delivery agency, Centrelink, to deliver a range of programs including income support has been heralded as a major step forward in government service provision. Certainly no one would dispute that an improved level of service delivery can have major benefits for many low-income and disadvantaged people. However, it is becoming more apparent that there are tensions between the strong emphasis being placed on improving customer services and a social security system predicated on rights and entitlements under legislation. In a system where the former takes priority, the satisfaction of numerous customers with relatively uncomplicated situations may well be considered a more valuable outcome than the satisfaction of one person with a very complex situation that may require a high input of resources. When dealing with a 'service' such as income support where people's access to assistance can make a fundamental difference to their ability to live decently it is imperative that great care is taken before managerial and administrative models, such as a 'purchaser-provider split', are imported from other sectors. This article will explore these issues from the perspective of the community sector, particularly those who assist and advocate on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged people
The government's introduction of a new service delivery agency, Centrelink, to deliver a range of programs including income support has been heralded as a major step forward in government service provision. Certainly no one would dispute that an improved level of service delivery can have major benefits for many low-income and disadvantaged people. However, it is becoming more apparent that there are tensions between the strong emphasis being placed on improving customer services and a social security system predicated on rights and entitlements under legislation. In a system where the former takes priority, the satisfaction of numerous customers with relatively uncomplicated situations may well be considered a more valuable outcome than the satisfaction of one person with a very complex situation that may require a high input of resources. When dealing with a 'service' such as income support where people's access to assistance can make a fundamental difference to their ability to live decently it is imperative that great care is taken before managerial and administrative models, such as a 'purchaser-provider split', are imported from other sectors. This article will explore these issues from the perspective of the community sector, particularly those who assist and advocate on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged people
Click on an image to view it in the image viewer
There are no comments for this item.