ONLINE IMPROVEMENTS MEAN MORE CONVENIENT AND FASTER PAYMENTS FOR FAMILIES

More families are choosing to claim family payments over the Internet, with around half of all family assistance claims now being made using convenient and improved online services.

“More and more people are telling Centrelink they prefer to use the Internet to do their business,” Minister for Human Services, Chris Bowen MP said.

“For example, around 80 per cent of first time mothers are choosing to lodge their claims online instead of using paper forms.”

Centrelink has worked to improve its online services, including transferring information provided by customers through an online claim straight into its record and scanning paper forms into its computer system so staff can access the information electronically.

The service also allows busy parents to save the information they have completed and finish the claim at a later time.

“The 6,000 families claiming Family Tax Benefit online and 3,400 families lodging a paper form every week are benefiting from these changes by receiving their payments quicker, with more than 80 per cent of claims processed within 14 days,” Mr Bowen said.

People can claim a number of family payments online including Family Tax Benefit, Baby Bonus, Child Care Benefit and Maternity Immunisation Allowance.

3.9 million customers are currently registered to use self-service options with over 24 million online transactions completed during the 2008-09 financial year.

To register for and access online services go to www.centrelink.gov.au or www.familyassist.gov.au.

Add A Comment