The Turnbull Government is delivering a significant boost to Centrelink’s call centre capability by engaging 1000 additional operators to help ease the burden on busy phone lines.
Centrelink receives about one million calls every week and there are times – particularly during peak periods – when our customers tell us it is not always easy to get through on the phone.
Centrelink said the investment in the 1000 operators will greatly enhance their ability to answer more calls and ensure that the service they deliver is in line with customer expectations.
The move follows a pilot program which began in October last year with the engagement of an additional 250 call centre workers through a service delivery agreement with Serco.
The Serco contract, worth $51.7 million over three years, is separate to the 1000 operators being announced, and brings the total number of additional staff to 1250.
In six months, the Serco staff have answered more than 1.4 million calls, or up to 14,500 extra per day.
An independent evaluation of the Serco pilot also found that staff were efficient and were giving the department greater flexibility around peak demand periods.
Like the 250 Serco staff, the 1000 operators will be employed by service delivery providers.
This Federal Government said initiative will not result in any of Centrelink’s employees losing their jobs.
“The use of private providers to carry out call centre functions is not new,” they said.
“Labor introduced the model in 2008 at the Australian Taxation Office where it has worked effectively.
“This program will enable most claims to be lodged and processed online, making the process faster and easier for benefit recipients.”
It will be a requirement that all workers are based in Australia, providing local jobs for more Australians and their families.