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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly inequality reporter

Centrelink issues 2.8m busy messages to callers in only two months as wait times blow out

Centrelink Services Australia Bill Shorten Greens
Centrelink sign
Services Australia chief executive Chris Birrer has conceded the latest call figures ‘did not meet our KPIs’. Services Australia runs Centrelink. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Centrelink issued 2.8m busy messages to callers in only two months, amid a significant blowout to wait times that has prompted members of the federal crossbench to raise the alarm with the Albanese government.

Despite trends showing the agency is generally fielding fewer calls, data tabled by Services Australia in Senate estimates on Wednesday revealed over July and August only 23% of calls to Centrelink were answered, compared with 35% over the 2022-23 financial year.

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