UPDATE - Centrelink in the time of COVID-19

We speak to Nicola Cannon a solicitor in the government law team — specialising in social security. She will be giving us an overview of recent changes to Centrelink payments and what those changes mean for our clients.

Referrals and more information

LawAccess NSW 1300 888 529

Contact Legal Aid NSW  to speak to a lawyer. Please check www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au for updates about availability of legal advice.

Centrelink’s dedicated COVID-19 page — this website is being regularly updated.

Appealing Centrelink decisions and advice Review of Decision Form

Welfare Rights Legal Centre

Financial counselling

Timeline of changes to JobSeeker Payments

Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period

Special coronavirus security arrangements to end

Subscribe to our Alerts for community and health workers to stay up-to-date

 Look after yourself

We want this to be a safe space for listeners. If you need support, there are services that can help:

• Beyond Blue -1300 224 636
• Lifeline -13 11 14

Got a Centrelink debt you don’t understand? The Welfare Rights Centre can help.

In this episode we talk to Katherine Boyle. Katherine is the Executive Director of the Welfare Rights Centre. The Welfare Rights Centre is a specialist legal service helping people across NSW with Centrelink problems including debts.

Katherine talks about her burning issues around Centrelink debts, the help provided by the Welfare Rights Centre lawyers and different ways that community workers can support their clients when they get a Centrelink debt they don't understand.

The links below are for the services and resources discussed in the episode.

You can contact the Welfare Rights Centre by phone on 1800 226 028 during one of their advice intake times. This number is toll free if you are calling from outside the Sydney metro area.

The advice intake times are:

• Monday – 9.:30am to 12.30pm
• Wednesday – 9.30am to 12.30pm
• Thursday – 1.30pm to 4.30pm

If your matter is urgent, such as if you have lost your payment and have no other source of income, you can call on the office number – 02 9211 5300 - to speak to a lawyer straight away.

You also have the option to make an online enquiry through the website – https://welfarerightscentre.org.au/need-help. Scroll down on the home page and click on the link to making an online enquiry.

There are also factsheets on the website that you can download about a range of Centrelink legal problems.

If you live in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven or South Coast you can contact the Illawarra Legal Centre Welfare Rights Service

You can also contact the Legal Aid NSW Government law team to talk about Centrelink problems. Call LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529 to be referred to this team.

Call the National Debt Helpline if you need help with any money problems on 1800 007 007. The NDH also has a Centrelink Debts step by step guide that you can download.

Economic Justice Australia is the peak body for Welfare Rights Centres across Australia. See their Economic Australia Centrelink Debts Factsheet – last updated April 2020.

Insurance basics - following a disaster

Have you or your clients been affected by recent floods and storms?

In this episode Ma’ata Solofoni from the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW talks about insurance basics following a disaster and how the DRLS can help.

The types of legal issues we can help with include insurance claims, tenancy, financial hardship, credit and debt, Centrelink and issues with employment. If you need more information, call the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW on 1800 801 529.

Referrals and more information

• For information, advice, referrals and where to find your closest Legal Aid NSW office call the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW on 1800 801 529.
• Legal Aid NSW webpage – Legal Help for victims of natural disasters has information and links to useful publications.
• Read our comprehensive fact sheet What to do after a natural disaster and Order FREE factsheets for your service
• Call LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529
• SES NSW 132 500
• Financial Rights Legal Service Flood factsheets

Look after yourself

We want this to be a safe space for listeners. If you need support there are services that can help:

• Beyond Blue -1300 224 636
• Lifeline -13 11 14

Hard Conversations -Episode 5: Talking about elder abuse in rural and regional communities-Maria Berry, OPAN.

'Hard conversations' is a 5-part podcast series exploring the complexity of elder abuse.

In this episode we talk with Maria Berry. Maria is a community development officer from the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN).  She will talk about her personal experience of elder abuse in a rural community and her work with OPAN.

Throughout this series you will hear from lots of different people about their understanding of elder abuse, the ways they think about it in their communities and how we can start to address it together.

There is no one right answer, there are lots of things we can do to help people who may be experiencing or are at risk of elder abuse and we will talk about some of them.

This series has been made in partnership with the Legal Aid NSW Central Coast Elder Abuse Service, and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre.  We also spoke with colleagues from Seniors Rights Service, OPAN, and Connect Ability Australia.

Referrals and more information

• Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service 02 4324 5611
• Legal Aid NSW 1300 888 529
• OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network) – 1800 700 600
• Central Coast Community Legal Centre 02 4353 4988
• Connect Ability – 02 4962 1000
• Seniors Rights Service NSW 1800 424 079
• Seniors Rights Service video and audio resources
• Elder abuse support and mediation service - Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
• Staying home leaving violence
• 1800 respect - 1800 737 732
• Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council – 02 4351 2930
• Mingaletta - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation -Central Coast– 02 4324 7515
• NSW Aboriginal Land Councils – 02 9689 4444
• Speak my language: A community radio project from the Ethnic Communities Council
• Settlement Services International and Northern Settlement Services 49 693 399 43 343 877(Central Coast)
• COTA NSW – 1800 449 102
• Carers NSW - 1800 242 636
• Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline - 1800 628 221
• Compass- Guiding action on elder abuse -resources and support directory
• LawAccess
• Lifeline   131114   Beyond Blue  1300 22 4636

Subscribe to the Elder Abuse Service e-newsletter legalaid.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-and-newsletters/legal-aid-news/subscribe-to-legal-aid-news

If you need an interpreter, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.

Music produced by Gambirra. Editing by Bernadette Nguyen from Audiocraft.

Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.

Hard Conversations-Episode 4: Engaging with diverse communities: Diana Bernard- Seniors Rights Service.

'Hard conversations' is a 5 part podcast series exploring the complexity of elder abuse.

In this 4th episode we talk with Diana Bernard. Diana was the former manager of education and special projects at the Seniors Rights Service.  She will talk about their work in the area of elder abuse and some of the strategies they use in their education work with diverse communities.

Throughout this series you will hear from lots of different people about their understanding of elder abuse, the ways they think about it in their communities and how we can start to address it together.

There is no one right answer, there are lots of things we can do to help people who may be experiencing or are at risk of elder abuse and we will talk about some of them.

This series has been made in partnership with the Legal Aid NSW Central Coast Elder Abuse Service, and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre.  We also spoke with colleagues from Seniors Rights Service, OPAN, and Connect Ability Australia.

Referrals and more information

• Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service 02 4324 5611
• Legal Aid NSW 1300 888529
• Seniors Rights Service NSW 1800 424 079
• Seniors Rights Service video and audio resources
• OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network) – 1800 700 600
• Central Coast Community Legal Centre 02 4353 4988
• Connect Ability – 02 4962 1000
• Staying home leaving violence
• Elder abuse support and mediation service - Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
• 1800 respect - 1800 737 732
• Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council – 02 4351 2930
• Mingaletta - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation -Central Coast– 02 4324 7515
• NSW Aboriginal Land Councils – 02 9689 4444
• Speak my language: A community radio project from the Ethnic Communities Council
• Settlement Services International and Northern Settlement Services 49 693 399 43 343 877(Central Coast)
• COTA NSW – 1800 449 102
• Carers NSW - 1800 242 636
• Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline - 1800 628 221
• Compass- Guiding action on elder abuse -resources and support directory
• Lifeline   131114   Beyond Blue  1300 22 4636

Subscribe to the Elder Abuse Service e-newsletter:legalaid.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-and-newsletters/legal-aid-news/subscribe-to-legal-aid-news

If you need an interpreter, please call the translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450

Music produced by Gambirra.  Podcast edited by by Jessica Sullivan from Legal Aid NSW and Bernadette Nguyen from Audiocraft.

Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au

Extra help with your fines - Revenue NSW Hardship program for young people and First Nations people

In this episode we speak with Isabella Wallington and Bud Crawford from the Revenue NSW Hardship Program. This Program commenced in 2020 and aims to implement a range of strategies to reduce the negative impact of fines debt on vulnerable young people and First Nations people. You will hear about a range of initiatives underway and what is planned for 2021 and beyond. We also talk about how you can help your vulnerable clients speak to Revenue NSW to take advantage of these initiatives and break the cycle of disadvantage associated with fines debt.

To get in touch with Revenue NSW and for help with fines - referrals and more information

• To contact us on behalf of your customers about managing a debt and to access the Advocacy Hotline, you and any individual employees who may deal with us will need to  register with us. During registration, you will need to acknowledge that you’ve read and agreed to the Advocacy  Charter https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/advocate-charter . The Charter ensures advocates understand where they stand with us. It establishes a common understanding of the obligations and standards of conduct and behaviour expected of our advocates.  Information on how to register etc. is available from the following RNSW website link https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/fines-and-fees/advocates For more information, visit advocates and sponsors. 
• The Revenue NSW Advocacy Hotline provides advocacy groups a priority service and it is supported Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm. The hotline number is 1300 135 627
• Revenue NSW WDO and First Nations Hotline – 1300 478 879
• Revenue NSW brochure – help with your fines = getting back on track brochure for young people - https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/fines-getting-back-on-track-youth.pdf
• Revenue NSW brochure – help with your fines = getting back on track brochure for First Nations people - https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/fines-getting-back-on-track-aboriginal-peoples.pdf
• For free legal help call LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529
• For information about work and development orders (WDOs) to clear NSW fines – go to the Legal Aid NSW WDO service web page - https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/civil-law/work-and-development-order-service
• For information about the Cooperative Legal Service Delivery (CLSD) program, regions and contact in your local area – go to https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/community-partnerships/cooperative-legal-services-delivery-clsd-program

Edited by Bernadette Nguyen from Audiocraft.

Hard Conversations-Episode 3: Working with CALD communities with elder abuse: Jenelyn Terkildsen - ConnectAbility

'Hard conversation's' is a 5 part podcast series exploring the complexity of elder abuse.

In this 3rd episode we talk with Jenelyn Terkildsen -the Multicultural Access Project Officer -from ConnectAbility on the Central Coast about her work and thoughts about elder abuse in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Throughout this series you will hear from lots of different people about their understanding of elder abuse, the ways they think about it in their communities and how we can start to address it together.

There is no one right answer, there are lots of things we can do to help people who may be experiencing or are at risk of elder abuse and we will talk about some of them.

This series has been made in partnership with the Legal Aid NSW Central Coast Elder Abuse Service, and the Central Coast Community Legal Centre.  We also spoke with colleagues from Seniors Rights Service, OPAN, and Connect Ability Australia.

Referrals and more information

• Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service 02 4324 5611
• Legal Aid NSW 1300 888 529
• ConnectAbility – 02 4962 1000
• Settlement Services International and Northern Settlement Services 49 693 399:43 343 877(Central Coast)
• Speak my language: A community radio project from the Ethnic Communities Council
• Central Coast Community Legal Centre 02 4353 4988
• Staying home leaving violence
• Seniors Rights Service NSW 1800 424 079
• Mingaletta - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation – 02 4324 7515
• Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council – 02 4351 2930
• NSW Aboriginal Land Councils – 02 9689 4444
• Elder abuse support and mediation service - Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
• 1800 respect - 1800 737 732
• COTA NSW – 1800 449 102
• OPAN (Older Persons Advocacy Network) – 1800 700 600
• Carers NSW - 1800 242 636
• Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline - 1800 628 221
• Compass- Guiding action on elder abuse -resources and support directory
• LawAccess
• Lifeline   131114   Beyond Blue  1300 22 4636

Subscribe to the Elder Abuse Service e-newsletter legalaid.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-and-newsletters/legal-aid-news/subscribe-to-legal-aid-news

If you need an interpreter, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.

Music produced by Gambirra. 

Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.

A little taste of LCW on the go!

Are you new to "Law for Community Workers on the go"? Listen to this short taster to get the idea of what we do!

This podcast started in early 2018 to deliver legal education for an audience of community, social and health workers, especially workers in regional and remote areas. We interview lawyers and specialists about everyday legal problems, what’s new in the law and how people can get free legal help. Our aim is to improve access to justice for vulnerable people in the community by educating frontline workers. 

In this taster, you'll hear from:

1. Teela Reid and Merinda Dutton talking about The Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme (22 October 2019) 00.00-05.19
2. Jessica Sullivan learning What to expect from a Recovery Centre (10 March 2020) 00.46-02.50
3. Nicola Cannon talking about Centrelink in the time of COVID-19 (27 March 2020) 00.53-2.14
4. Jeremie Quiohilag and Nohara Odicho talking about the Legal Aid NSW Refugee Service (22 March 2019) 7.14-9.50
5. Kerry Wright talking about the Law Check Up in Stop the snowball effect - deal with legal problems early! (15 August 2019) 10.40-12.50

The National Redress Scheme—2 years on

Have your say about the National Redress Scheme now until 30 September 2020. Find more information about the second anniversary review on the knowmore website here and in this podcast.

In this podcast, we talk to knowmore legal service about the National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.

The National Redress Scheme started on 1 July 2018 and runs for 10 years. knowmore is the legal service that is funded to help people through the scheme.

You’ll hear about emerging issues related to the National Redress Scheme, including:

• eligibility for the scheme including for priority clients
• how prior payments are treated by the scheme
• financial implications of receiving a redress payment
• the 2 year review of the scheme and how you can have your say

And what community workers and lawyers can do to help clients through this process.

The information is correct at the time of broadcast but can change. Please look at the websites below for the latest updates.

 Referrals and more information

To find more information about where your clients can get help contact:

• knowmore legal service 1800 605 762, Specific resources for service providers, including NRS manual, factsheets and videos
• National Redress Scheme 1800 737 377

Look after yourself

Some of our topics may contain sensitive or confronting content. We want this to be a safe space for listeners. Please check the topic and description of the podcast before you tune in. If you need support there are services that can help:

• Beyond Blue -1300 224 636
• Lifeline -13 11 14

Free legal help

If you have a legal problem you can call our helpline LawAccess NSW 1300 888 529 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Comments and feedback

Please send your questions, comments and feedback about this podcast to cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.

Interested in webinars or workshops?

To find out about Legal Aid NSW upcoming free workshops, webinars and podcasts for community workers, subscribe to our Law for Community Workers Alerts here: https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-and-newsletters/legal-aid-news/subscribe-to-legal-aid-news

Supporting at Risk Workers

This podcast will give community and health workers information to help them support clients who are working in unsafe workplaces or being asked to perform unsafe work. You will hear from Safework NSW who will give you information to help you identify particular groups of workers who are at risk and how Safework NSW can assist them.  You will also hear from a lawyer from the Legal Aid NSW Employment law team who will talk about how employment and discrimination laws can be used to protect vulnerable workers and give you information to help you refer your clients for legal advice.

This episode was produced by Audiocraft's Nicole Curby

REFERRALS AND INFORMATION

Safework NSW

SafeWork NSW 13 10 50 

The Speak up App to report unsafe work- (confidentially if you wish)

Young worker etoolkit: a range of resources to support young workers’ safety.  There are 4 sections:  for young workers, employers, educators,  and parents and guardians

The getting support at work pocket guide     :  translated in Arabic, Chinese(simplified), Filipino, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Malay and Vietnamese.

The basics your rights at work   Other languages are on the webpage

At Risk worker strategy  Other languages are on the webpage

Translated Resources Hub available translated resources

Legal Aid NSW

LawAccess NSW 1300 888529

Legal Aid NSW website  for an advice service

Employment Problems? Spot the Signs fact sheet

Ripped off- Your Rights about unpaid wages and entitlements at work

Request a talk for your newly arrived client group: “My rights at work – Australian law and you”

Other

Fair Work Ombudsman: information and advice about workplace rights and obligations

Workers compensation Independent Review office helps injured workers deal with insurers

State Insurance Regulatory Authority - information about workplace injuries

Unions NSW  information about trade unions