It’s been a tough few years for Sharon.
Her father passed away 3 years ago and she’s stepped up to take care of her frail mother.
Fortunately, some hands-on help from our caring staff has helped lighten some of Sharon’s load.
Sharon is a nominee for her mother, and has greater confidence in her dealings with Services Australia after a digital coaching session with Customer Service Officer Vicky at Caboolture Service Centre.
‘My dad passed away and my Mum could no longer live by herself,’ Sharon said.
‘She had a couple of falls. We didn’t want to put her in a nursing home so she’s come to live with us.
‘My mum sold her house and, of course, it was in the peak time for the property market.
‘Because she’s sold her home that put her over the asset limit and she lost her pension and her health card.’
Our Financial Information Services (FIS) team helped Sharon get on the right track.
‘I rang FIS and they were extremely helpful. They advised the steps we could go through to get her health card and pension again.
‘I came into Caboolture today as I needed to produce my birth certificate since I was put down as a nominee for mum.’
For the self-confessed ‘computer illiterate’ Sharon going online seemed a step too far. That’s where Sharon met Vicky. With Vicky’s help Sharon has started down the path to digital independence.
They quickly set up an email account for Sharon, which allowed her to open a myGov account.
Vicky said it was fulfilling to be able to help someone like Sharon.
‘We see a lot of people who aren’t experienced in using digital technology. Some don’t even know how to use a keyboard,’ she said.
‘Being able to access her account through a digital platform will make a big difference for her.
‘For people like Sharon it makes interacting with Services Australia a lot easier.
Sharon said the coaching session had given her new-found confidence.
‘I was nervous about linking up to the system. I tend to panic,’ she said.
‘I wouldn’t have been able to do this without Vicky. Anything like this I feel lost.
‘But I’ve got my steps now so now I’ll be able to do it at home.
‘I’ve never been in a job where I had to sit on a computer so learning how to use one wasn’t a high priority.
‘Vicky was a lifesaver and now I’ve got the confidence to do it.’
Customers can book a digital coaching appointment at a service centre. We’ll support them to increase their confidence using our digital services. They can book more sessions based on the support they need.
Read more about how to book a Centrelink digital coaching appointment.