I need advice on how to actually get some action out of Centrelink. I am getting absolutely nowhere with them.

My parenting payment was suspended as a friend did not return the reference letter to them. She wrongly assumed that because I was already getting the payment she didn't need to send it in & threw it out.

The Centrelink call centre have on two occasions told me they have re-sent the letter to my friend. She has not received it. A call centre operator advised me to go in to my local branch & ask for the letter to be printed on the spot. I waited for 1/2 an hour in the queue only to find that they could not print it out there. The woman pressed a button on her computer which supposedly sent the letter out & a week later it has still not arrived.

Today I called & was told that I should get my friend to write a letter confirming our separation & to sign it & take it in to the local office. I seriously doubt that this is going to work & I will wait in the queue only to be told that it means nothing. She also said she was re-printing the damn letter.

This has now been going on for a couple of months. I'm not desperate for the payment as I'm working part time, but with interest rates going up I will soon need it.

How on earth do I get some action out of them? Is there a department that deals with unresolved problems? Perhaps I should be having an appointment at my local office. I'm getting really sick of the whole situation.