If you’ve ever received Centrelink benefits, you’ll know how much of a hassle it is to report every two weeks. Believe it or not, but the government actually does listen to us, and has just released two applications for Centrelink beneficiaries. The first is for job seekers receiving Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance and Parenting Payments, and it has a surprising number of features for a mobile application, letting you to report your income, apply for an advance payment, view your payment histories and statements, among other things.
The second application is aimed at students, offering the same features to those receiving Youth Allowance, Austudy, Pensioner Education Supplement, ABSTUDY or the ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement. A neat feature of the two applications is that instead of having to log in with your CRN and password and then have to answer the subsequent identification question, the answers to which I could never remember, you can just use a 4-digit pin to login to the service. So much less complicated!
Interestingly, the Job Seekers application is only available for Android at this point, iOS got left behind somewhere, although the application’s design is riddled with its UI elements. It would have been nice to see the Department of Human Services’ first foray into Android applications to actually look like a modern Android application, but I guess it’s nice of them to remember us at all.
The applications can be found on the Play Store: Express Plus Job Seekers, and Express Plus Students.
This is available on iOS also. See https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/expressplus/id543093533?mt=8&ls=1
How come the people get benefits from gov, can still afford to buy a smartphone?
Its not THAT expensive to buy a smartphone if you shop around. The HTC Cha Cha that was selling outright for $56 unlocked was mentioned here a couple of weeks ago. Coles sometimes sells cheap phones that would still be considered a smartphone.
Great move..
AUSPOST app only missing on Android. Market.
These have been available for a while now. They request location for directions to closest office.
Just because they release them doesnt mean its good.. im a student and downloaded this app yesterday, but pretty much nothing works (as usually, centrelink = 946594 hours of time for something that would usually take 5 minutes)
Haha! Sounds about right.
Interesting that it wants to know your location.
I think the iOS app is already complete but just waiting for its approval from apple. Its easy to publish a app in android compare to iOS.