Centrelink will not accept my medical Certificate

[Tonyw]

I have got Anxiety And Depression And Centrelink will not accept my medical Certificate after 1 year now they are stuff me around they say you can work 15+h and that`s it. I been cut off 4 times not turning up. any know what i can do?

[Swimmy]

Just had my Medical Certificate accepted, and got a 3 month exemption from Centrelink.

Thank you for the tips on this forum.

I am with a DES (Disability Employment Service) and the staff there were pushing me to work 15 hours a week.

I currently work 11 hours a week, and when I did 15 hours a week, my mental health became worse.

I submitted my first Medical Certificate, and then called Centrelink, and they told me I had to make some changes for it to be accepted to give me an exemption.

How I had my psychiatrist fill in the Medical Certificate (SU415)

Primary condition:

Major Depressive Disorder-Exacerbation of Condition

Date of onset (if known): kept blank

The duration of the current functional impact...: 13 weeks up to 24 months

Will this result in an average life expectancy of 24 months or less? No

Does this condition meet one of the serious illness categories outlined on previous page? No

Secondary condition

Generalised Anxiety Disorder-Exacerbation of Condition

Capacity to work, study or participate in activities

How long will this incapacity last? e.g. 05/06/2023-03/09/2023 (needs to be 91 days or less)

Can this patient do any work, study or participate in activities of 8 or more hours per week? No

How many hours can they work, study or participate in activities on average each week? 7 (needs to be less than 😎

[AnotherRandomUser]

Centrelink will not accept a medical certificate for the same cause after 3-4 letters which is of course absolutely terrible of them. We all know that, many health conditions can come and go several times in a persons life, or be persistent over a period of time.

I'd recommend getting a letter from a psychologist or psychiatrist explaining your condition (or just a really good one from your doctor) to go with your medical certificate, then go in person to talk to them and hand them both in. I'd also recommend taking someone in with you if you can as backup and support. Still wont guarantee theyll take it, but theyre more sympathetic in person... usually.

If you post your certificates online, sometimes they reject them without even reading them or for invalid reasons. I've had Centrelink staff even tell me this. But if you have to do it online, call them immedietly after you submit it and ask them if they can accept it. If your lucky you might get someone kind on the phone who is willing to get it accepted, if not, they might just wave you off (you can try calling again the next day if they do.)

Finally if your mental health is severe and persistent, Id suggest calling a social worker using their main line who can give you advice. Im not sure about Jobseeker but I know there are times when they can give a 1-year exemption from looking for work if they believe your health is serious enough. Its rare and difficult to get, but if you have a good letter from a treating professional it should help you get it. A social worker can also add some extra support in you getting it, or at least give you some advice. I got it given to me because of anxiety in the past, though I was on the DSP so again unsure about Jobseeker.

As a final note, I also recommend getting letters from any health professionals you see about your mental health and submitting them to Centrelink online as proof of your condition. Even if they dont read/need them at the time, if they are on your file it can help build evidence later on. Itll prove to them your not lying because youll have a history. You can refer to it as proof if they doubt you in future.

But good luck to you and others in this thread. Centrelink are hell to deal with and I hope in the future the system is fairer and kinder to all who use it.