The Department of Human Services encourages people to defer non-urgent business on Friday afternoon due to industrial action by the Community and Public Sector Union.
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This action has the potential to impact Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services across Australia.
The union has flagged further industrial action the following week, although detail of this action has yet to be formally provided to the department.
General Manager Hank Jongen said customer payments will not be affected.
“We are focused on making sure staff are available to help people who are in financial hardship and need immediate assistance,” Mr Jongen said.
“So we’re asking customers with non-urgent business to consider contacting the department at another time.”
Customers are also encouraged to use online services through their myGov account, or the ExpressPlus Apps.
“Through all these apps, you can update your contact details and access your online letters. Each app is also tailored to specific needs,” Mr Jongen said.
“For example, you can make a claim through the Medicare app and report your income through the Centrelink app.”
“We appreciate the community’s patience during this time and I reassure you we are working hard to minimise disruption to the services they need,” Mr Jongen said.
The warning for Friday follows industrial action on Monday afternoon, with more scheduled in coming weeks.
For information on service disruptions, people are encouraged to regularly check humanservices.gov.au/servicechanges
