Jack O'Connell works as a casual teacher for a school in northern Victoria but during the pandemic when classes turned to remote learning, he was left without a job.
"There were a lot of people that were unemployed during that time and looking for support," he said.
Like many, he turned to the government for support, using Centrelink services to assist him through the challenges.
But last year, the local community was blindsided when the Centrelink Customer Service office in town closed its doors, citing COVID-19 staff shortages as the reason.
"No-one had a face-to-face person to talk to," Mr O'Connell said.
The community was told there would be community consultation and a new site would be established.
Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines said that had not happened.
"The people of Benalla got no say in [the closure of Centrelink]," she said.
Accessibility affected
Since its closure, a Services Australia agent has become available in town, but the role was limited to providing advice on how customers could access the government assistance they needed.
"They provide self-service facilities for customers and help people to access government services, including Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support," a spokesperson for the service said.
Residents say the agent has been unable to process any of their claims or help with specific enquiries.
For those who require a face-to-face appointment, it has become necessary to travel to either Shepparton, about 60 kilometres away, or Wangaratta, 40km away.
Mr O'Connell said getting to either location by public transport was a difficult task.
Last week Mr O'Connell offered to drive a friend to Wangaratta for a face-to-face appointment.
"We took half the day or maybe even longer. The price of petrol isn't cheap at the moment [either]," he said.
Carers and elderly disadvantaged
Kate Thomas, whose friend was struggling to submit his application for aged care support online, offered to help him navigate the system.
"He couldn't get his head around any of it," she said.
Ms Thomas's friend is the full-time carer for his wife who has advanced dementia.
The friend was instructed to visit the Shepparton office for an appointment with an aged care specialist, but his home situation made the trip near impossible.
"You can't just have someone come in to make [his wife] a cup of tea and sit there. You've got to be watching her all the time," Ms Thomas said.
"[But] you have to take the appointment that's given to you. There's no choice."
"It's just a deplorable way to treat residents, particularly the aged … It makes me really despair how people are fairing in this area," she said.
NDIS office closure
The local National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) office closed at the same time, leaving the town completely unsupported.
Michelle* has been accessing the NDIS for her foster son Kevin, who she has cared for ever since he was seven months old.
"He'll be 23 this year," she said.
"He's a young man who lives with a moderate intellectual disability, so an IQ of under 50. He's severely dyslexic and he is on the autism spectrum."
She had a face-to-face appointment scheduled but a few weeks out received a phone call from an officer who asked some preliminary questions for background.
At the end of the 40-minute conversation that her son was not present for, the officer proceeded to tell Michelle that there was no need for the in-person appointment and that a plan would be made for her son based on her answers.
"I don't think that he would ever be in a situation where his needs would be fully understood unless it was in a face-to-face situation," she said.
Michelle is living with an acute autoimmune disease and in 2020 her husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The couple had been trying to transition their son to a point where, with the help of his support coordinator, he would be able to make his own needs known and direct his own package and care.
She said she was concerned his level of funding would be reduced as a result.
Despite other members of the community reporting similar experiences to Michelle's, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) – the statutory body that manages the NDIS – maintained the office in Benalla was not permanently closed.
A spokesperson said general enquiries may be handled over the phone but face-to-face appointments could still be made to discuss support or changes to plans.
"It’s important to clarify the office is open for appointment-only services and any locals requiring support are encouraged to contact their local area coordinator to arrange an appointment," the spokesperson said.
Latrobe Community Health Service, which runs the local NDIS office, is actively looking to increase staff numbers to ensure adequate support is available.
A petition to Bring Back Benalla Centrelink has been created and has more than 1,800 signatures so far.
She said she had requested a meeting with the recently Government Services Minister Bill Shorten to advocate for Benalla's Services Australia building office to be reopened at its previous capacity.
*The ABC has withheld Michelle's surname at her request
