Ms Payne and Mr Baldwin ­visited Maitland Service Centre last Thursday to talk about how the community would benefit from having access to multiple services, including Centrelink and Medicare, under one roof.

The visit came ahead of plans to move Maitland’s Medicare office from Pender Place to the High Street service centre, formerly the Maitland Centrelink office, in June.

But in a letter to the Mercury responding to Ms Payne’s visit to Maitland, Senator Cameron said the government should be more concerned about providing funding for community organisations than spruiking the service centre model.

“There is no doubt that the Maitland Service Centre and its hard-working staff provide vital support to many vulnerable members of the Maitland community,” he wrote.

“Community organisations like those the minister referred to are the backbone of the community.

“What the minister didn’t mention is that her government has taken the knife to hundreds of important community organisations, many that will now be forced to close their doors for good.”

The government contacted a range of community service organisations days before Christmas and gave notification that their funding had been cut and their contracts with the government would not be renewed.

The move will save the government an estimated $240 million over four years.

“While it is all very well for the minister and Mr Baldwin to praise the DHS staff for putting people in touch with the services they need, what good is it when the legal aid service has been defunded?” Senator Cameron wrote.

“What good is it when financial counselling service has been defunded? 

“What good is it when the housing and homelessness services have been defunded?  What good is it when the government’s cruel welfare changes are forcing more people to seek charity?”