A Darwin property manager has crowdfunded her client's rental arrears after his pension was cut and local charities were unable to help.

Derek Holbrook was alone in Darwin and scraping by on a pension from week to week.

The 65-year-old had a direct debit to transfer rent from his account when his pension was paid, and he tended to spend the $150 left over each week for living expenses.

So when his property manager, Rebecca Want de Rowe, learned he had fallen behind in his payments, she had concerns.

She contacted Mr Holbrook's bank and found his direct debit transfers had been mistakenly cancelled.

"So that week he had spent what was in his account not realising how much he'd spent," Ms Want de Rowe said.

This meant Mr Holbrook was already owing money when his pension was cut off a short time later, leaving him in arrears and without an income.

Derek's property manager, Rebecca Want de Rowe, turned to the internet to crowdfund his rental arrears. ( ABC Radio Darwin: Jesse Thompson )

Ms Want de Rowe claims this happened because Centrelink mistakenly believed Mr Holbrook was receiving an allowance from the UK where he once served in the military.

"Apparently they thought I was getting paid from England," said Mr Holbrook, who has lived in Darwin for about 20 years.

"That's what they told me the reason was."

In a statement, Department of Human Services general manager Hank Jongen said payments can be subject to review.

"All payments are subject to eligibility requirements which may include assets and income tests, and can be subject to regular reviews to ensure ongoing eligibility," Mr Jongen said.

Mr Holbrook said he had automated both his rent and his pension payments and was unaware that both had come to a halt until contacted by Ms Want de Rowe.

They sent him paperwork to assess the pension he was paid but he was overwhelmed by it, Ms Want de Rowe said.

"So he just kind of put it to the side and forgot about it.

"They've written to him again and he hasn't opened his mail so they've proceeded to cancel his payment."

When Ms Want de Rowe later took Mr Holbrook to fill out the paperwork, she said she wasn't surprised that her client was feeling swamped.

"Derek is 65 and his memory is starting to go," she said.

"There were questions that he had no idea how to answer; there were questions from 30 years earlier that he just didn't have any memory of."

Over the next six weeks Ms Want de Rowe tried in vain to prevent Mr Holbrook sinking more than six weeks and $1,350 into rental arrears.

Derek's case not isolated

Sue Shearer, the chief executive of the NT of Council of the Ageing (COTA), said she referred Mr Holbrook to local social services when she became aware of the case.

But she wasn't surprised the property manager acted as Mr Holbrook's safety net, saying it was among a number of recent cases in which Territory seniors encountered difficulty accessing the pension.

The council recently dealt with another woman who had moved up from Katherine for medical reasons.

Ms Shearer said the woman was faced with difficulty and long wait times when she tried to access the pension after transitioning out of the workforce, and was living in a backpacker's hostel when by the time she contacted COTA.

Sue Shearer fears difficulty accessing the pension is making life difficult for seniors in the NT. ( ABC Radio Darwin: Jesse Thompson )

"So there's a real catch 22 here, waiting for that particular pension and when you haven't got any money whatsoever and it's really crucial to your survival," Ms Shearer said.

"She's applied for her pension in middle to late March and she won't get it now until May and she's really struggling."

"Again, we would question why that person has to wait so long."

Last month, the ABC reported that pensioners were waiting an average of 25 minutes to speak with Centrelink staff.

Mr Jongen said the Department works hard to ensure the efficient processing of payment claims.

"Processing times can vary depending on the complexity of the individual case and the completeness of the documentation," Mr Jongen said.

"Some payment claims, such as pensions, often involve assessing complex income and asset information, and we may need to seek additional information from people lodging a claim."

A cost of living report by the peak community services body NTCOSS last year found that the prices of fuel, fruit and vegetables and medical services were on the rise in the NT.

"The pension really isn't keeping up with the cost of living at all," Ms Shearer said.

Enter #SaveDerek

When Ms Want de Rowe and her assistant visited Mr Holbrook in the ensuing weeks to stop him falling through the cracks, they noticed some occasions when he hadn't eaten.

He was in deepening debt and a state of hopelessness when they visited a circuit of charities that were ultimately unable to provide financial assistance — something Ms Shearer attributed to the NT's general economic downturn.

"We were in constant contact with the owner and the tenant trying to figure out how we could get him out of these arrears, but it got to a point where the owner was now struggling because she had to pay the rent," Ms Want de Rowe said.

The federal Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, eventually helped them re-establish the pensioner's payments, but Ms Want de Rowe was unsure if they were back paid.

Left with few other avenues, Ms Want de Rowe turned to the internet, asking a local Facebook group if it could recommend social services groups.

But group members had their own ideas, instead asking where they could donate.

"So we went to the Facebook page and we were inundated with people saying they wanted to donate to Derek's rent," Ms Want de Rowe said.

With a direct debit account and the hashtag #SaveDerek, Ms Want de Rowe was astonished to find dozens of people had donated everything from their coffee money to some several hundred dollars.

They had raised the $1,350 arrears, plus another $600 to be put towards linen, bills, food, clothing, and a new bicycle to improve Mr Holbrook's mobility.

"We went and saw Derek to give him the good news and he was completely overwhelmed," Ms Want de Rowe recalled.

"His words, exactly, were "bloody hell, I need a seat'."

Mr Holbrook was surprised to hear of the goodwill and said it felt fantastic.

"I just want to thank everybody who's done what they've done."

Ms Shearer said it was heartening to see people working together to help Mr Holbrook, but that "I just wish really Centrelink could have a little more empathy, especially dealing with older people who really aren't totally au fait with technology".

"They're not user-friendly in any shape or form, and really, they already had all his records."

Mr Holbrook said his pension payments had resumed.

The Department of Human Services said it was unable to comment on the specifics of the case.

"However, we have worked closely with Mr Holbrook to address his concerns and we are confident he has been appropriately supported," Mr Jongen said.

