halloween

3 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

 

I wouldn't like to be the MP who has to stand up in parliament to defend CL's right to restrict holiday length of near-retirees less they lose some of their rights as a pensioner.

13 hours ago, LosLobo said:

 

My interpretation of the rules is that the 2 years needs to be continuous but may be broken by short holiday periods of less than 6 weeks.

 

This applies to returning residents for both the pre and post OAP application 2 year period.

Interesting. And just who gives CL the right to determine how long a semi-retired Oz resident's holidays can be?

1 hour ago, Gregster said:

Halloween, can you spread the 2 years of residence over 3 or 4 years BEFORE reaching retirement age?

What I have been doing now. Regs state 2 years residence before or after, and I can't see why an Oz resident isn't allowed to take hols, especially when close to retirement age.

10 hours ago, tink2mutt said:

Yes. I think you are right. Even if it is reduced to $19,000 per annum it still makes a big difference.

Remember that the 2 years does NOT have to be continuous. Spreading the 2 years residence over 3 or 4 allows you to maintain ties and relationships much more.

54 minutes ago, sceadugenga said:

Not in my experience but there was a way round it, it's a while back now so I'm not sure how I did it... maybe rang them up...

 

Some years back I had to contact them, I called and arranged a call back. Whether you can do that to arrange an access code..........

3 minutes ago, sceadugenga said:

Have you checked back with them?

Sometimes the squeaky wheel...

Currently working 6 days/week so difficult to phone given their response times - but they have announced 1000 new CL call centre operators to be employed. Have tried e-mail enquiries, on 2 different subjects, ~3 weeks ago, still no response. You have to figure they are just as short staffed as phone operators.

Somebody may know the answer to one - will they send the access code for MyGov a/c to a Thai phone number?

9 hours ago, ELVIS123456 said:

Mate - I read somewhere that you can apply in advance (before eligible), so I checked it out. A person can lodge an application for OAP up to 13 weeks in advance of their age eligibility date. So I guess that means it can take that long to approve - and therefore maybe in a few weeks they will answer you.

 

Assuming your date of eligibility (age) occurs soon, I would assume that this is the date that you would be backdated to if approval is granted past that date. If you are already age eligible, then the payment start date should be the date your application was 'first processed' - this is not the date you lodged it - it is the date it was assessed and accepted as a 'valid' application. 

 

Therefore, if the date you are started on OAP occurs before you finish work, then any income you get after that date will affect how much OAP you are entitled to get if over the maximum - and you may have to pay some back (by having payments reduced). Bugger.

 

Best advice I can think of is to try and call CLink as soon as you get an answer.  If you call them now and ask "what if ............"  they will say they cannot answer hypotheticals. And if you ask "when will........" they will say that the decision is not theirs and it shouldnt be too long (a separate section who dont talk to the public make all decisions).

 

Catch 22 by the look of it. Quit work in anticipation of approval and you may find that you are not approved, or that the payment start date is delayed. Keep working past eligible date and if approved, you will be earning money while receiving the OAP if/when it is backdated. Aint they just grand?

 

Tried to apply 26 weeks before, sent home. Applied exactly 13 weeks before and was given an expected date of approval/decision some 7 weeks later. Now 10+ weeks, OAP pension date <3 weeks away.

If CL sets earliest application date at -13weeks, they should have the staff/resources to process in that time or reset the application date to suit. At the very least, they should have available documentation of your rights, procedures and rules that apply to delayed payment.

A recent news article here about young people being paid ~$18/h, $5 less than the award wage, with the employer facing severe penalties. CL is asking, and forcing some, to work for far less, and this is considered normal?

10 weeks after I applied for OAP and no decision as of yet, but the "your application has progressed" messages every 5 days have now stopped.

I have had 3 people tell me that their OAP took 6 months after application before payment began, back payment was made but allegedly this is at CL discretion (???).

The question is, do I live on my savings (assuming I have enough) or continue working after my retirement party? If I continue to work, will this income be ignored by CL or treated as income while (not) receiving OAP? If the latter, my current income of $1600/fn would then be reduced to <$700 after tax and pension reduction ($80 tax in first $400, then $240 tax and $600 pension reduction on further $1200).

Can't find anything on CL material re late pension payment, obviously they don't want to discuss their incompetence on application processing in the time they have allotted.

BTW tried raising this on CL website. Before you could possibly type the above, the session times out. How convenient.

15 hours ago, David Walden said:

None so blind as those who refuse to see...I am only talking about people who have reached retirement age, applied for the pension and have retired and have been granted the pension.  (Not DSP,  not Work start, not child care rebates etc etc. only the aged pension) very few have a job after retirement ( WAS AN EXCEPTION FOR 8 YEARS DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS)....in 99% of cases forget the income or deeming matters.  Your assets level is determined mostly if you own a house or not...if you are  single and  own a house you live in it, it will not be an asset ( by Centrelink) and you will be able to have assets of $253.000 approx. Invested, super etc. you name it. The house does reduce your asset level entitlements.  If you are single and don't have a house you will receive the aged pension and you can have assets of (for the 10th time)  I say it,  I say it,  I say it again for at least the 10th time...are you ready for it...$456,750.  Really give it a break.  You are likely just confusing the other 10,000 or so people on this site that maybe following these posts.   You are certainly not confusing me.  

I really don't know what you are raving about. The topic is OAP, and I have posted nothing about assets or deeming. I am pointing out that the oh so generous extra tax exemption for OAP only has effect well after the income level where Centrelink is reducing your pension by 50c for every dollar earned.

If I am not confusing you, I have to ask who is?

On 4/17/2018 at 5:49 PM, David Walden said:

SATPO is not a red herring it is a legit way of improving  tax reduction for Aged pensioner couples

And while you are getting it, Kali's other arm is removing 50c in the dollar from your pension. Pardon me if I am not ecstatic.

On 4/16/2018 at 12:42 PM, David Walden said:

https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/seniors-and-retirees/tax-offsets/

 

There is a minefield under the rules for tax payable for seniors and aged pensioners over 65 y/o under the SATPO offset rules.  In a nut shell if you are in a relationship and an aged pensioner your threshold for tax is higher you can use your partners threshold to lower your taxable income as well. You pay lower or no tax. The good things about SATPO (if there are any good things about tax)  allows you to have a job and earn well over the threshold by using your partners credits...but no such thing exists with Centrelink.  Assets and incomes rules there still apply.

SATPO is just a red herring. The tax threshold for all oz tax residents is $18,200. Centrelink allows you to earn ~$4,300 plus another $6500 from employment. After that $10,800 you will 50c/$ from your pension. Why would they bother taxing any further income when it is already costing you half your earnings?

On 4/14/2018 at 1:27 PM, David Walden said:

If you have been granted the Australian Aged Pension and you are within the asset and income thresholds  It is very unlikely that you will pay tax as the tax threshold is about $35,000 (single)..If you have your assets in Super even if it's millions you will lose your pension but you will not be expected to put in a tax return.  Super is not taxable.  Gov is trying to change that, your all living too long ( the Govt is taking 15% on super profits by stealth anyway)....if you are married your tax free threshold "by offset" that is using your wife's tax threshold as well as your own you will be able to have an income of about $60,000 tax free, you keep the lot and never put in another tax return.  I haven't put a tax return in for over 10 years.  My super, bus driving job, my pension my wife's pension combined was short of the tax threshold. Just (approx $60,000).  very few pensioners put in a tax return so not much benefit for Centrelink's investigations there.

 

Tax is self assessment, if you know you are under the limit with the offset don't bother... if you haven't bothered to apply for the tax offset and you get a job well your boss will take out tax and you will have to put a return in to get back what you have now overpaid what you didn't have to pay "silly"   Maybe next year you'll get it back....very few pensioners  with the $456,750 asset level threshold will pay tax or even put in a tax return, no tax payable on super...Joke "that's why I don't want to win lotto.  I'd lose my pension and have to put in a tax return".

 

PS...if you are in receipt of the pension and you leave AUS you will have to provide a date of departure and a date for re-entry.  If you don't provide a re-entry date they will assume you are leaving Aus permanently and things will happen as a result. e.g. Your pension supplement will stop the day you leave and not 6 weeks later, that will cost you about $170.00.  Even if you have not decided what day you are coming back you must put something down and change it later.  Even if you have a house a car and all your goods and chattels  in Aus and don't show a return date you will be assessed as leaving Aus permanently.

 

 

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=income+tax+rates+australia+calculator&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=hsLTWv65BcvN8gew17-IDg

On 4/13/2018 at 2:32 AM, David Walden said:

Sort of.  It's the credit you receive from Centrelink that can be used in the future if you are  not currently being employed.  If you have $6500 worth of work bonus credits which you get for not working, when you do go to work you still get the normal thresholds and bonus but you 50 cents in the dollar reduction will not come into play until you have used up your $6500 credits.   All pensioner who do not have a job for sometime will have a $6500 credit which they can use if they do get a job, the 50 cents in the dollar reduction does not come into play until after you have used up all your $6500 credits.

That is what I posted, except I only needed one line.

14 hours ago, ELVIS123456 said:

All good - and that looks great.  I will study it up a bit, but on first look it looks just the thing.  When in Aus I can make a few decent bucks and no affect on OAP and no tax - win/win. 

Important to maintain your tax residence in Oz for tax free. Advice received is to maintain an address, bank a/c ( best if only a/c), phone number, licence, electoral roll. I also have a registered vehicle (old m/cycle, single seat rego Qld $311 pa) and club memberships.

Optus has a 6 month prepaid for $30, and they will keep your number for a further 6 months.

3 hours ago, Gregster said:

a single pensioner can earn up to about $4,200 income pa and still receive the full pension

The work bonus scheme allows you to earn an additional $6500 pa FROM EMPLOYMENT without loss of pension.

20 hours ago, ELVIS123456 said:

My understanding of the Pension Bonus Scheme was that it was a payment that was given to people who continued to work past their OAP qualified age, and who did not claim the OAP. It was a bonus for those who continued to work and did not claim the OAP as far as I knew. And I believe that it was stopped a few years ago - although those still on it can stay on it and accrue up to a 5 years payment, which they then claim when they apply for the OAP. 

 

My understanding of the allowable income while still getting the full OAP is $168 f/fnight ($84 a week or $4368 per year).  But I am not sure if it is accumulative or not - meaning if someone can work for a few weeks and earn up to $4368, and not have any affect on their OAP.  I am very interested in knowing more about this for the future Halloween - please let us know how your request to CLink goes. 

  

I was thinking that when I am in Aust in the future (will be living in both countries when OAP approved), I could do a little Uber/Grab driving to pick up a little cash without affecting the OAP.  But if it is not accumulative and I can only earn up to $84 every week (or $168 per fnight) before losing part of the OAP, then it is not worth it at all.

 

Just another way the Govt in Aust have screwed over the people on the OAP.  How the hell can anyone earn an income of only $84 a week - the min wage is about $20 an hour so that equates to working for about 4 hours a week - <deleted>?  Who would go through all the trouble (insurances, compensation, super, payrolls, etc) to hire someone for only 4 hrs a week?  And why would anyone want to work for just a few hours a week - more trouble than it is worth.  Maybe if someone sold stuff on the net or something like that, but why would anyone even do that if they could only earn $84 a week before they lose part of their OAP?  And here is the big thing - you lose $0.50 for every $1 over the $84 a week!!  50% of whatever you earn over $84 is taken off your OAP - <deleted>?  Maybe 10% or even 20% - but 50%? 

 

IMO someone on the OAP should be able to earn up to the tax free threshold, before they then lose 50% in the $1 for every dollar over that amount.  The Govt aint gonna get any tax anyway, so why limit someone on the OAP making a little extra by working/earning? Why force people on the OAP to stay poor??   Aust is a effinn socialist duopoly mascarading as a capitalist democracy - no wonder I hate the place (but love the free medical system).

 

But I must say - we recently moved up north to 'Gods Country' because the weather down south in VIC and ACT was way to cold for my wife's Thai genes (and me too).  People far more relaxed here and no speed cameras everywhere and no road signs telling me what to think and do - nice.

 

 

 

 

Ah crap - I used the wrong term, my apologies. Change pension bonus to work bonus and it will be correct. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/work-bonus

If you are in Oz and a tax resident you can earn $418/fn (168 + 250) without loss to OAP or paying tax. Even if you leave Oz the 250/fn accumulates to max $6500.

Note that there are errors even in the printed/published CL documents. All articles related to the Pension Bonus (allows $250 earnings/fn, cumulative, without loss of pension) state it is not available to self-employment. Many of the taxi drivers in OZ are pensioners, are definitely self employed, but work under the Pension Bonus scheme. Note that their no loss earnings are actually $418, as there is another rarely mentioned $168/fn which is not cumulative. I have sent an information request to CL asking for a ruling on my upcoming OAP situation, waiting result.

BTW there is pressure being mounted from pensioner groups to raise the pension bonus to $400/fn with an allowed accumulation of $10,000. My thought is if this occurs I could return for 3 months tax free work and maintain my oz residence status with Medicare.

58 minutes ago, David Walden said:

If you die when on a married pension your payments will continue for 13 weeks to assist your partner with funeral expenses.

My apologies, you post is in essence correct, except that 14 weeks of difference between married and single pensions plus difference in pension bonus will be paid as a lump sum. Based on a conversation with recent widow, this will amount to ~$2500.

2 minutes ago, David Walden said:

If you die your bank accounts will be frozen, they will know if your dead you won't.

If you die and your other half stuffs you in a freezer and doesn't tell anybody, you will be frozen. There will be no effect on your bank a/c until your death is reported.

7 minutes ago, David Walden said:

If you die when on a married pension your payments will continue for 13 weeks to assist your partner with funeral expenses.

Wrong. The estate of pensioners who die are given a $2500 lump sum to cover funeral expenses.

5 minutes ago, David Walden said:

As far as I know the qualifying resident age at present to obtain an aged pension is being extended from 25 years to 35 years over a period of 20 years.  You only need to be about 66 y/o if applying now. In about 2035 you will need to be 70 y/o.

You are confusing 2 separate issues. Pension eligibility age is being gradually increased to 70 from the current 65.5 years.

35 years is the AWLR (Australian Working life residence) figure. After 6 months o/s the pension you will be paid will be a factored by your AWLR/35. That has been current for some time.

20 hours ago, Gregster said:

Great suggestion re OFX, but from what I’ve researched, you can only TRANSFER (orBPay) money to OFX from your BANK ACCOUNT. Wouldn’t this leave a transaction record for Centrelink for them to ask you “where/who did this money go” when they’re scrutinising your bank account?

Yes, that is why I have done it once, and only since my OAP application. Waiting to see what, if any, questions will be asked. I have strong family links to Thailand, so have plenty of reasons for a transfer, assuming OFX will give them details on an unreportable amount. I still spend 5 months a year there while re-establishing Oz residency, and have tickets both ways booked to do so after pension is granted.

Further into the future, plans are yet to be decided, if asked.

12 hours ago, BEVUP said:

Maybe he had to supply statements of his Auss accounts & they picked up on transfers to his Thai account

I transfer via a 3rd party (OFX) to my g/f's a/c. $15 flat fee and better exchange rates.

2 hours ago, Lizard2010 said:

 

I stay with my elderly mother (as a carer, but no benefit claimed) and all utilities are in her name. It was deemed sufficient that all accounts, licence and tax return were addressed here. But they did want to know when she moved to that flat (why??).

IIRC the question asked was list current bank and super accounts, and supply statements.

They were also interested in current occupation, earnings and hours worked, documentation required. IMHO none of their bloody business, but if you want the pension, answer all questions.