The Australian Govt pays expat pensioners the base rate, which is around AU$400 a week.

 

If we were in Australia, we would also be entitled to rent assistance, power subsidy,  free bus transport, reduced train and tram fares, free medical consultations, free flu and other 'old age' immunisations, free hospital treatment, free pathology tests and fixed price prescriptions.  Optician tests are also free, and prescription spectacles are subsidised.

We also get "Seniors' Discounts" on goods in stores, but that's up to the stores, and cheaper admissions to parks where a charge is made.

The other side of the coin is that dentists charge like wounded buffaloes!

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Rally123 said:

And you do?

I know that the leavers are the real moaners constantly whingeing about people cleverer than them

39 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

NHS is dependant on where you live not on your contributions, if you live in Thailand you are paying for nothing.

You appear to have misread.... try again and consider the topic.

8 hours ago, Rally123 said:

I'll get back to you on that post Brexit. It's all speculation just like this thread. Australian Lynton Crosby should keep his nose out of UK politics and stop avoiding the paying of UK taxes. 

I'm certain if a foreign government wanted to pay you good money as an advisor, you would not object on the basis that you shouldn't be involved in anything happening in a foreign country. If I'm wrong, and you would in fact decline such an offer, please remember to mention me. I have no qualms about sticking my nose in.

There has been absolutely no discussions in Parliament, nor has any white or green papers or logged discussions (As known in the UK Government ) been issued relevant to this matter.  It's just stirring up issues!  

Local constituency meetings mean nothing if not taken forward.

20 hours ago, Lamkyong said:

please tell what is the Australian method ?? 

In short..If you are not an existing pensioner,you have to jump through more hoops than a Circus performer to have any chance of getting $1 out of them.

So would our 30 odd yrs of Ni payments just be swallowed up by govt unless you returned  home?

10 minutes ago, Black arab said:

So would our 30 odd yrs of Ni payments just be swallowed up by govt unless you returned  home?

It depends how the grandfathering system was set up. I imagine that anyone at or past retirement age would be exempt and only those say ten years or more (could be five years could be none) away from their retirement date would be impacted.

On 06/04/2018 at 12:23 PM, Rally123 said:

And how much would it cost the UK if all those expats were to return home? I'm sure the UK saves heaps of money due to pensioners living overseas. So to penalise expats and get us to return home is counter productive surely?

Most of those pensioners can afford a comfortable life only in 3rd world countries as Thailand. Why should they go back "home"? To have a poor life again????? 

31 minutes ago, Pdavies99 said:

There has been absolutely no discussions in Parliament, nor has any white or green papers or logged discussions (As known in the UK Government ) been issued relevant to this matter.  It's just stirring up issues!  

Local constituency meetings mean nothing if not taken forward.

Yes, totally agree, scaremongering tosh. Who's to say the Tories will be in power, a lot of Brits are mighty peeved with May, BJ and Jacob made up name. Rock on JC .

2 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Most of those pensioners can afford a comfortable life only in 3rd world countries as Thailand. Why should they go back "home"? To have a poor life again????? 

You can't generalise on that point, I know many wealthy and quite well off pensioners in Thailand who live here by choice rather than necessity.

1 minute ago, phutoie2 said:

Yes, totally agree, scaremongering tosh. Who's to say the Tories will be in power, a lot of Brits are mighty peeved with May, BJ and Jacob made up name. Rock on JC .

The OP is quite right to raise the issue, subjects such as this often get sounded out at party level before a green paper is even considered. Chances are that it's the permanent part of government rather than the political part that shortlists these issues hence the chances are that the next party in power will also raise it at some point.

3 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

You can't generalise on that point, I know many wealthy and quite well off pensioners in Thailand who live here by choice rather than necessity.

The reality speaks different 

 

Just now, sawadee1947 said:

The reality speaks different 

I live here, I've been here for 16 years and I can afford to live pretty much anywhere that I chose (within reason), I have a flat back in the UK but I chose to remain here, there are plenty of people like me in Thailand.

9 hours ago, Rally123 said:

As I thought, false news being spread by the Remoaners. I call BS on this.

My same thoughts.

43 minutes ago, Jimbo53 said:

In short..If you are not an existing pensioner,you have to jump through more hoops than a Circus performer to have any chance of getting $1 out of them.

 

In short Reference Australian State Pensions only:

In addition to the age requirements, you also have to meet residence requirements in order to be eligible for payments for the age pension, which currently are;

On the day you submit your claim. You must be an Australian resident and physically present in Australia.

10 year residence requirements. This requirement has to be met by any person who wants to receive an age pension. The 10 year qualifying residence requirement states that you have to be living in Australia continuously for a period of 10 years. If you have lived in Australia on and off, then the total of all such periods of residence must be equal to or more than 10 years. Within these smaller periods, there should be at least one period where you have lived in Australia continuously for five years.

If you decide to live outside of Australia, your state pension could cease.

There are certain numerous exceptions to these rules.

 

 

I will only have the UK pension. No private pension. If they cut it in any way, I am back home. Taking advantage of free housing, free dental and free hospitals. I came here because the weather does not exacerbate my COPD but the UK's does. I will be on disability in the UK at a higher rate and cannot work. 10 years to pension so let them do their worst.

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21 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

I agree. But grandfathering will take far longer for the savings to be realised hence the risk is probably in a different area, I suspect taxation or exemptions will be the target and those are things that won't be grandfathered.

 

More likely to try and apply Osborne's idea of removing personal tax allowances for expats first. Long term expats loose their vote, so the impact on voting is really minimal. 

Given the increasing xenophobia and little England isolationist domination within the Tories coupled with they myopic tram lined vision, I don't expect any favors from them.

 

Corbyn, should the dark day ever come and he's elected into government, is likely to view expats as ripe for harvesting too. Along with anyone who owns their own home!

 

I've worked way over the number of years required for a state pension. I paid all my taxes and NI contributions during those years. If they squeeze me, I'll go back, with my severely disabled son and claim every penny I can squeeze out of them!

 

10 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

The OP is quite right to raise the issue, subjects such as this often get sounded out at party level before a green paper is even considered. Chances are that it's the permanent part of government rather than the political part that shortlists these issues hence the chances are that the next party in power will also raise it at some point.

All local constituency discussions papers are logged, and there are none on this subject! Even these have to be logged and available to the public at any time.

11 minutes ago, Pdavies99 said:

All local constituency discussions papers are logged, and there are none on this subject! Even these have to be logged and available to the public at any time.

So what are you saying, that the OP has made up this story?

 

Bump

I think the Australian and UK State pensions differ in that Australian citizens do not pay in for their State pensions whereas in the UK citizens pay into their pensions by national insurance over a period of 35 years. So therefore the UK State pension is not a benefit as is the Australian pension.

The Australian Govt pays expat pensioners the base rate, which is around AU$400 a week.

Which is considerably more than my UK State Pension.

 
 
 

On 4/6/2018 at 11:50 AM, HauptmannUK said:

Restricting state pension payments along Australian lines could save large sums of money

 

For those not in the know about another nation's policy, wouldn't it be a good idea to inform us please. Then we might know what you are talking about.

Politicians in Australia receive a life long pension which is indexed and not age related .Better to be a politician.

 

 

19 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Moreover it could even be a vote winner since most UK voters seem to display negativity toward expats. 

 

How many do you think would vote Tory on the basis of changing the rights of expat pensioners, especially as I'm sure that many of those voters have relatives living overseas? "You want to reduce my elderly father's pension (if that is indeed what you are writing about - see my post above)? I'll vote Labour then."

20 hours ago, sanemax said:

The pension money is the money that the pensioners have paid into the system , if they receive any other money, that should be irrelevant .

A common misconception.  The monies you pay as NI give you an entitlement to receive a pension.  All UK State pensions come from current taxpayers.  There is no pot of money built up by your own payments- all went out (in part to oay for the pensioners at the time).

42 minutes ago, Pdavies99 said:

All local constituency discussions papers are logged, and there are none on this subject! Even these have to be logged and available to the public at any time.

Well?

9 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Governments want state pension money spent in the home country, not overseas, that way the payments benefit the home economy rather than some overseas economy. A pension that is paid for example to a British pensioner in Thailand does absolutely nothing for the UK economy but it does help Thailand's. And if that pensioner were to return to live in the UK, in these days of reducing benefits, the chances of the pensioner being an overhead or financial burden are small since most pensioners have multiple sources of income. Gone are the days when the pensioner could rock up to the Council Offices are say, take care of me, I'm broke and homeless and the government knows that.

Still works for immigrants 

29 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Well?

I looked this up, there are no relevant local discussion  papers, it is easy to check.

 

Sorry I will not reply further to argumentative responses, look it up yourself....its easy!

20 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

This thread is about pensions, not politics. However expat pensioners are in the main are not 'poor' by most folk's definition.  And I don't wear Brogues - mostly Ecco or Rieker casuals....

 

I would not support the move to reduce/restrict pensions for expats but I think it will come. Its being successfully applied by other countries with similar pension systems to the UK (Aus, NZ?).  And the savings to the government would substantial.  Moreover it could even be a vote winner since most UK voters seem to display negativity toward expats.  There is certainly support for the current strategy of charging expats for NHS care (150% of the cost I believe).

Would the opposition agree?

Difference is that in UK you contribute to get state pension but in Oz you don't. Is this correct?

 

Paying for NHS care is ok. Still cheaper than private bills from doctors.