Australian Pension Refusal.

[NONG CHOK]

Hi all, I'm 77 yo born in Melbourne, I officially moved to Thailand 6 months prior to my 63rd birthday. Unbeknown to me at the time I broke my residential status and shouldn't have moved to Thailand till after my 65th birthday. This law is really harsh as I lived full time in Australia for 63 years. Worked for the Department of Defence for most of those years and I paid large taxes. I did 2 years National Service and was awarded an Australia Service medal.  It appears all for nothing as now I'm living on a medium size investment which is decreasing rapidly every year. Cheers.

[ezzra]

You can still apply for the Oz pension living overseas and that is for sure

call CenterLink number for older Australian 132300 and talk to them,

however, you might have to difficulties getting trough to them because 

their lines are busy all the time, but the bottom line is that you're entitled

to a full pension...

[Will27]

22 minutes ago, ezzra said:

You can still apply for the Oz pension living overseas and that is for sure

call CenterLink number for older Australian 132300 and talk to them,

however, you might have to difficulties getting trough to them because 

their lines are busy all the time, but the bottom line is that you're entitled

to a full pension...

Pretty sure that is not correct.

Thailand doesn't have an agreement with Australia.

 

Think his only option if he wants the pension is to go back and do his 2 years unfortunately.

 

Claiming payments

You usually need to be living in Australia to claim an Australian payment.

Agreements may let you claim Australian payments when you’re living in the other country. They may also help you claim payments from the other country when you live in Australia.

 

 

[ozfarang]

25 minutes ago, Will27 said:

Pretty sure that is not correct.

Thailand doesn't have an agreement with Australia.

 

Think his only option if he wants the pension is to go back and do his 2 years unfortunately.

 

Claiming payments

You usually need to be living in Australia to claim an Australian payment.

Agreements may let you claim Australian payments when you’re living in the other country. They may also help you claim payments from the other country when you live in Australia.

 

 

That is correct his only option is to go back to live in Australia and apply for the OAP, once in Australia, he the needs to stay 2 years for his pension to become portable.

As there is no agreement with Thailand it is not possible to apply for or receive the pension while in Thailand

[NONG CHOK]

Thanks for the replies. Back when Julia Gillard was PM I contacted the Department of Human Resources and I received a prompt reply. The letter sent to me was from Minister Joe Ludwigs' secretary. It explained exactly what you guys mentioned about returning to Australia for 2 years etc. The letter did say the law was harsh especially for people born in Australia and had lived and worked  in Australia until their retirement. We're flogging a dead horse here as most of us don't vote and we're a minority. Cheers guys and thanks again.

[scorecard]

On 6/7/2022 at 8:18 AM, NONG CHOK said:

Thanks for the replies. Back when Julia Gillard was PM I contacted the Department of Human Resources and I received a prompt reply. The letter sent to me was from Minister Joe Ludwigs' secretary. It explained exactly what you guys mentioned about returning to Australia for 2 years etc. The letter did say the law was harsh especially for people born in Australia and had lived and worked  in Australia until their retirement. We're flogging a dead horse here as most of us don't vote and we're a minority. Cheers guys and thanks again.

I went back and did the 2 years. I found the Centrlink officers to be good listeners, polite and friendly and always good clear guidance.

 

Nowadays you only need to visit a Centrelink office once; to apply for and instantly receive a CRN (Centrelink Reference number which becomes your personal pension number) and to prove your identity.

 

All further contact with Centrelink including lodging the actual Old Age Pension (OAP) claim and the Income and assets statement by e.mail, can be done easily/successfully by phone or e.mail.

 

The OAP claim form is about 24 pages but don't panic, for most people 90% or more of the questions are not applicable*. I completed the form in about 20 minutes. (* The questions I was able to bypass were details of divorce and what support etc., still applicable for the ex-wife and any dependant children.) 

 

The Income and assets statement is also very easy to prepare for most people. It is more complicated for folks with details investments etc., but advice/guidance is available from Centrelink.

 

I submitted on-line and got a very fast acknowledgement, less than 3 weeks later I got a polite phone call from Centrelink:

- to advise me my OAP had been approved

- to give me some basic details including pension rate/backpayment etc

- to ask me to check my mail box the next day, and sure enough a letter confirming appproval, all very easy to understand

- the next day the backpayment amount was in my Oz bank account.

 

To call Centrelink International (in Hobart) there's a TOLL FREE number from Thailand  001 or 009 800 611 4136.

 

 

[scorecard]

On 6/7/2022 at 7:28 AM, ozfarang said:

That is correct his only option is to go back to live in Australia and apply for the OAP, once in Australia, he the needs to stay 2 years for his pension to become portable.

As there is no agreement with Thailand it is not possible to apply for or receive the pension while in Thailand

Can I add a bit more. I've read before on this forum and on other forums that if you go back for the 2 years you have to own or buy a house or apartment, condo etc.

 

That's NOT true. You can rent a house, apartment etc., you must have a written signed rental agreement and of course the rental agreement must be in your name. Logical of course that the rental agreement be for 1 year renewable.

 

You'll need the rental agreement to be in place when you submit your OAP application. Centelink don't ask any questions why you renting and not buying. No questions at all. 

 

When Centrelink see that you have submitted a rental agreement there's no questions or investigation, it's totally accepted as satisfying the requirement that you are re-establishing an abode in Australia.

 

Also Centelink do an automatic check whether you are entitled to 'rent assistance'. If you are the 'rent assistance' money will commence automatically when your OAP benefits/payments start. And then every fortnight. 

 

If you indicate that you already own a house, apartment condo etc then of course the paragraphs above are not relevant, except that the house value will be taken into consideration when you submit the separate personal Assets and Income statement. Don't be frightened about this item, no need.

 

Another point; You must write your Australian Tax Office number on the OAP application form. (You don't have to submit old taxation returns - none.)

 

A Centrelink officer explained this to me as follows:

 

- When the Centelink OAP application rocessing computer see you have submitted a personal taxaton number their computer automatically 'ticks' a box to indicate that you have submitted a valid ATO number.

- Then the personal ATO number you have submitted is totally deleted. 

 

WHY THE ABOVE? Sounds silly however a basic requirement to get the OAP is that you have at some time paid Australian personal tax. If you get the 'tick' (as in the 2 bullet points just above), this is acceptance that you have paid Australian personal tax in the past and fulfilled this requirement.