Anyone been back to Australia for the forced 2 year exile to move pension to Thailand?

[Ralf001]

7 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Cost’s nothing to seek jobs as you apply online and show Centrelink the applications. The only potential cost would be transport fees to report every 2 weeks in person to the closest office. 

That 2 weekly thing , its done online now and has been for years.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Ralf001

[Nemises]

4 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

That 2 weekly thing , it’s done online now and has been for years.

I live in a capital city and I have to report in person every 2 weeks. Maybe if you live remotely they let you report online. 

[Olmate]

18 minutes ago, Nemises said:

I live in a capital city and I have to report in person every 2 weeks. Maybe if you live remotely they let you report online. 

Were you able to look for work and refuse it.

[Ralf001]

23 minutes ago, Nemises said:

I live in a capital city and I have to report in person every 2 weeks. Maybe if you live remotely they let you report online. 

I lived on the gold coast 2018/19.

My Newstart allowance (now jobseeker allowance) was done online, I logged into mygov.. still looks to be done online.

 

And google confirms.

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-to-report-and-manage-your-jobseeker-payment

Edited June 19, 2023 by Ralf001

[scorecard]

15 hours ago, JensenZ said:

I don't believe there is a 35 year limit for the pension to be "portable". Any pension is portable, but the time you've spent in Australia between age 16 and retirement age determines how much you can get and reduction is x/35 percent where x is the number of years you've lived in Australia.

 

I did read that if you've been out of Australia from 1 July 2014, the 35 years minimum is reduced to 25 years, but once you have spent 26 weeks in Australia after that date, it reverts to 35 years if you leave again before you reach your retirement age.

Is there some confusion here?

 

- To qualify for the OAP there is the 35 year rule, but that 'rule' doesn't impact portability.

 

- For OZ citizens who have been outside of OZ for a long time, many can still 'pass' the 35 year rule.

 

If the OAP is approved (must be in Oz to submit the OAP aplication forms) then that citizen must remain in Oz for a period of 2 years (but trips in and out of Oz are allowed and the overall establishment of the 2 year period is not interupted by the time out (building the 2 years continues on uninterupted).

 

When the 2 years is established then that person has portability.

 

Note:

- The first day of the 2 year period is the day that person returns to OZ.

- The first day of the 2 year period is NOT the day the OAP was approved. 

[Kenny202]

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

OP, FYI at the moment rent would absorb most of your Jobseeker allowance if you relocate to a major city / in demand location. Some years back I relocated back to Oz to wait out the two year period to return to Thailand where we have a house. I'm still here as I was diagnosed with cancer and cannot afford the ongoing medical care costs in Thailand - just a heads up about plans....

Yeah just talking to my son back in Oz about some of the realities of living there. Even in Woolongong where they are rent for a small unit $500-$600. Then talking about vehicle registration and insurance  ???? It sounds horrific to be honest. I doubt Jobseeker would cover 30% of your living expenses unless you were out in the bush in a tent eating tinned food

[scorecard]

11 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Kenny - WHY are you asking this to a message board instead of the proper authorities in your homeland that can give you concrete answers and not just hear what other people's thoughts, opinions and experiences have been? Makes no sense. 

Agree. Many of the posts on this subject over many years have been opinions / nice to have / would be nice for me words.

 

Call the toll free C'link international line (Hobart office) and get correct answers with logical valuable real discussions. They listen, they don't bite.

[Nemises]

13 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Were you able to look for work and refuse it.

Yes, able to look for work. No, never refused it. 

I protest their requirement to report to them every 2 weeks - to no avail. 

The report involves me telling them I’m still looking for work, the guy them marks me as having attended on his computer and he says “see you again in 2 weeks”. In and out in 2 minutes. An absolute joke.

[Kenny202]

1 hour ago, Nemises said:

I didn’t sell anything, I left my stuff and car in storage and now doing my 2 years (rent-free!) in Aus and saving $A2k a month from welfare benefits whilst here. 
Back to Thailand next year with the extra $A52k welfare savings - plus pension for life. Thai GF visits me here every 6 months. So, in my situation, obviously not feeling sick about returning to live in Australia for those 2 years. 
 

So it must be costing you something to live in Australia, even if you are rent free? When you are saying you are saving $2k a month is that the total welfare amount you are receiving or some of it? I thought all you would get from welfare is around 2k a month and surprised if it was even that. Genuinely interested.

 

In any case I will definitely be above what someone mentioned as a minimum savings threshold so I guess any dole / government benefits are going to be out of the question 

[Ralf001]

2 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

So it must be costing you something to live in Australia, even if you are rent free? When you are saying you are saving $2k a month is that the total welfare amount you are receiving or some of it? I thought all you would get from welfare is around 2k a month and surprised if it was even that. Genuinely interested.

 

In any case I will definitely be above what someone mentioned as a minimum savings threshold so I guess any dole / government benefits are going to be out of the question 

[Kenny202]

16 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Is there some confusion here?

 

- To qualify for the OAP there is the 35 year rule, but that 'rule' doesn't impact portability.

 

- For OZ citizens who have been outside of OZ for a long time, many can still 'pass' the 35 year rule.

 

If the OAP is approved (must be in Oz to submit the OAP aplication forms) then that citizen must remain in Oz for a period of 2 years (but trips in and out of Oz are allowed and the overall establishment of the 2 year period is not interupted by the time out (building the 2 years continues on uninterupted).

 

When the 2 years is established then that person has portability.

 

Note:

- The first day of the 2 year period is the day that person returns to OZ.

- The first day of the 2 year period is NOT the day the OAP was approved. 

From my understanding I think you might be confused. The 35 year rule applies to portability from what I can see, it's not mentioned as a requirement for basic OAP. OAP says an Australian citizen that has resided in Australia 10 years or more is eligible for pension. I actually downloaded the portability guide this morning.  

[Nemises]

9 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

So it must be costing you something to live in Australia, even if you are rent free? When you are saying you are saving $2k a month is that the total welfare amount you are receiving or some of it? I thought all you would get from welfare is around 2k a month and surprised if it was even that. Genuinely interested.

 

I’m doing housesitting for the 2 years. Rent free! Utility free! Just pay for my own food - although sometimes owners leave me food and wine etc in appreciation. Some even leave me their car. 

[Nemises]

4 minutes ago, Nemises said:

When you are saying you are saving $2k a month is that the total welfare amount you are receiving or some of it? I thought all you would get from welfare is around 2k a month and surprised if it was even that.

Well, I started off on the dole but because they wanted me to attend their office every 2 weeks I had to think of another benefit because my house sits are sometimes far from my local Centrelink office. Enter the carer’s pension for an elderly relative! It pays $1,200 per fortnight. I bank $1,000 and the $200 pays the grocery bill. I also get free car rego, and heavily subsidised pharmaceuticals when needed. 

[Kenny202]

11 minutes ago, Nemises said:

I’m doing housesitting for the 2 years. Rent free! Utility free! Just pay for my own food - although sometimes owners leave me food and wine etc in appreciation. Some even leave me their car. 

Can't help be reminded of that latest Rowan Atkinson mini series on Netflix where he is housesitting lol. Did you register with some company to do it or something?

[Nemises]

2 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Can't help be reminded of that latest Rowan Atkinson mini series on Netflix where he is housesitting lol. Did you register with some company to do it or something?

Haha, yes saw Mr Bean doing the housesitting, it’s a classic!

Heaps of housesitting websites out there. Just create a profile and tell owners why they need you… and pray they didn’t watch Mr Bean blow  up the owner’s house!
 

[Nemises]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I lived on the gold coast 2018/19.

My Newstart allowance (now jobseeker allowance) was done online, I logged into mygov.. still looks to be done online.

And Google confirms 

Here’s a screenshot from my MyGov app earlier this year confirming their requirement for me to report in person to their office every 2 weeks in order to receive the dole. 
 

As showing, not only did they instruct me on what date I needed to go there, but also at what time. 
 

Perhaps their wanting to see me in person every 2 weeks had something to do with me having just arrived back in the country after having lived overseas for many years…

[JensenZ]

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

Is there some confusion here?

 

- To qualify for the OAP there is the 35 year rule, but that 'rule' doesn't impact portability.

Yes, I think it is you who might be confused. There is no 35 year rule to qualify for the OAP. The qualification period is 10 years. The 35 years is necessary to get full OAP. If you have spent less time in Australia than 35 years (from age 16 to qualification age), then you get a percentage of the OAP based on how many years you have resided in Australia.

 

Example: I have lived in Australia for 20 years so I get 20/35 = 57% of the full OAP.

 

Now I read about a proviso that if you have not lived in Australia after 1 July 2014, the full qualification period becomes 25 years. Specifially, in my case I have lived 20 years in Australia before 1 July 2014, so my full qualification period is now 25 years and not 35 years. As I have only 3 years left to retirement qualification age of 67, I cannot reach the required 25 years for the full OAP.

 

An extra rule here is that if you come or came back to live in Australia after 1 July 2014, but leave again before qualifying age, the minimum age for full OAP reverts back to 35 years.

 

https://agepensionguide.com.au/what-are-the-age-pension-residency-requirements/

 

 

If you’ve checked off the Australian residency requirement, you must also meet at least one of the following criteria to qualify for the Age Pension:

 

you have been an Australian resident for at least ten years — at least five of those years must have been consecutive.  

 

 

 ----------------------------------------------------

You will still receive the Age Pension if you leave Australia for more than 26 weeks, but the amount you’ll receive will depend on a calculation based on how long you were an Australian resident between the ages of 16 and the date you reached your pension age. The amount generally won’t change if you were an Australian resident for 35 years or more. If you were an Australian resident for a shorter period, your pension payment would be proportionally reduced. For example, if you were an Australian resident for 20 years, your amount will be calculated as 20/35ths (57%)  of the amount you would normally receive. 35 years is the qualifying length of time needed to receive the full amount. 20 years is 57% of the time required, so you would receive 57% of your usual pension amount.  

 

For anyone who has lived outside Australia since 1 July 2014, the residency requirement is 25 years rather than 35. However, if you were to return to Australia for more than 26 weeks, the 35 years would apply if you were to leave Australia again.

 

[simple1]

22 hours ago, Olmate said:

That and you cant just sit on dole, got to.actively  seek jobs which costs, time n money. But jobs aplenty dispite OPs view otherwise. Dolebludging is a bad ideathese days.

Male over 60 you can do volunteer work for 30 hours a week - no need to work Not so sure plenty of jobs, would very much depend on your location and skills - agism is still extensive.

[Kenny202]

7 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Male over 60 you can do volunteer work for 30 hours a week - no need to work Not so sure plenty of jobs, would very much depend on your location and skills - agism is still extensive.

Volunteer work to get Newstart you mean? After reading the post's I don't think I will qualify with some money in the bank TBH

[Olmate]

29 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Male over 60 you can do volunteer work for 30 hours a week - no need to work Not so sure plenty of jobs, would very much depend on your location and skills - agism is still extensive.

Ok.but if in ops case your returning to qualify OAPwithout  your family, I would think making those 2yrs a bonus and say tee up work and accom eg mining.Go to where money is.  Winwin. Why sit on ure clacker and waist the time on dole? 

[Nemises]

47 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

After reading the post's I don't think I will qualify with some money in the bank TBH

 

 

As at Dec 2022:
 

Jobseeker asset test

The combined worth of an applicant’s assets are considered when assessing their eligibility, and if that rises to exceed certain limits the recipient’s payment will be cut off.

Assets for an eligible single JobSeeker recipient can not exceed $280,000 for homeowners, or $504,500 for non-homeowners.

For eligible recipients in a couple, combined assets can not exceed $419,000 for homeowners, or $643,500 for non-homeowners.

[simple1]

6 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Volunteer work to get Newstart you mean? After reading the post's I don't think I will qualify with some money in the bank TBH

Yes. Remember retirement age for pension will be 67 as of 01/01/23

[simple1]

6 hours ago, Olmate said:

Ok.but if in ops case your returning to qualify OAPwithout  your family, I would think making those 2yrs a bonus and say tee up work and accom eg mining.Go to where money is.  Winwin. Why sit on ure clacker and waist the time on dole? 

Sure, but a lot of competition for work in the mining sector. If you have friend / family for intros might be viable.

[simple1]

20 hours ago, simple1 said:

Yes. Remember retirement age for pension will be 67 as of 01/01/23

A typo: should read retirement age for pension will be 67 as of 01/07/23

[georgegeorgia]

On 6/19/2023 at 5:01 AM, HuskerDo2 said:

Kenny - WHY are you asking this to a message board instead of the proper authorities in your homeland that can give you concrete answers and not just hear what other people's thoughts, opinions and experiences have been? Makes no sense. 

Ummmm...... because it's a message board? ????

[georgegeorgia]

On 6/20/2023 at 2:56 PM, Olmate said:

Ok.but if in ops case your returning to qualify OAPwithout  your family, I would think making those 2yrs a bonus and say tee up work and accom eg mining.Go to where money is.  Winwin. Why sit on ure clacker and waist the time on dole? 

He is 65 , how do you expect him to do physical work at that age?????

[scorecard]

On 6/18/2023 at 7:45 PM, Kenny202 said:

I did actually do a little more digging and to be eligible for the pension only goes on residency, but there is a 35 year working life rule on portability. I did a quick calculation and I am right on 35 years, but maybe be a month or 2 short depending on how they calculate it. Not sure what happens if you are just shy of the 35 years...they don't actually say if it is pro rata if you are below 35 or it disqualifies you. Looks like I will have to call them

So did you call them, and what did they say?

[Skipalongcassidy]

On 6/19/2023 at 2:01 AM, HuskerDo2 said:

Kenny - WHY are you asking this to a message board instead of the proper authorities in your homeland that can give you concrete answers and not just hear what other people's thoughts, opinions and experiences have been? Makes no sense. 

If your not interested just don't read it...

[Olmate]

27 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

He is 65 , how do you expect him to do physical work at that age?????

Rio Tinto got rid of picks and shovels.Think its more likely the will to work thats lacking.!! 

[scorecard]

On 6/20/2023 at 11:56 AM, Olmate said:

Ok.but if in ops case your returning to qualify OAPwithout  your family, I would think making those 2yrs a bonus and say tee up work and accom eg mining.Go to where money is.  Winwin. Why sit on ure clacker and waist the time on dole? 

... 2 years without family...   ...2 years exile...

 

Keep in mind that you can return to family etc., multiple times during the 2 years.

Plenty of Aussies have returned, lodge their OAP application and a few weeks later have left Oz for hols abroad, perhaps 3 weeks out of Oz. And done this multiple times in the 2 yr period. 

 

Also the time out doesn't interupt the building of the 2 years, it continues whilst the applicant is out of Oz unless the total time out is very excessive (but C'link won't give a a definition of excessive).

 

Also the building of the 2 years starts on the day the person lands back in Oz, it doesn't start from the date the appplication for the OAP is lodged.