Australian Aged Pension

[AussieBob18]

Just now, simple1 said:

I have found the Centrelink Financial Advisers good to get some input

I hear you - they can be good and have yalked to them too - but they are limited in what they can say and they cannot recommend what you should do. 

[4MyEgo]

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

Although it would reduce the Age Pension by approx $60 per fortnight, if you returned to Oz wouldn't your wife be able to access JobSeeker?

This is all very interesting stuff as we have never received any kind of welfare as I used to get a good salary, way over any threshold, so wasn't entitled to anything.

 

If we return I know that some of the kids will receive Family A & B payments as entitled until they turn 18, and as I am retired and my wife hasn't worked so we would be under any threshold, and assets don't count.

 

JobSeeker, that's an interesting one, I would have to look into that as I have shares and money in the bank and as I would be getting the pension, e.g. having tweaked it enough that I would have just under the threshold to get the pension, the wife might not be entitled to JobSeeker because I have money, unless Centrelink does count assets, wonder if a prenuptial has any weight with Centrelink, I doubt it ????

 

[scorecard]

On 7/28/2020 at 11:06 AM, JWRC said:

I have been through this and jumped all the hurdles. My best advice is when you apply for the pension, make sure you don;t use the word "living" example (Q) where have you been living (A) I haven't been living anywhere, I have been travelling in Asia.      (Q) Where have you been for the last 10 months  (A) I have been on an extended holiday, I haven't been living anywhere. and so on and so forth. The word "living" saw my pension application refused, then I had to appeal and really had to use all my wits to get the situation turned around, it was touch and go for a while, all because of one word, they actually told me where I went wrong that's how I know it was the use of this word.

Agree, be very careful how you use the word 'living' and avoid using the word 'permanent'.

[scorecard]

On 7/30/2020 at 12:06 PM, scorecard said:

Agree, be very careful how you use the word 'living' and avoid using the word 'permanent'.

And if during the 2 years back in oz you decide to return to LOS for a short holiday there's a requirement to inform Centrelink on line the dates of exit/re-entry, but other members say they never did this because they know Centrelink has a continuous live connection to Immigration records which will automatically feed exit/re-entry dates to your personal Centrelink file.

 

Above all, never verbally or by e.mail etc., tell them what country you are going to/where you went, just say 'short holiday abroad'. 

 

 

[cheynewalk]

For those returning residents having to do their 2 years in oz to get portability.  Just spoke to a lady in international. She said during your 2 year wait period you can travel os for up to 13 weeks (without payments of course).  No more though as you lose your pension on return and have to start again.  So in effect you could do 3 mths oz, paid, 3 mths thailand unpaid.  Do this 4 times to make up your 2 years.  Not too bad actually.

[scorecard]

39 minutes ago, cheynewalk said:

For those returning residents having to do their 2 years in oz to get portability.  Just spoke to a lady in international. She said during your 2 year wait period you can travel os for up to 13 weeks (without payments of course).  No more though as you lose your pension on return and have to start again.  So in effect you could do 3 mths oz, paid, 3 mths thailand unpaid.  Do this 4 times to make up your 2 years.  Not too bad actually.

Seems to change all the time, international lady told me, about 12 months ago, a 3 week trip outside OZ once a year (during the 2 years) would incur no reduction/suspension of payments at all.

 

Further, another lady told me a few months before that the maximum number of days o/side OZ one trip per year over the 2 years and no reduction/suspension of payments is 10 days.  

[AussieBob18]

On 8/20/2020 at 7:29 PM, scorecard said:

Seems to change all the time, international lady told me, about 12 months ago, a 3 week trip outside OZ once a year (during the 2 years) would incur no reduction/suspension of payments at all.

 

Further, another lady told me a few months before that the maximum number of days o/side OZ one trip per year over the 2 years and no reduction/suspension of payments is 10 days.  

I was advised up to 6 weeks a year was OK - as long as the trip was for a valid reason. To go skiiing in Canada was not a valid reason.  Visiting family and friends was a valid reason for 4-5 weeks. You can go online and advise CLink of the planned trip and the reasons. This will flag their system - then when you leave and return it is noted and filed. If you say nothing they dont like it - they like to know why, so best to play nice (they have the gold, they make the rules).

 

[scorecard]

7 minutes ago, AussieBob18 said:

I was advised up to 6 weeks a year was OK - as long as the trip was for a valid reason. To go skiiing in Canada was not a valid reason.  Visiting family and friends was a valid reason for 4-5 weeks. You can go online and advise CLink of the planned trip and the reasons. This will flag their system - then when you leave and return it is noted and filed. If you say nothing they dont like it - they like to know why, so best to play nice (they have the gold, they make the rules).

 

Further, I was wondering about the earlier mention (in this thread) that pension payments stopped from the day the pensioner departs OZ.

 

So yesterday (21/8/2020) I called the Older Australians quick dial number 132 300 to check this point. The lady officer listened and checked that she understood my question. (Staff in this section are always very polite and courteous and always make sure there's no misunderstanding etc.)  

 

Then her response, calm, polite:

 

'NO NO NO your pension does not cancel or reduce from the day you depart Australia, however after 6 weeks things like 'energy allowance' and anything similar will automatically cancel, but not the main pension amount'. 

 

She then asked 'is that answering your question? I responded YES.

 

She asked 'do you want me to continue what happens when the time out of Australia is much longer'. I responded 'no thanks, you've clearly answered my question'.

 

She continued much the same as aussiebob shared just above, to go on-line and notify Clink your planned departure and return dates and give a quick reason / purpose for the trip, but she emphasized 'just give a few works, no details and choose your words carefully', then she concluded by saying 'don't have any concern if the departure/return dates change, because Clink knows the actual dates from the automatic continuous link to immigration/passport records'. 

[CARLO BALDASSARRE]

On 6/25/2020 at 3:51 PM, AussieBob18 said:

Just found out something that I should share with others.  I have a contact at CLink and I have been advised that CLink has started cracking down hard on Aussies who travel overseas each year.  The website about who is entitled to get the pension reflects this in that the type of words and meanings associated with: 'Permanent and Australian and Resident' that have been 'fine tuned'.  What this means in practice is that if someone who lives in Australia travels overseas 'too much' they can be deemed to be 'not a permanent resident' when they travel overseas - and what that means is that they will lose their portability next time they return to live in Australia.  As unbelievable as it sounds, a person on the pension can be an Australian Resident and meet as the conditions, but if they travel overseas a lot they can be declared to be not a Permanent Resident - meaning that they are not permanently living in Australia.  

 

Examples: someone that spends 3-6+ months of each year staying in another country each year (the same one), can after a couple of years be declared to not be a permanent resident. Someone that travels extensively overseas each year for 3-6+ months at a time (different countries) after several years can be declared to not be a permanent resident.  

 

When I questioned if there was any hard and fast definitions, I was advised that (of course) there is none set.  They have started recently to impose these declarations on people, and as usual, the appeals processes will decide what the 'rules and precedents' are in each case.  In one case a couple that had been travelling overseas each year for 8 years, had their portability removed.  In another case a bloke that was spending 6 months of the year overseas in Europe (would not say where) and 6 months in Australia (family in both countries) had his portability removed.  I was advised that someone who goes overseas for a specific holiday with a start and end date (and advises CLink) will not have an issue - but if they do it every year and it is for 3+ months at a time - they can lose their portability.  Obviously, anyone that loses portability will regain it after staying in Australia for 2 years.  I was also advised that as long as the overseas trip is only for about 4-6 weeks at a time, then there will unlikely be an issue. It is after 6 weeks that pension payments when overseas reduce a little (energy supplement etc.), and this can be the trigger for a review. 

 

The driver behind all this of course is to reduce the ever growing costs of the pension, and the reality is that people who  travel overseas every year are easy targets for the Pollies to attack.   Why should we give welfare payments to people who are able to afford overseas holidays every year - that is the logic. There are limits on what they can do, particularly because under International Agreements Australia must pay pension 'welfare' to people who live overseas, who first received the pension when living in Australia and meet the requirements for portability.  Other than that, they can pretty much do whatever they want, because there is very little (if any) public support for those on the pension who travel overseas - each year or permanently.  

 

Anyone that was able to afford it and was going to maintain a premises in Australia and in Thailand, and was going to spend time each year in both locations, better think again. Clearly, the current harsh 'interpretations' of a permanent resident, means that someone has to choose between one and the other, otherwise one day they might find that their next trip backl overseas will have to be without the pension payments.  AND they will have to re-apply for the pension from scratch when they next return to Australia AND they will have to prove that they now intend to live 'permanently' in Australia AND they must not go overseas again for at least 2 years - unbelievable but true I am afraid.  

 

A couple had been travelling around Australia for over 14 months. CLink recently declared their house to no longer be their 'main residence' and it was therefore no longer exempt and the value was included in their Assets - their pension payments were severely reduced.  The matter is under appeal, but they will likely lose - the pension 'welfare' is not for people who live somewhere else while their million+ dollar house is lived in by their family members.  

 

keep talking with centrelink ,keep it honest ...remember tell centrelink what u doing ......4/6 weeks or what ever it ...same like the 90 day report in thailand ......

[Nemises]

Yesterday’s Syd Daily Tele:

 

 

[Nemises]

Today’s Syd Daily Tele:

 

 

[Will27]

15 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Yesterday’s Syd Daily Tele:

 

 

That's just a letter to the editor I think.

[deej]

1 hour ago, Nemises said:

Yesterday’s Syd Daily Tele:

 

 

Yawn????

[Mason45]

Hi there, I'm a 75 yo Australian who receives nothing because CL stated that as I've been living outside of Australia for the past 20 years I've broken my residential status. Now to reactivate my status I need to return to Australia for 2 years without leaving the country for even one day. So 2 years before a person is due for the age pension they need to return to Australia and only leave for 6 months per year for the ensuing 2 years. I'm a retired tradie I paid large tax, never been on the dole and I was even a National Serviceman. All I got was 2 medals which finished up in the garbage bin. If I wasn't married to a Thai I wouldn't even be living here especially how Thailand has fallen apart in recent years, So my best advice is to visit your local CL office 2 years before you're due for the age pension and make life so much easier for yourself.

[biggles45]

Good advice, mate lived and worked in Thailand for 15 years after 45 years in oz. Had no family, friends or assets in oz but had to return for the 2 years, and live in a boarding house, to qualify

Also after a few years away you are then classed as a Non Resident for tax. There is no "tax free" threshold for you. No Capital Gains Tax discount and all incone is taxed at 34%

[Will27]

2 minutes ago, biggles45 said:

Good advice, mate lived and worked in Thailand for 15 years after 45 years in oz. Had no family, friends or assets in oz but had to return for the 2 years, and live in a boarding house, to qualify

Also after a few years away you are then classed as a Non Resident for tax. There is no "tax free" threshold for you. No Capital Gains Tax discount and all incone is taxed at 34%

Pretty sure that's not correct about taxation.

 

Our tax system is based on self assessment.

Unless you declare you're a non-resident, you're assessed as being a resident. The only way that would change would be if you were audited and declared to be a non-resident by the ATO.

The ATO has a residency calculator online.

 

Anyway, the whole residency issue has been done to death on here anyway.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Mason45 said:

Hi there, I'm a 75 yo Australian who receives nothing because CL stated that as I've been living outside of Australia for the past 20 years I've broken my residential status. Now to reactivate my status I need to return to Australia for 2 years without leaving the country for even one day. So 2 years before a person is due for the age pension they need to return to Australia and only leave for 6 months per year for the ensuing 2 years. I'm a retired tradie I paid large tax, never been on the dole and I was even a National Serviceman. All I got was 2 medals which finished up in the garbage bin. If I wasn't married to a Thai I wouldn't even be living here especially how Thailand has fallen apart in recent years, So my best advice is to visit your local CL office 2 years before you're due for the age pension and make life so much easier for yourself.

I'm not sure this is correct.

 

Yes if you have lived outside Australia for a longer period you do have to return for 2 years to re-establish your 'residency' status.

 

You can apply for the OAP the day you arrive back in Australia. Don't be frightened of Centrelink, I discovered that the horror stories are just not true, totally helpful, pleasant and polite and after a first visit to create your Centrelink Reference number everything can be done on-line or by phone.

 

And don't be frightened by the long application form, it's well structured and you'll possibly find that a large % of the questions don't apply to you. Same with the Assets and Income form, not difficult at all.

 

You can lodge the OAP Application and your Assets and Income statement on line using the Centrelink Reference number you received on your first visit.

 

All approved within 26 working days. I got a phone call from a very polite young man to advice me 'all approved' and he explained the main points over the phone. He added 1). check your bank balance tomorrow afternoon, your initial payment (backdated to the date of application) will be deposited within a few hours, 2). and you'll get a letter, mailed same day, to set out your entitlements etc. 

 

Initial payment was in the bank early next day.

 

Approval letter arrived by reg. mail less than 48 hours later. It quoted a fast dial number to call to get a complete explanation. I called, the young lady explained it all very clearly, very polite and pleasant, kept asking if I has any questions or If I was unclear etc., etc. I wasn't. Payment is every second Thursday (every fortnight) into the bank account you have quoted.

 

If you have no other personal income personal tax is not an issue at any stage except for one point; the OAP application form asks if you have any other income from the Aust. gov't including the DVA.

 

If you do have DVA payments (e.g. DVA Disability Pension) you must say YES and answer the questions (very simple) because Centrelink has on-line continuous access to many other gov't agencies and all these things are automatically/instantly checked. They say it can effect your tax but in reality the ATO has never contacted me.

 

If you do receive a DVA disability Pension that means your OAP is automatically reduced, but the DVA automatically tops up your disability pension by the same amount so overall you lose nothing.

 

'Not allowed to leave Australia for 2 years' is not correct.

 

The 2 years return to OZ covers 2 items:

 

         a). 2 years in Australia, starting from your date of arrival in OZ (not the date you lodged your application for the OAP), to re-establish residency. You can take short trips abroad and if your trips are not too long they don't affect the building of the 2 years.

 

         b). When you have completed the 2 years (above) and you have been receiving your OAP payments for 2 years you are now entitled to lifetime 'portability' of pension payments, meaning you can now live anywhere in the world and Centrelink will deposit your pension payments for automatic bank transfer to your nominated account abroad, with very small costs. If you do want it transferred abroad it becomes a 4 weekly bank transfer payment (total of 2 fortnights).

 

             Note, when Centrelink realize you are no longer living in Australia they will stop the Energy Supplement added to the basic pension (about $12 a fortnight from memory).

 

             In fact by the regulations you are supposed to inform Centrelink on line of your travel dates (never tell them where your going, and if you don't say your destination they don't ask).

 

             If it takes Centrelink a while to realize your not in Australia (and they will) they will take back any overpayment of the Energy Supplement.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

[RJRS1301]

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

If it takes Centrelink a while to realize your not in Australia (and they will) they will take back any overpayment of the Energy Supplement.

1. Centrelink know the day you leave the country, freedom of exchange of information between departments
2.  

[scorecard]

7 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

1. Centrelink know the day you leave the country, freedom of exchange of information between departments
2.  

True of course. I was just trying to note that if there is any overpayment (not all that likely because of the on-line exchange of information above) they will take it back. I should have been more clear on that point.

 

Thanks.

[giddyup]

Should my aged pension have been paid into my bank by now?

My last payment was on the 25th September, the pension is supposed to be paid every 28 days (in Thailand) and I make it 29 days and still no sign of it. Been here 11 years and never had a late payment yet. Anyone else experienced this?

[ripstanley]

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

Should my aged pension have been paid into my bank by now?

My last payment was on the 25th September, the pension is supposed to be paid every 28 days (in Thailand) and I make it 29 days and still no sign of it. Been here 11 years and never had a late payment yet. Anyone else experienced this?

Friday was a bank holiday in Thailand. Most likely Monday.

[opalred]

mine is always on the Monday /if a holiday fri could be payment tue/cheers

[Rimmer]

An unattributed post has been removed

[opalred]

i do have to add/i think its wrong pension paid by govt  into citi bank/they use the money for a few days  on world market  to get interest /add a few 100 thousand payments /what they make on our money per year cheers

[scorecard]

17 minutes ago, opalred said:

i do have to add/i think its wrong pension paid by govt  into citi bank/they use the money for a few days  on world market  to get interest /add a few 100 thousand payments /what they make on our money per year cheers

 

My pension payments arrive in my K Bank account on the dates published on the Centrelink and DVA websites. Every 4th Thursday for the money sent to Thailand (2 fortnights rolled into one 4 weekly payment), every Thursday fortnightly for the money transferred to my Aust. bank account.

 

Once perhaps twice every year it's in my Thai bank account half a day early.

 

Once only in many years 1 got one fortnight only to Thailand, but same day i Got an e.mail with an apology and advising that there was a computer malfunction, and the 2nd fortnight appeared in my account the next day. 

[scorecard]

Just now, scorecard said:

 

My pension payments arrive in my K Bank account on the dates published on the Centrelink and DVA websites. Every 4th Thursday for the money sent to Thailand (2 fortnights rolled into one 4 weekly payment), every Thursday fortnightly for the money transferred to my Aust. bank account.

 

Once perhaps twice every year it's in my Thai bank account half a day early.

 

Once only in many years 1 got one fortnight only to Thailand, but same day I got an e.mail with an apology and advising that there was a computer malfunction, and the 2nd fortnight appeared in my account the next day. 

 

[deej]

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

Should my aged pension have been paid into my bank by now?

My last payment was on the 25th September, the pension is supposed to be paid every 28 days (in Thailand) and I make it 29 days and still no sign of it. Been here 11 years and never had a late payment yet. Anyone else experienced this?

For sure, the Eagle will sh#t this Monday for you. 

In addition , closing in 2 decades of receiving it, only when a public  holday  falls on that particular Monday( either country) it comes in a day late apart from pre xmas payment which comes a few days earlier

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Pension gets paid into Oz bank account.

[giddyup]

4 minutes ago, deej said:

For sure, the Eagle will sh#t this Monday for you. 

In addition , closing in 2 decades of receiving it, only when a public  holday  falls on that particular Monday( either country) it comes in a day late apart from pre xmas payment which comes a few days earlier

Pension gets paid into Oz bank account.

[opalred]

Thursday is the pay day if you are paid in oz bank if you get paid into Bangkok bank/it goes to citi bank thursday held till monday  9/30 am  /they have 4days to put it on world exchange  to make interest 

years ago i had mine put into oz bank but the withdraw fees to much  cheers