Australian Aged Pension

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

There's always winners and losers on budget night, however, with the Australian economy the way it is, I think there will be more losers than winners for the foreseeable future.  The government needs to collect more money.  Simple as that.   

 

We may all dodge a bullet on the 9th May, but in my opinion, it's only a matter of time before those tax residency laws are passed. 

Good to see it wont be this time, probably not next and certainly not pre election Budget. Guess next liberal government may go after the OAP folk., ????

[malt25]

5 hours ago, Will27 said:

Do you realise that post you're quoting is 15 years old?

Oops, my bad  ????  Bit of egg on face.

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Olmate said:

Those patent box regime changes are certainly of concern to me!!  Definetly onpar with  1/3  cut to expat OAP.                          Is there any facility you can admit yourself to prior to this Budget announcment.????

Of course Price Waterhouse Coopers are watching/monitoting this, and many other copanies professions also. It's their bread and butter, they continuously monitor discussions in parliament etc etc and change their business model instantly to ensure best 'bite' at business opportunities. 

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Like I said, beaches forum rules, but I will not be reporting you, despite your admissions. 

 

If we took a poll in Nazi Germany back in the day about whether Hitler was a good guy or not, would it be a true indication of his character? 

 

I just addressed this in another post. 

 

Members jump into this sub topic of the thread on the current page.  They doing scroll back and see previous links and read previous discussion.  

I've just posted the non resident tax brackets for a member for about the fifth or sixth time on this thread.  Should I tell him to just scroll back, as they have been posted before? 

 

You got me.  This post is six sentences.  I know it's difficult for readers to maintain attention for two extra sentences.   

You have a math problem - again. Your post is eight sentences.

[Will27]

A question for those on the OAP.

 

A friend of mine has applied and is still waiting for it to be approved.

 

He messed his dates up a bit and is moving to Thailand in a few weeks.

He was hoping to get it approved before he went.

 

Is there any requirement for him to inform Centrelink he's relocating to Thailand?

I know they will know already and adjust his pension accordingly, but he wants to

know if he as to advise them.

 

He was going to let them know if it was approved whilst he was in Australia but now

he's not sure if he will be there or Thailand when it's approved.

 

TIA.

[Olmate]

12 minutes ago, Will27 said:

A question for those on the OAP.

 

A friend of mine has applied and is still waiting for it to be approved.

 

He messed his dates up a bit and is moving to Thailand in a few weeks.

He was hoping to get it approved before he went.

 

Is there any requirement for him to inform Centrelink he's relocating to Thailand?

I know they will know already and adjust his pension accordingly, but he wants to

know if he as to advise them.

 

He was going to let them know if it was approved whilst he was in Australia but now

he's not sure if he will be there or Thailand when it's approved.

 

TIA.

App only took a few days inmy case, what is.the hold up? 

[Will27]

1 minute ago, Olmate said:

App only took a few days inmy case, what is.the hold up? 

He lodged it about a month ago.

After about a week they asked for some extra information which he provided.

 

His should be basic as apart from money in the bank, he doesn't have any other assets.

 

I don't what the turn around time is.

[Olmate]

28 minutes ago, Will27 said:

He lodged it about a month ago.

After about a week they asked for some extra information which he provided.

 

His should be basic as apart from money in the bank, he doesn't have any other assets.

 

I don't what the turn around time is.

Hmm odd I was still working part time when I got mine approved. Maybe ring em. I had a contact person nominated who handled the approval process 

[KhunHeineken]

21 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You have a math problem - again. Your post is eight sentences.

That's the only accurate post you've made lately. 

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

That's the only accurate post you've made lately. 

If a seminal thought ever appeared in your posts, it would be a clear case of promiscuity.

[KhunHeineken]

On 5/2/2023 at 5:51 AM, Olmate said:

Good to see it wont be this time, probably not next and certainly not pre election Budget. Guess next liberal government may go after the OAP folk., ????

Why are you so confident the Labor government will not implement the changes? 

 

I've posted a link showing the Assistant Treasurer of the Labor Party informing expats at a meeting in Singapore that the proposed changes are in the government's "in-tray" and that they were looking at the 45 days part of the legislation. 

 

This says to me that the changes are not dead in the water under Labor.   

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Will27 said:

A question for those on the OAP.

 

A friend of mine has applied and is still waiting for it to be approved.

 

He messed his dates up a bit and is moving to Thailand in a few weeks.

He was hoping to get it approved before he went.

 

Is there any requirement for him to inform Centrelink he's relocating to Thailand?

I know they will know already and adjust his pension accordingly, but he wants to

know if he as to advise them.

 

He was going to let them know if it was approved whilst he was in Australia but now

he's not sure if he will be there or Thailand when it's approved.

 

TIA.

Centrelink requires anyone receiving the OAP to notify them when going overseas.

It's another example of bureaucratic dumbf##kery, as Border Force informs them anyway.

In his case, it is a grey area, because his pension is not approved yet. Ask them.

[Will27]

1 hour ago, Olmate said:

Hmm odd I was still working part time when I got mine approved. Maybe ring em. I had a contact person nominated who handled the approval process 

Thanks.

 

It's all done via mygov these days so I doubt he has a contact officer.

 

Maybe wait until next week and he can give them a call if he hasn't heard.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Will27 said:

Thanks.

 

It's all done via mygov these days so I doubt he has a contact officer.

 

Maybe wait until next week and he can give them a call if he hasn't heard.

He can expect a wait time of 1-2 hours in Australia on the phone, maybe it is different for an international call.

[LosLobo]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

He can expect a wait time of 1-2 hours in Australia on the phone, maybe it is different for an international call.

When I want to call Centrelink when I am in Oz, I call the complaints and feedback line and get a direct line to senior staff who know what they are talking about.

 

Of course, I always quickly call the other line first so I will have a complaint!

[Will27]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

He can expect a wait time of 1-2 hours in Australia on the phone, maybe it is different for an international call.

He's in Oz for another week and a half.

Most have government departments have an overseas contact number.

 

I don't think its any quicker though.

[Olmate]

2 hours ago, Will27 said:

Thanks.

 

It's all done via mygov these days so I doubt he has a contact officer.

 

Maybe wait until next week and he can give them a call if he hasn't heard.

Ifit was me I wouldnt.t leave till approved and settled. 

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Will27 said:

Thanks.

 

It's all done via mygov these days so I doubt he has a contact officer.

 

Maybe wait until next week and he can give them a call if he hasn't heard.

Mygov doesn't process OAP applications.

 

Mygov is just a 'one stop' 'Quick easy access' way to make it easy / convenient for all Oz citizens to log on to numerous government agencies.

 

Log on to Mygov then select the gov't agency you have added to the list of agencies you need to have contact with.  Eg. Centrelink, DVA, Tax and many more.

 

Nowadays all OAP applications go electronically to the Centrelink HO in Canberra and all the applications are processed by computer. 

OAP applications are not processed at local Centrelink offices.

 

You can submit your completed OAP application by e.mail, or in my case I went to the local Centrelink office to get a CRN (Centrelink Reference Number) and to complete my proof of identity, all very easy and quick. Then the friendly polite officer said 'is that your OAP and Assets & Income statement (I had put the paper copy on her desk while I was completing the proof of ID).

 

I replied Yes. She said 'do you want to me to have a look?' I replied 'YES please'.

She went through the application question by question then said 'it's complete, would you like me to submit it to Canberra now (and she pointed to a big multi purpose machine nearby) or do you want to send it as an attachemnt to an e.mail from home?

 

I responsed 'would you please submit it here'.

 

She wrote my new CRN number on the front page, went to the big machine, a minute later she was back with the originals and a receipt issued from the multi purpose machine. 

 

To contact Centrelink Canberra Inside of OZ you can call 132 300 which is answered quickly and the friendly knowledgeable staff can tell you the progress of your application.

 

If you need to contact Centrelink when your outside of Oz call Centrelink toll free number:

001 800 611 4136.  

[scorecard]

31 minutes ago, Will27 said:

He's in Oz for another week and a half.

Most have government departments have an overseas contact number.

 

I don't think its any quicker though.

When in Australia I found 132 300 (Centrelink Older Australian Line) was answered very quickly, every time within 5 or 6 seconds, very friendly and polite staff and very focused.

 

If you need to contact Centrelink when your outside of Oz call Centrelink toll free number:

001 800 611 4136.  

[scorecard]

This morning I had a call from Adeliade, an old friend who very recently went back to submit his OAP 

he had just received a call from Centrelink 'all approved' the basic details explained clealry and a friendly Q and A with the officer.

 

His approval took 20 days.

 

Plus he was informed the backpay will be in his Oz bank account tomorrow afternoon. 

[Will27]

40 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Ifit was me I wouldnt.t leave till approved and settled. 

Me as well.

 

But he has his flights booked for himself and his Thai girlfriend who is visiting him in Oz.

[ozfarang]

53 minutes ago, scorecard said:

When in Australia I found 132 300 (Centrelink Older Australian Line) was answered very quickly, every time within 5 or 6 seconds, very friendly and polite staff and very focused.

 

If you need to contact Centrelink when your outside of Oz call Centrelink toll free number:

001 800 611 4136.  

@scorecardI'm in Australia at present and called 132 300 last week, on the line waiting 50 minutes and then disconnected, no contact, gave up.

 

Called the Centrelink International line twice in the last month, wait time was around 4 minutes on both occasions. 

 

Call Centrelink International is way better than calling the Older Australian line

[ozfarang]

44 minutes ago, Will27 said:

Me as well.

 

But he has his flights booked for himself and his Thai girlfriend who is visiting him in Oz.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be out of the country if your OAP has not been approved.

You have to be in Australia to apply so stick around till it is approved and you have the money in your bank.

Could be a lot more Centrelink questions to answer if not in Australia before OAP approved

[ozfarang]

On 5/1/2023 at 8:33 AM, KhunHeineken said:

Have you even put forward your own opinion on the issue? 

 

Which scenario do you think will happen? 

 

1) The changes will never come in. 

 

2) The changes will come in and every expat will be taxed. 

 

3)  The changes will come in but with some exemptions / thresholds.

 

The proposed changes will effect every Australian expat, even pensioners, because as they stand, there are no exemptions or thresholds.  These proposed changes are very much on topic in the thread. 

 

Are all the links, particularly those to the proposed changes, that I have posted, my "opinion" also? Do you have any comment on them, or just wish to shoot the messenger because you don't like the message?

 

Do those links "count for much" or are they just the "opinion" of economists, accountants, financial advisors, journalists etc? 

 

Here's an example.  Many members thought that once Labor was voted in these proposed changes would be dead in the water.

 

The last link I posted, just a few posts ago.

 

https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/assistant-treasurer-flags-new-tax-residency-rules-20220826-p5bd1v

 

See the headline:  "Assistant treasurer hints at new tax residency rules."

 

That's the Assistant Treasurer of the current Labor government and is dated August 2022, yet yourself, and others, still only think it's my "opinion." 

 

It was in Labor's "in-tray" for the October budget, and it was "being looked at."  He made these comments to expats in Singapore, yet those who thought Labor would never bring in the changes still say it's only my "opinion." 

 

"Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones told an Australian Chamber of Commerce event in Singapore this week the new rules for deciding Australian tax residency were in “the government’s in-tray” ahead of the October budget, and the day limit was “being looked at."

 

To those who think Labor will never bring in the proposed changes, does the article carry any weight, at all?

 

Is the Financial Review a credible news source, or is the article only the "opinion" of the journalists? 

 

Are all of these accountants, financial advisors, economists, journalists etc, who have been linked on this forum, wasting their time informing their clients and publishing the proposed changes?  Have they all got it wrong?  Is it all fake news?  Is it a scam?  What is the purpose of all the information in the links? 

 

It's easy to criticize the opinion of others when you don't have one of your own. 

 

I have no opinion on any of your scenarios as I will it will not affect me.

 

I will be in an urn on the wife's sideboard before any of the changes eventuate.

 

You're still a broken record on the subject.....................but keep going someone might be interested in your opinions

 

Not me

[Will27]

25 minutes ago, ozfarang said:

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be out of the country if your OAP has not been approved.

You have to be in Australia to apply so stick around till it is approved and you have the money in your bank.

Could be a lot more Centrelink questions to answer if not in Australia before OAP approved

He was in Australia when he applied.

 

I can't see why it wouldn't be approved.

Like I said, it's not a complicated application and I just assume they're busy.

 

I can't see him changing his flights.

 

Hopefully he hears soon.

[Lacessit]

12 hours ago, LosLobo said:

When I want to call Centrelink when I am in Oz, I call the complaints and feedback line and get a direct line to senior staff who know what they are talking about.

 

Of course, I always quickly call the other line first so I will have a complaint!

So you are saying you resolve your issue through that line, how do you negotiate the transition from a complaint about wait times to the real purpose of your call?

I would suggest not doing it too often, otherwise you could be blacklisted.

[scorecard]

11 hours ago, Will27 said:

Me as well.

 

But he has his flights booked for himself and his Thai girlfriend who is visiting him in Oz.

Your comment "but he has....." is rather childish.

 

Centrelink etc., don't run their processes to the personal convenience of OAP applicants.

 

He should have thought this through step by step and panned accordiangly months ago. 

 

 

 

 

[scorecard]

10 hours ago, ozfarang said:

@scorecardI'm in Australia at present and called 132 300 last week, on the line waiting 50 minutes and then disconnected, no contact, gave up.

 

Called the Centrelink International line twice in the last month, wait time was around 4 minutes on both occasions. 

 

Call Centrelink International is way better than calling the Older Australian line

Thanks.  I can only share my experiences which were excellent re time to answer / talk to an officer and get a focuded clear answer for sharing. That's on 132300 and the toll free interntionl line.

 

No doubt workload changes continuously.

[Will27]

59 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Your comment "but he has....." is rather childish.

 

Centrelink etc., don't run their processes to the personal convenience of OAP applicants.

 

He should have thought this through step by step and panned accordiangly months ago. 

 

 

 

 

I've acknowledged he messed up his dates.

There's nothing childish at all in the comment, because that's what he did!

 

It's no big deal IMO.

I was just asking if he had to inform centrelink when he goes overseas, nothing more.

 

So if you either don't want to or can't answer the question, just move on.

I Don't need a lecture.

 

You're not the mouthpiece for Centrelink.

[Will27]

11 hours ago, ozfarang said:

@scorecardI'm in Australia at present and called 132 300 last week, on the line waiting 50 minutes and then disconnected, no contact, gave up.

 

Called the Centrelink International line twice in the last month, wait time was around 4 minutes on both occasions. 

 

Call Centrelink International is way better than calling the Older Australian line

I had to call Medicare a few months ago and like you, gave up after a what seemed like an hour.