Australian Aged Pension

[TroubleandGrumpy]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

'pretending' - why are so unpleasant?

The laws / regulations are clear, logical, sensible and not difficult to understand.

Move on please, perhaps start a knitting website for folks stationed in Antarctica.

Mate - you are very wrong if you think CLink Delegates do not have the discretion to make a decision based upon a person's own circumstances as they see it. The rules in any given situation are not clear and logical and sensible - you are an idiot for saying that - they make decisions every day which people disagree with.  If they make a decision that the person thinks is wrong, then they can appeal that decision made by the Delegate - which requires the person to prove that the Delegatre made the wrong decision - it happens a LOT - AAT mate - very busy Tribunals.  Clearly you have no idea how things work in Govt and it would be very foolish of you to think that the rules are clear and throw them back at a CLink Delegate who has made a decision, because you say 'but the rule said I could mate - what ya doing cancelling my pension mate'.

 

You need to stop drinking so much and start thinking straight - only a fool would not listen to a very experienced person who knows Govt back to front after working with them in Canberra for 2 decades - mate.  There are 3 main organisations in Canberra that you must know back to front if you are trying to win multi-million dollar Tenders with them - Defence, ATO and Centrelink - plus many others, but they are nowhere near as big as the top 3.

 

Now go away - mate.

[scorecard]

58 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

6 months prior would re-establish your residency.

 

 

Might be worth revisiting as I tried to get health insurance from Australia, for me to have in Australia, but as my residency was that of a Non Resident, no way Jose is what I was getting from them all.

 

 

Not if there is a fine print in there saying, only if you are a resident.

 

 

If out of the country for over 5 years, it's cancelled, that's why I see my Doc every time I return, between 2-3 years so it reactivates itself, I also renew my car online before it expires, ah, reason is, I lost it, new one in the mail, (Oz address), no questions asked.

 

 

I returned to Oz (about 5 years ago) after a long absence. My Medicare card had long expired.

 

I went to my local Clink office and obtained a CRN, proved my ID, then lodged my application for the OAP (lodged online by the Clink officer who first offered to manually scan my hand OAP & Assets & Income applications, then she indicated:

 

- 'it's all complete, I can lodge it for you right now using the big Clink multi purpose machine here in the office, or

- You can lodge it online yourself, or

- You can mail the documents to Clink in Canberra).

 

I requested she go ahead and lodge the documents using the Clink multi purse machine, which she did. About 5 seconds after imy application docs were sent the machine printed a receipt which was handed to me. The Clink officer mentioned that the receipt indicated that all the pages have been received in the Canberra office. 

 

The Clink officer politely reminded me that OAP applications are not processed by local Clink offices,they are processed by computer in Canberra. She also mentioned that Clink Canberra would contact me by e.mail is any further information / clarification was needed.

 

She then mentioned that she had checked my Medicare status and it was cancelled. She indicated she could restart my membership if I wished.

 

I responded YES please.

 

About 1 minute later she took a document off the printer at her desk and gave it to me and explained:

 

- This letter is for you, it confirms your membership has been reinstated.

 

- A new card will arrive at your recorded residential address in 2 weeks. In the meantime use this letter if you need to visit a doctor / hospital etc.

 

- The new plastic Medicare card arrived about 4 working days later.

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

I will have my hand out at 67 

There might not be anything left in the kitty for you, guys like me may have sucked the purse dry.

[LosLobo]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

I know it's a little off the topic, but my understanding is, that if you are a Non Resident of Australia, you cannot get private health cover, (fine print).

 

Did you retain your residency, or just haven't told anyone, which would be a gutsy move because if the insurer found out that you were or are a Non Resident at the time of surgery, decline you, and or seek to recoup any funds paid, same with Centrelink.

 

If your a Non Resident and got away with it, Kudos to you.

From my understanding, if you already have private health insurance and go overseas, you can suspend your payments for up to two years without affecting your Lifetime Health Cover status or incurring penalties—sometimes even longer, depending on the policy.

Getting the best from your private health insurance | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
 

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

From my understanding, if you already have private health insurance and go overseas, you can suspend your payments for up to two years without affecting your Lifetime Health Cover status or incurring penalties—sometimes even longer, depending on the policy.

Getting the best from your private health insurance | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
 

Correct. I was able to suspend my private health insurance during COVID, when I was locked out of Australia.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

 

 

 

Might be worth revisiting as I tried to get health insurance from Australia, for me to have in Australia, but as my residency was that of a Non Resident, no way Jose is what I was getting from them all.

 

 

Not if there is a fine print in there saying, only if you are a resident.

 

 

 

 

 

I had my private health insurance long before I moved to Thailand. IMO my status as resident or non-resident is irrelevant to my health fund.

 

If I am reading your post correctly, you want to get private health insurance, applying as a non-resident. That's probably an entirely different set of  circumstances.

[Olmate]

3 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

A bit like old you eh 😉 

Gee George, your a regular barrel of $hit, shame its all about to end, I hear on the grapevine Dan wants his money back!! 😭😭

[SAFETY FIRST]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

The new plastic Medicare card arrived about 4 working days later.

Do you know if it has your original Medicare card number?

 

 

 

 

[Pattaya57]

4 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Do you know if it has your original Medicare card number?

My medicare card expired when I was overseas 9 years. They re-issued it with same number. I believe the last number on the card is the number of card issues wth that number. Mine is currently 7

[SAFETY FIRST]

Just now, Pattaya57 said:

My medicare card expired when I was overseas 9 years. They re-issued it with same number. I believe the last number on the card is the number of card issues wth that number. Mine is currently 7

Thanks, I still have a very old Medicare card, so should make things a little easier when I get back. 

 

[scorecard]

35 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Do you know if it has your original Medicare card number?

 

 

 

 

I couldn't find my old Medicare card or any record of the number.

 

Medicare searched and couldn't find my old number.

 

Medicare issued a new number. 

 

[Will27]

32 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

My medicare card expired when I was overseas 9 years. They re-issued it with same number. I believe the last number on the card is the number of card issues wth that number. Mine is currently 7

I get mine sent to an Australian address.

I'm up to number 9.

[gearbox]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

OAP is those who didn't make it in the system, taxes have nothing to do with it, because you don't need to have worked to qualify.

 

The reason the introduced Super is to take the burden off of the government paying out the OAP, compliments of those employers, 11% annually at the moment. 

Even the communists don't have a pension system where everyone gets the same amount, irrespectively how many years they have worked and how much contribution they have made.

 

Sooner or later the OAP in its current form will be abolished, I hope sooner than later.

[Will27]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I had my private health insurance long before I moved to Thailand. IMO my status as resident or non-resident is irrelevant to my health fund.

 

If I am reading your post correctly, you want to get private health insurance, applying as a non-resident. That's probably an entirely different set of  circumstances.

Yep

 

Shouldn't be reading to much into residency status with regards to health insurance IMO.

 

You pay your premiums and make a claim if needed.

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Even the communists don't have a pension system where everyone gets the same amount, irrespectively how many years they have worked and how much contribution they have made.

 

Sooner or later the OAP in its current form will be abolished, I hope sooner than later.

What do you think should replace it?

[Will27]

3 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Even the communists don't have a pension system where everyone gets the same amount, irrespectively how many years they have worked and how much contribution they have made.

 

Sooner or later the OAP in its current form will be abolished, I hope sooner than later.

The Aussie government won't be letting their citizens starve to death.

[SAFETY FIRST]

6 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I couldn't find my old Medicare card or any record of the number.

 

Medicare searched and couldn't find my old number.

 

Medicare issued a new number. 

 

OK, thanks 👍

[Pattaya57]

7 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Even the communists don't have a pension system where everyone gets the same amount, irrespectively how many years they have worked and how much contribution they have made.

 

Sooner or later the OAP in its current form will be abolished, I hope sooner than later.

I don't think it should be abolished but with Super now being mandated at 11% of income it'll only be a matter of time before Super excludes people through the Assets and/or Income tests (which was the whole point of introducing Super in the first place)

 

[gearbox]

1 minute ago, Pattaya57 said:

I don't think it should be abolished but with Super now being mandated at 11% of income it'll only be a matter of time before Super excludes people through the Assets and/or Income tests

Ain't gonna work unless the super withdrawal rules are changed and the lump sum withdrawals are banned. I know people who moved to $4 million to lower their assets and get a pension.

 

The US has much better structured pension system, you have to work and save in order to have money in retirement.

[Will27]

I'm enjoying the (mostly) informative and respectful posts.

 

You just know the avavalanche is coming again shortly though.

[simple1]

22 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Even the communists don't have a pension system where everyone gets the same amount, irrespectively how many years they have worked and how much contribution they have made.

 

Sooner or later the OAP in its current form will be abolished, I hope sooner than later.

 

Australia does not have a contributory Age Pension scheme. Age Pension is funded by the annual budget. Of course we have the superannuation process and assessment criteria for Age Pension. I assume at some time in the future Age Pension scheme will change, but it will still need to provide for those who haven't worked due to illness and so on. What is often overlooked that if one's partner is on Jobseeker, any income for the partner over $75.00 per week is heavily taxed as well as some being deducted from your Age Pension, Again if you have a declared partner and they are working a large percentile of their income is deducted from your pension, that's why some couples declare they have separated otherwise a couple can be living in poverty.

[simple1]

23 minutes ago, gearbox said:

The US has much better structured pension system, you have to work and save in order to have money in retirement.

 

And if you cannot work due to illness and so on?

[Fat is a type of crazy]

31 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Ain't gonna work unless the super withdrawal rules are changed and the lump sum withdrawals are banned. I know people who moved to $4 million to lower their assets and get a pension.

 

The US has much better structured pension system, you have to work and save in order to have money in retirement.

Can I ask what you mean? You mean they took money out of their super after retirement and spent it or put it somewhere so they were within the limit by the time they get to 67. Are you saying you think you should have to take it as an income stream or something. 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

7 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

I know it's a little off the topic, but my understanding is, that if you are a Non Resident of Australia, you cannot get private health cover, (fine print).

 

Did you retain your residency, or just haven't told anyone, which would be a gutsy move because if the insurer found out that you were or are a Non Resident at the time of surgery, decline you, and or seek to recoup any funds paid, same with Centrelink.

 

If your a Non Resident and got away with it, Kudos to you.

Your post was something I had never considered. I have had a look and can't see something that says that but it doesn't clearly say that it is ok too. 

[Pattaya57]

2 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Your post was something I had never considered. I have had a look and can't see something that says that but it doesn't clearly say that it is ok too. 

I had Bupa for many years and everytime I came to Thailand they allowed me to suspend the account thus not having to pay (minimum of 2 months). If they didn't allow people that spent a considerable time out of Australia in the fund then why were they allowing me whereby I only had to pay when I got back to Australia

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Just now, Pattaya57 said:

I had Bupa for many years and everytime I came to Thailand they allowed me to suspend the account thus not having to pay (minimum of 2 months). If they didn't allow people that spent a considerable time out of Australia in the fund then why were they allowing me whereby I only had to pay when I got back to Australia

I wonder if you asked for 7 months it might be different. If your working or have  other income there's the medicare surcharge levy which kicks in for the months you suspend too which makes it less worthwhile.  

[Pattaya57]

6 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I wonder if you asked for 7 months it might be different. If your working or have  other income there's the medicare surcharge levy which kicks in for the months you suspend too which makes it less worthwhile.  

There was 2 months minimum and no maximum other than a maximum cumulative total of 2 years suspended. I was retired so didn't care about the medicare surcharge as it didn't apply. I did my suspensions in 2-4 month blocks

 

[scorecard]

And if you cannot work due to illness and so on?

 

And from my understanding  in the US Social Security System there's  a cap on what you can withdraw - and the cap is basically what you have personally contributed. 

 

So if you personal Social Security fund is dry at 80 years old - bad luck? 

 

I have several US colleagues hre in LOS, that's the way they explain it, and they are dreading the day it runs out.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

Ain't gonna work unless the super withdrawal rules are changed and the lump sum withdrawals are banned. I know people who moved to $4 million to lower their assets and get a pension.

 

The US has much better structured pension system, you have to work and save in order to have money in retirement.

 

But there's more detail which is not all that positive. 

[gearbox]

57 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Can I ask what you mean? You mean they took money out of their super after retirement and spent it or put it somewhere so they were within the limit by the time they get to 67. Are you saying you think you should have to take it as an income stream or something. 

Sorry I missed "home" from the post. They bought expensive property to remove assessable assets and get full pension. Their children are having their inheritance funded by the taxpayers.