Aussie Expats Be Warned

[chuchok]

As a parting shot, the interviewer said if I was a (Humble) Kiwi, I wouldn't have had to wait 10 months...... AAAAAAAArrrrrrggggghhhhh

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's hard to take compliments like that aye Udon.

[bdenner]

Costello and Blumpstone spend too much time studying and emulating what Blair is doing to give a shit about us Australian retirees, both at home and overseas.

I really don’t know where this places me, as a self funded retiree both I and TW pay income tax and the Medicare levy. Sound investments was my way into the future and unless there is a monumental collapse or upset in my life this was the long term plan. Fortunately I don’t have to deal with CentreLink --- YET!!

There is no way I will allow these wackers to tell me how long and when I must return. I maintain a residence with my daughter, vehicle and drivers licence, direct two small businesses (silent partner), many bank accounts etc.

I dare them to cancel our Medicare Cards.

Might make a start to learn how to invest in Thailand.

[udon]

I hope Nignoy offers a comment

[simcity]

i feel a tax return every year for australia , and paid medicare.

do not see why they will cancelled out !

do not live in australia for the last 8 years !

Edited June 8, 2005 by simcity

[udon]

Sim, how do you get yr card renewed?

[ozzydom]

Sim, how do you get yr card renewed?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Udon, when does your medicare card expire, mine is 2008 so they must be be 6 or 8 year cards

[udon]

2011

I should live that long..... I'll be pushing 70....... Faark!

[ozzydom]

Wonder how single o/a pensioners survive living in oz on the pittance provided as a pension, its a joke after 50 years of paying taxes. A mate just returned from oz and reckons his old viet veteran mates are having to go live in the scrub to have a reasonable lifestyle and they are on 300% higher pension than us oldies. The modest one bedroom flat I rented on the Gold Coast after my ex took me to the cleaners is now over $300 a week. Reckon if I had to go back for any reason I,d end up in a humpy back o Bourke

[udon]

There's nothing much under $300 a week out here in Beirut either.

I couldn't afford to live here on a pension.

In LoS I could.

[samran]

A couple of things....

i feel a tax return every year for australia , and paid medicare.

do not see why they will cancelled out !

do not live in australia for the last 8 years !

If you are a non resident, you shouldn't be paying the medicare levy on Australian earned income, especially if you have been living outside Australia for more than 5 years. See here about half way down. Sounds like you've been filing as a resident to take advantage of the tax free thresholds....

Am i right in thinking that in the UK,immigration don't even stamp your passport anymore and they have no idea who is or is not in the country?

Well, the UK don't even check passports when you leave, hence no stamps. Thats why David Blunkett (the former home office minister) said that they had no idea who has left the country. Australia is different. Australia has formal immigration controls on departure. All passports are scanned and that information is sent to the central social security database. Just because your passport hasn't been stamped doesn't mean that your movements aren't monitored.

For me, the irony of this situation is if I manage to last 5 years here in the UK (and hence not be eligible for Medicare on a return visit to OZ) I will still be able to access Medicare becasue as a now full paying member of the UK's Natioinal Insurance scheme and National Health Service, I will be able to access Medicare under a reciprocal agreement between Australia and the UK.

With the new centrelink leave of absence forms, you have to give a statutary declaration, giving exact checkable dates of absence, they informed us we need to sign in personally within 5 days of arriving back in oz, it does not matter if you own property in australia, to keep your pension and medicare cover you have to actually reside in australia 4 weeks out of every 26, suggest you inquire at your local centrelink, nignoy

Are you sure about this Nignoy? As far as I understand Medicare eligibility and Centrelink benefits are two different beasts. For pensions etc, the 4 weeks out of 26 figure rings true, but any search of the Medicare website (and the health insurance commission website) says that you only have to have been resident in Australia within the last 5 years to be eligible for medicare. For example, see here

Edited June 8, 2005 by samran

[udon]

These docs will help for anyone rtning to Aus to claim for The Card

1. Letter from landlord verifying that you have ceased living at your condo or house in Thailand, In English or Thai..... (get it Thai, just to cheer them up)

2. Proof of closure of your Thai bank a/c, ie. letter from bank, or savings book showing zero balance.

3, Last bills from Thai utility co's.

4. A new Aus Driving license.

5. A new Aus bank a/c. (debit or ATM card)

8. Proof of where you are staying in Aus.

7. Join a club in Aus, ASAP !!! (don't ask me why)

8. Any bills for Aus utilities (tel a/c. power. gas or water.)

I hope this helps.

PS. I got the distinct impression that Centerlink & Medicare don't talk to each other.

[simcity]

i got mine send to me at my home address Australia ! Good for many years . i did not blow the whistle out saying i am living oversea !

home address in australia and tax form every year !

still have a medical private insurance there , but suspend it ( 2 years maximum renewable ) after two years I reactivated my account for one month , and suspend again .

[dr_Pat_Pong]

We Aussie's are shrewd feller's huh ?

[udon]

Any updates?

[Nignoy]

Any updates?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yup just to really piss em off,keep a legal address in oz and give them all your paperwork in thai, centrelink love that, now we have no problems with medicare either because we are only away on holiday even if it is 6months or more a year, looks like my centrelink age pension will go anyway in july 2007, because my german state pension starts then, so roll on july nignoy

[udon]

Thanks Nignoy

[astral]

This kind of got up my nose a bit. I have known so many expats that have had to go home for serious medical treatment after living for several years in Thailand. The  Australian Government now refuses to renew medicare cards to those who having been out of the country 5 years or more. Check out the story:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/050310/21/tfvk.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Out of interest, are you still paying Tax or Social Security in Australia?

If not, why do you still expect the benefits?

[udon]

This is an old topic Astral, Bill doesn't log on too frequently.

[Thai Chi]

Sounds like a good plan to me numnuts Rules are rules mate, how one uses them is up to them

[Nignoy]

What gall, you havent lived in OZ for the last 20+ years,

Congratulations Your name does you credit There are many retirees who have worked and contributed all their lives, only to be told when they want to retire, you will lose this bit of pension or that bit of healthcare, I think personally that after 40 years continous employment !! never been on the dole, I have earned the right to go where I want and do what I want as a retiree as long I am able too, we have payed our dues, so I take it extremely personally when some little ###### fresh out centrelink school for idiots and government officials , tries to tell me , I would be better off in a veterans home or retirement village.Even though I have only had australian citizen ship since 98, I have paid my dues and if I want to take advantage of the services I am entitled to, who the Fxxx are you to say that I cant,next time you look in the mirror , check that its not Numnuts that are holding your EARS APART Here endeth the lesson!! nignoy

[Mighty Mouse]

Why should well heeled Australians be entitled to free medical anyway?

Medicare was introduced by the Labor Govt. and has been a burdon on our taxes ever since.

The Libs would love to dismantle the scheme and are gradually moving in that direction.

The following is from the Govt's web site:

The gross cost to the Australian Government of Medicare Gold is estimated to be $5,348.8 million in 2006-07 and $5,851.4 million in 2007-08.

Expected savings from the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate are estimated to be $396.4 million in 2006-07 and $442.8 million in 2007-08.

Administrative costs for Medicare Gold are estimated to be $1.9 million in 2004-05, $22.9 million in 2005-06, $28.7 million in 2006-07 and $22.0 million in 2007-08.

Medicare should be available only to the needy groups, ie. pensioners and the unemployed.

I realise that the cost of private health fund membership is increasing annually but there should be no such thing as a free meal ticket to those who can afford to pay.

I can see some of you now sharpening your knives to stick into me. Go to it, I have a strong back.

[udon]

Who mentioned "well heeled Australians"?

[Pink Mist]

When I left Oz about a billion years ago to work overseas, (maybe a little exageration) my accountant suggested one of the things that I should do to establish myself as a "non resident for taxation purposes" was to return my medi-care card.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I left Aus , there was no such thing as Medicare, Centrelink or Tax numbers!

My last driving licence was number 9493AA Go figure .....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that licence is only current for a burke and wills stage coach

[dr_Pat_Pong]

When I left Oz about a billion years ago to work overseas, (maybe a little exageration) my accountant suggested one of the things that I should do to establish myself as a "non resident for taxation purposes" was to return my medi-care card.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I left Aus , there was no such thing as Medicare, Centrelink or Tax numbers!

My last driving licence was number 9493AA Go figure .....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that licence is only current for a burke and wills stage coach

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Nam Kao]

This suxx. why do they penalize people living out of country

Does the US do anything like this?

[Nignoy]

When I left Oz about a billion years ago to work overseas, (maybe a little exageration) my accountant suggested one of the things that I should do to establish myself as a "non resident for taxation purposes" was to return my medi-care card.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I left Aus , there was no such thing as Medicare, Centrelink or Tax numbers!

My last driving licence was number 9493AA Go figure .....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that licence is only current for a burke and wills stage coach

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dont be nasty to Udon, he taught the first skippy how to phone the flying doctor so he cant be that ancient nignoy

[Mighty Mouse]

Who mentioned "well heeled Australians"?

Rubber thongs with heels, same thing. ......

........and some of you are probably wearing leather sandals with heels.

Stubbie shorts with holes in the pockets don't count.

[Ulysses G.]

This suxx. why do they penalize people living out of country

Does the US do anything like this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We don't get free health care - or anything else - so what can they do to us?

[Nignoy]

This suxx. why do they penalize people living out of country

Does the US do anything like this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We don't get free health care - or anything else - so what can they do to us?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Teach you to Read and Write Nignoy

[falux]

In my ex-country, it took one year only. Western Europe.