Returning To Australia - What Benifits?

[CTO]

Job has hit a wall - so unless I find new work returning to Australia with Thai wife and the 2 kids aged 4 and 7 looks like happening in the New Year.

I've been trying to get information - wife will enter on the visa advised before - Kids have Thai and Aussie passports - but if no work and I haven't had the dole for over 25 years I have no idea what claims I can make when I return as we are/will be very broke.

So question is how soon can I collect unemployment benifits if I haven't lived in Australia for 10 years - how soon can kids get what ever they can claim

Hate to make claims but "MAY" have no choice.

Stories I have heard so far points to wife getting benifits but me and kids missing out.

Anyone had recent experience?

Thanks!

[david96]

The Centrelink website may help you.

centrelink.gov.au

Edited September 30, 2009 by david96

[Mercury]

Don't know about Oz but I sure know about the UK.

British citizens are habitually resident the second they return to the UK. Originally, the UK government tried to say that people may have to wait 3 or 6 months to prove that they were indeed resident in the UK but the courts took a very different view. That means full entitlement to benefits from day one.

Again, for the UK, there is a provision that a partner (it does not have to be a wife) can gain permanent settlement from day one, if she has been the partner of the resident outside the UK for 4 years. There is now a UK life test which she would have to pass and that test cannot be taken outside the UK. The reason I state this provision is that other forms of settlement depend upon you and your wife not having recourse to state aid. Permanent settlement (ILR/ILE) mean she could claim from day one.

In the UK, you could claim from day one, you could claim for the kids but you could not claim for her (in essence, you would miss out on the couples uplift in benefits) but you would be able to claim the same rent rebate as you qualify for the same size of property with or without her.

In the UK you would get tax credits (cash essentially), dole, housing benefits and a non means tested £20 or so a week allowance for each child.

There is no need to prove bank accounts but if you have some money above a few thousand then they want to know and they'll reduce your entitlement. Better to say you have nothing.

Sorry that this is the UK but Oz and UK are often similar and it may give you some pointers as to what to find out before you consider going back. There are many UK expat type sites which cover people going back as well. I would presume that Oz has similar sites. Best of luck.

[CTO]

Centerlink I tried - very hard to decipher anything - UK and Aus fairly different from what I've heard - Australia "seems" to be more like UK was

[samuibeachcomber]

Centerlink I tried - very hard to decipher anything - UK and Aus fairly different from what I've heard - Australia "seems" to be more like UK was

to be honest you probably wont know the answer until you actually return and call in to your local centrelink office.call in and register and look for work.sorry to hear your on hard times,especially difficult with a family to provide for,but keep optomistic/positive and am sure it will work out ok.

[Artisi]

Think it is just a matter of returning, visit Centerlink and register as unemployed , they will assist with employment and assume after a required period if you have been actively looking for work but unsuccessful when the "dole" etc is probably an option.

[Farma]

Regarding Medicare, I received a notice a few years ago. Check with them for the full details as I can’t fully remember what the notice said.

I seem to recall it said once you’ve been out of the country for 5 years you lose cover and you have to inform then once back in Oz that you’ve returned permanently for that cover to resume.

[CTO]

Thanks guys - I have my mum calling Centerkink today - ooops - typo - reason I want to know before hand is it plays into were we go next - if I have to wait a while for benignity I'll stay here - far cheaper - if I can get benefits reasonably soon I'll go back to Australia. Hence knowing before I plan my next move

[CTO]

Finally got some info - more my fault than Centerlinks

Seems I get "newstart" or the dole 21 days after informing them - I need to be in Australia a few days after doing so

Kids get allowance 14 days later

Wife will be on visa different set of info for her

toll free phone call from Australia and VERY nice person on the phone as had my mum when she called

Roughly $850 a fortnight - seems a lot - but cost of living in Australia a lot higher than here of course

[Old Croc]

Alternatively, you could throw away your passports, invent a new name and nationality, hire a fishing boat in Indonesia and sail to the nearest Australian territory where you make a ficticious claim for refugee status.

You will initially be accomodated on a tropical Island in near-new units (better than anything the locals live in), fed and clothed without the neccesity to undertake work of any kind.

If accepted you will be transported to the mainland state of your choice, given a nice rental unit, taken by the Red Cross to their stores where you will be able to select clothes and furniture for your new life, and centrelink payments would begin immediately. There will be no pressure exerted to start work (you could sign up for a free language course which would stretch out the period before having to worry about things like jobs).

Your kids would given all assistance to start school, and the school (and current students) would have to adjust to your kids level of education, not the other way around.

There are too many other freebies and benefits to list here, but you certainly won't have any more worries about how to support yourselves .

(Just joking CTO, good luck with the move. I may be getting a little cynical in my old age, time to make the move in the opposite direction methinks.)

[midasthailand]

Alternatively, you could throw away your passports, invent a new name and nationality, hire a fishing boat in Indonesia and sail to the nearest Australian territory where you make a ficticious claim for refugee status.

You will initially be accomodated on a tropical Island in near-new units (better than anything the locals live in), fed and clothed without the neccesity to undertake work of any kind.

If accepted you will be transported to the mainland state of your choice, given a nice rental unit, taken by the Red Cross to their stores where you will be able to select clothes and furniture for your new life, and centrelink payments would begin immediately. There will be no pressure exerted to start work (you could sign up for a free language course which would stretch out the period before having to worry about things like jobs).

Your kids would given all assistance to start school, and the school (and current students) would have to adjust to your kids level of education, not the other way around.

There are too many other freebies and benefits to list here, but you certainly won't have any more worries about how to support yourselves .

(Just joking CTO, good luck with the move. I may be getting a little cynical in my old age, time to make the move in the opposite direction methinks.)

Cynical.... No way Croc! Unfortunately most of what you have written is pretty close to fact, no wonder so many Aussies are becoming less friendly to recent arrivals. Benefits available to refugees are far more that afforded decorated war veterans on disability pensions. Makes no sense. Sorry off topic. To the OP I wish you the best of luck if you do find yourself forced back to Australia.

[CTO]

Well it's good to know I can get "benifits' if I have to - had two more job interviews so hopefully for me sadly for those I annoy I'll be around a little longer

[Sel]

You get new start 14 days after applying at an office. In that 14 days you have to supply all the info they need, if u been away from australia for a long time the hardest is the required id to prove your identity and your address. You need your taxfile number as well. AUD$400 per fortnight

You can get rent assistance about AUD$220 fartnight, need lease agreement as proof

You can also get parental benefit i think its called, something like another AUD$400 a fortnight depending on age/number children

You probably are ineligible for baby bonus as I think has to be claimed within a year of childbirth

Your wife can claim emergency benefit if she is on a spouse visa temporary (about the same as newstart I think)

The amount of information they need is a lot for your wife as well. Bring all passports you have had your entire life as you have to put dates of periods in different countries and all bank account details and current statements (overseas as well)