Australian Pensioner Wins The Right To Claim His Pension In Se Asia (Including Thailand)

[IrishIvan]

I thought this might interest a few, There would be a lot of Australians claiming an old age pension in Thailand

A HOMELESS nomad who spends most of the year wandering overseas has won the right to keep his welfare payment after arguing his pension goes further in South-East Asia than in Australia.

The 62-year-old's disability pension was initially cancelled in March because he did not have a fixed address in Australia, did not meet the residential requirements needed for the payment and spent two-thirds of the year overseas.

The man, who suffers from schizophrenia, has lived a nomadic lifestyle for decades and has been receiving the pension since April 1984.

For the past 10 years he has spent most of his time roaming Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, China and Vietnam; countries where he is able to survive on his pension.

Now, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has overturned the departmental decision to cut his pension, ruling he needed to travel overseas because of his dire poverty.

"His travel overseas is linked to the difficulties he has faced as a homeless person in Australia and his current lack of assets," the AAT ruled

"He does not travel to one country in South-East Asia but moves around. The applicant says he travels to South-East Asia mainly because this enables him to get a room with a TV and airconditioning together with three meals a day and some beer money within the tight parameters of the pension payment.

"The applicant is unable to afford accommodation in Australia on his pension."

When he is in Australia he moves around frequently but considers campsites around Darwin his home base and avoids Melbourne and Sydney because of the cooler weather.

He told the tribunal he hoped an inheritance from his 100-year-old mother would enable him to buy a caravan.

"The applicant considers Australia his home. Although the applicant's home base is a series of sites on Aboriginal land and a number of informal arrangements (including staying with friends, family or camping) and although he is homeless, this does not mean he has no connection with Australia," the AAT ruled.

http://www.news.com.au/national/homeless-vagabonds-pension-victory/story-fndo4bst-1226546318384

[samran]

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

[simple1]

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

Whilst government hands out tens of billions in middle class welfare hoping for votes in the next election, they spend an enormous amount of effort trying to identify saving for pensioner payments in the tens or hundreds of millions

[hansgruber]

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

Need a fixed residential address in Australia to claim the pension.

This will set precedent for old sex pests who dont need to maintain an address back which in turn gives them more income to spend here.

[Neeranam]

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

Need a fixed residential address in Australia to claim the pension.

This will set precedent for old sex pests who dont need to maintain an address back which in turn gives them more income to spend here.

It might also set precedent to normal pensioners who wish to live here. Sex pests will come whether they get their pension or not but most of them are located in the same hole a couple of hours east of Bangkok.

[Neeranam]

In this case I disagree with the ruling - why should a nomad, who has never worked or spent most of his time in Oz be given a pension?

[BEVUP]

Well Im presuming you all know Australia

This seems to be a case by case scenario & Disability pension helping a bit

PIGS WILL FLY IF AN AUSSIE WHO HAVE WORKED ALL HIS LIFE this would open the gate On What Grounds

DESCRIMANATION

[simple1]

The guy is getting a disability pension, not OAP as he's 62. Under current rules, once he's 65 the disability pension rolls over to a OAP, so long as he is resident in Australia at that time & would then be able to receive the OAP whilst living overseas full time.

[hansgruber]

Well Im presuming you all know Australia

This seems to be a case by case scenario & Disability pension helping a bit

PIGS WILL FLY IF AN AUSSIE WHO HAVE WORKED ALL HIS LIFE this would open the gate On What Grounds

DESCRIMANATION

He seems to be long term unemployed and never contributed income tax.

Life long tax payers should be afforded the same right if a mentally ill bludger can.

[samran]

In this case I disagree with the ruling - why should a nomad, who has never worked or spent most of his time in Oz be given a pension?

Sounds like he has spent the first 52 years of his life in OZ.

Fair innings for me, but it also beside the point.

If one qualifies for a government pension, whether it be old age or disability, why should the government prohibit you from receiving it in a jurisdiction there the receiver may be getting better value for money?

If they have qualified, they have qualified. That is all that should matter. If there is a need for reassessment in future, then they should go back to oz at their own expense for reassessment at the designated time.

[hansgruber]

The guy is getting a disability pension, not OAP as he's 62. Under current rules, once he's 65 the disability pension rolls over to a OAP, so long as he is resident in Australia at that time & would then be able to receive the OAP whilst living overseas full time.

Did you read the article? He has no address so how can he reside in Australia?

Streets arent an address.

Look out Pattaya, a influx of methadone addicts from australia that claim 'DISABILITY' pensions due to their 'Illness'.

Its too easy to claim disabilty in Australia.

[samran]

Well Im presuming you all know Australia

This seems to be a case by case scenario & Disability pension helping a bit

PIGS WILL FLY IF AN AUSSIE WHO HAVE WORKED ALL HIS LIFE this would open the gate On What Grounds

DESCRIMANATION

He seems to be long term unemployed and never contributed income tax.

Life long tax payers should be afforded the same right if a mentally ill bludger can.

Lets save the bogan level debates for web forums such as the daily telegraph or he herald sun. Mental health issues are important and grouping them with dole bludgers is inappropriate.

[hansgruber]

Well Im presuming you all know Australia

This seems to be a case by case scenario & Disability pension helping a bit

PIGS WILL FLY IF AN AUSSIE WHO HAVE WORKED ALL HIS LIFE this would open the gate On What Grounds

DESCRIMANATION

He seems to be long term unemployed and never contributed income tax.

Life long tax payers should be afforded the same right if a mentally ill bludger can.

Lets save the bogan level debates for web forums such as the daily telegraph or he herald sun. Mental health issues are important and grouping them with dole bludgers is inappropriate.

Drug addicts claim mental illness and float on pension and methadone for life.

So any homeless drunk can jump on this. Terrific precedent Australia is setting. Welfare nanny state.

No wonder people just breed and bludge in Australia.

[simple1]

The guy is getting a disability pension, not OAP as he's 62. Under current rules, once he's 65 the disability pension rolls over to a OAP, so long as he is resident in Australia at that time & would then be able to receive the OAP whilst living overseas full time.

Did you read the article? He has no address so how can he reside in Australia?

Streets arent an address.

That's why the ruling got media coverage, as he was granted continuance of the disability pension rather than the normal cancellation of payments e.g. traveling out of Australia for extended periods. However, I would assume that homeless people would also receive disability pensions

[IrishIvan]

I personally have no problem with it, but most Australians have a genetic fault quite similar to Thais, they get jelous very easily. Whenever someone has a good deal the ordinary Australians come out of the woodwork and want to cut them down. There was an article on an Australian politician that earns $6000 per week and stated she could live on the dole on $260 a week in Australia. Now I saw many comments that were more infuriated about the Politicians salary than the actual main issue of the story!!. Whenever a particular trade group, teachers or others get a pay rise the howling of the general public can be heard in Thailand.

In this case I think good on him, I don't mind my taxes paying for an older bloke to have fun romping around Asia, I might end up like that one day.

[samran]

Well Im presuming you all know Australia

This seems to be a case by case scenario & Disability pension helping a bit

PIGS WILL FLY IF AN AUSSIE WHO HAVE WORKED ALL HIS LIFE this would open the gate On What Grounds

DESCRIMANATION

He seems to be long term unemployed and never contributed income tax.

Life long tax payers should be afforded the same right if a mentally ill bludger can.

Lets save the bogan level debates for web forums such as the daily telegraph or he herald sun. Mental health issues are important and grouping them with dole bludgers is inappropriate.

Drug addicts claim mental illness and float on pension and methadone for life.

So any homeless drunk can jump on this. Terrific precedent Australia is setting. Welfare nanny state.

No wonder people just breed and bludge in Australia.

Figured you couldn't make it out of the shallow end of the intellectual debating pool. The issue here isn't eligibility for a pension, it is where it can be paid.

Why not trot of over to bogans.com and have a chat to your mates there. You'll find a more sympathetic and intellectually equivalent group of fellows there.

[hansgruber]

Sorry Samran. I must have strolled into the oxford scholar forum.

Please understand that I'm truly humbled that someone of your intellectual capacity would even reply to one of my posts.

Thank you.

Not sure why someone with a powerful mind like you would even frequent the thaivisa general forum.

[bdenner]

You can re hash it anyway you like _ the judgement SUCKS. Why are my taxpaying dollars forever going to freeloaders? 'schizophrenia' my arse!

[angsta]

Anyone who has lived in Australia for that amount of time surrounded by people who know everything deserves a medal, never mind a pension.

[HeijoshinCool]

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

Need a fixed residential address in Australia to claim the pension.

This will set precedent for old sex pests who dont need to maintain an address back which in turn gives them more income to spend here.

My. Always looking on the bright side, aren't we?

[nickcar]

I doubt if you or anyone else knows if this guy is a freeloader or genuinly sick. The point is he is entitled if he lives in Oz. why should he or anyone be discriminated against because they live overseas? That goes for NZ and UK too.

[krisb]

Good for him. I've never really understood why pensioners need to be penalised for living OS.

Or for that matter, it was ok for the govt to send him os for war to serve his country.

[krisb]

You can re hash it anyway you like _ the judgement SUCKS. Why are my taxpaying dollars forever going to freeloaders? 'schizophrenia' my arse!

Well if he lived in Oz, you would be also paying for his house I presume and possibly hospital care, social workers etc. Its probably saving you money.

On a 2nd point, this is great as it could be paving the way for others including me 1 day and possibly you to get a pension and live in Thailand!..Woohoo!

[whybother]

In this case I disagree with the ruling - why should a nomad, who has never worked or spent most of his time in Oz be given a pension?

Never worked?

[hansgruber]

In this case I disagree with the ruling - why should a nomad, who has never worked or spent most of his time in Oz be given a pension?

Never worked?

Article states he has been on the pension since 1984. Safe to say he doesn't have a strong work ethic nor a tax payer.

[whybother]

In this case I disagree with the ruling - why should a nomad, who has never worked or spent most of his time in Oz be given a pension?

Never worked?

Article states he has been on the pension since 1984. Safe to say he doesn't have a strong work ethic nor a tax payer.

Or ... it's safe to say that he is sick, seeing that it is clearly stated in the article.

He could have been a tax payer for 20 years before that, and you have no idea what his work ethic is.

Do you know anything about schizophrenia?

[andid]

Agree with the posters re what the article is about - if he qualifies he is qualified - this is not a discussion about if he should get paid or not.

I have discussed this issue with Aussie government people, arguing that the actual costs that the government must pay under the Australian system (and being drawn from the over taxed tax payers money). I would be happy to have my mother over here for more time each year, and she would be happy to spend time here with me. She is not free to choose where she spends her time now because she has been told that part or all of her pension will be cut, which also means her access to health care and lower cost travel in Australia will be lost, if she spends too long outside of Australia.

She paid tax for many many years before retiring to care for my stepfather before he passed away.

Now, the next challenges are how to ensure this ruling is extended to all pensioners in a way that the Aussie government saves money, and how to allow private health insurance payments (from Aussie Insurers) to be made to appropriately qualified medical establishments here. Imagine how much the government would save, and thus lower taxes required!!!

[samran]

Sorry Samran. I must have strolled into the oxford scholar forum.

Please understand that I'm truly humbled that someone of your intellectual capacity would even reply to one of my posts.

Thank you.

Not sure why someone with a powerful mind like you would even frequent the thaivisa general forum.

My level of intellectual prowess isn't required to hang around here. You're clear proof of that.

Having a bit of a clue is though.

[David48]

Ole samran and I rarely disagree (post #2) ... but on this question we are at a difference.

This is a man who chooses to live a nomadic lifestyle but relies on the Australian government to fund this lifestyle ... through the disability pension.

He has a medical condition and 'suffers from schizophrenia', though, due to his nomadic movement, I doubt he is getting treated for it.

The fact of the matter that it would be cheaper to pay the pension and he stay overseas as opposed to reside in Australia could be true ... but it should not be the premise of the argument.

I believe in fairness for all ... as best it can be done.

Many people speak about it being the 'Government's money' ... well, just remember ... it's our money that we pay through taxes etc ... the government just redistributes it as it sees fit and in line with the ideologies of the political party in power.

So … how I see it … we are funding his nomadic lifestyle … and I disagree with that.

Surprised that the Mods haven’t moved this to the Pension Topic.

EDIT:- samran and I posted at the same time and I don't wish to have my post seen as to refute what he wrote above me ...

[BookMan]

In this case I disagree with the ruling - why should a nomad, who has never worked or spent most of his time in Oz be given a pension?

Never worked?

Article states he has been on the pension since 1984. Safe to say he doesn't have a strong work ethic nor a tax payer.

Or ... it's safe to say that he is sick, seeing that it is clearly stated in the article.

He could have been a tax payer for 20 years before that, and you have no idea what his work ethic is.

Do you know anything about schizophrenia?

Unlikely.

Current age 62.

On DISABILITY pension since age 32

= 30 years on DISABILITY pension

That would mean he started working at age 12!

I, for one, would like to see more details of the case.

It seems utterly bizarre to me that this guy, with 30 years of schizophrenia, could survive around the world in a multitude of countries