Australian Age Pension Rules for Expats about to change again from 1 January 2017

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 0:28 PM, Coaster11 said:

 

That's the real story right there.

 

Pensions definitely go a lot further in SE Asia but the country that pays it would rather the money be spent in their own country/economy....if they possibly can. Which is in direct conflict re ones own life style.

It is our money after all,even though the govt treat it like their own.

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 0:35 PM, scorecard said:

Has anybody ever heard of the following:

 

Too sick to go back and live alone (no surviving family in Oz) for the two years, therefore a compromise:

 

- Remain living in Thailand, gain approval, but on the basis that no benefits are paid for the first two years.

 

 

Mmm,i like your thinking,but when you sign on,it has to be in person.

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 1:53 PM, madmax2 said:

It does not apply to politicians whose retirement is totally tax payer funded and do not need a pension, they get their payout anyway all in one payment if they want it

And it does not apply to self funded retirees who have paid more taxes in Australia than most people and have not been entitled to a pension for many years now

Become a politician if you have the gift of the gab and have no problem telling half truths and your future retirement payments you will get, no problem

There was a Qld state pollie living a fair bit of time in the Surin area while he was still in parliament.One of those current affair programs busted him.

[scorecard]

6 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Mmm,i like your thinking,but when you sign on,it has to be in person.

 

Thanks for your comment and not surprised. I don't really know why it would 'have to be in person' but one immediate thought  would be 'to prove that you exist and your alive' and I don't argue that the appropriate agency should make such a check.

 

Although I have poor health and some mobility issues I could go to Australia for a couple of weeks or similar with my Thai adult son accompanying me. Much of my poor health and mobility problems stems from war service in Vietnam for which I do receive a veterans disability pension but not the main OA pension.

 

But I do realize that this would be a long shot. 

Edited December 8, 2016 by scorecard

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 2:46 PM, flynn said:

If you have the required 35 years in your ok. For me I haven't got the required 35 years, so I would have to stay in Australia from aged 64 to 66, to qualify for a moveable pension, and after the pension is granted and you leave to a country which does not have a reciprocal agreement with Australia,your pension is reduced after six weeks to a percentage rate worked out by the number of years you have been in Australia , that's what they told me in centerlink

This 35 years overriding the 2 years is news to me.Good news i hope.If you have been made a non resident for pension reasons you have to re-establish residency,ie 2 years.I have to go back,to sign on,and i want to hang for a while to tart the house up,but maybe not as long as i thought.

[pattayalover]

It is our money after all,even though the govt treat it like their own.

There is your name on it? Just read what is printed on it and you will know the owner.

[DavisH]

The exception is residents who have lived in Australia longer than 35 years, will continue to receive the pension even if they are away for longer than 26 weeks.

 

Is that 35 years, or 35 years of working age (starting at 16 years old)?

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 6:45 PM, 4MyEgo said:

  

If you are in the country for 183 days in a financial year you are automatically classed as a "resident", suffice to say as long as you stay for that 6 month period in the financial, not calendar year, your all good, I hope, as the 2 years implies to those living overseas, i.e. non residents, who have to come back and be reinstated their residency, which takes about 6 months, as does getting your Medicare card and your name back on the electoral roll, suffice to say there will be lots of paperwork the departments will want to see, e.g. lease, electricity bills, drivers licence, registration of vehicle/s, water, council rates, etc, etc, and its not automatic that you will get it, they have to be satisfied that you have returned for good so to speak.

If you come back you have to get all that paperwork anyway,unless your living in a tent down in the long grass.

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 6:52 PM, 4MyEgo said:

 

I read it different to you e.g. if I was 63 and living Thailand, I would then have to go back to Australia, live there for 2 years, once I was granted the pension, then I could jet..............i.e. not stay another 2 years before it could be portable, that would mean 4 years in total, as opposed to 2 years as I read it.

You are right.

[Dumbastheycome]

Enjoy  what you get of what  you  have paid  for. Next ultimate step considered  by  many comfortable tax paid politicians in many places is to incrementally raise  retirement age up to  70. Be considered  part of the taxable  work force or  drop dead. We already  spent your childrens  childrens dream of a  pension  anyway !

[louse1953]

On 12/7/2016 at 7:03 PM, 4MyEgo said:

I think that if you cannot show 35 years of work, i.e. paying taxes, you will get zero, it states that it is based on the (AWLR) Australian Working Life Residency, not Australian Life Residency, which would imply years lived in Australia, in other words, you paid your taxes for 35 years in this situation, your in, if you didn't pay taxes, your out.

 

That's the way I read it anyways.

 

.When a person goes overseas their rate of Age Pension is paid according to their Australian Working Life Residence (AWLR) or years in Australia between the ages of 16 and Age Pension age. A person who has resided in Australia for 35 years between the ages of 16 and Age Pension will receive the full means tested rate, less any add-ons; while a person with less than 35 years will get a proportionate rate. For example, if you have lived in Australia for 10 years between the ages of 16 and age pension age, your proportion would be 10/35 multiplied by the normal income and asset tested rate of Age Pension.

This time you are wrong.AWLR means you were available to work in that period.Don't have to actually have worked 35 years.

[louse1953]

7 hours ago, Grubster said:

Are the pensions there not based on what you pay in.

We pay in nothing and get back next to nothing,but you can survive on it.

[louse1953]

7 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Unfortunately not, however the government started compulsory superannuation some years ago so as to slowly get rid of the pension.

 

For us folk, it goes like this, if you have worked for 35 plus years, you get the full pension, if less, it goes on a prorata basis, i.e. years worked over a formula.

 

As Simple1 replied in a previous reply on this post, he is of the opinion that it hasn't passed legislation yet, and if that is the case, for those of us who have worked for 35 years plus, we will not get our pensions cut down after 26 weeks away from Australia, that is, if we return to claim it, in my case 10 years away and will have to stay in Australia for 2 years to qualify, yes and absolute joke, because this rule would turn most of us off, because we know the cost to live in Sydney for those 2 years would cost more than the pension in rent alone.

 

F'n politicians, promise you when your young that if you work and pay your taxes, you will get a full pension, no talk about you not being able to get it if you decide to retire overseas earlier than the OAP age, so they make amendments to the legislation, year in, year out, trying to make it harder for us expats to get what we were told we would get originally, suffice to say, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2 year rule is lifted to 5 by the time I reach the OAP age, that or they put another amendment on it, e.g. making it no longer portable.....555

 

On the other hand if you live in Australia until you reach OAP age and worked 35 plus years, you can get the pension and take it with you, meaning for those of us who are smarter and exit the slave trade earlier and do not pay the additional taxes, in my case 10 years, they want to make life more difficult for me, by doing this, fortunately, I have enough to last me till I reach 101, suffice to say, if I can make it worth my while, I will go back and sit it out, just to stick it too them 555   

I am of the same opinion as you.First of all it pissed me off thinking of 2 years in Oz,but now i am ready for it.The house needs a tart up and i will do the grand tour of Oz visiting all my mates.The hospital will get plenty of visits fixing all my minor aliments.Some of my Thai friends are gunna come down and visit,no problem sleeping on the floor for them.

In this post and others you keep mentioning Sydney and the cost of living.Have you thought of living in another state and out in the country.For example, rural South Aust,renting farm houses is cheap and maybe pickup some seasonal work.

[louse1953]

7 hours ago, Grubster said:

All the elderly vote in the US making it more difficult to hammer us as they would like to do. Many times there has been plans to cut SS there but very few congressmen want their name on a bill like that. Not because they don't want it, but they want those votes.

          At some point your government may want to get their greedy hands on that Superannuation money too. First step would be to make withdrawals taxable at any age. I would bet that happens.

Your right.That Super is a pot of gold that they want to get their grubby hands on.They are tinkering all the time but it is a political time bomb.

[Dumbastheycome]

Superannuation  schemes  are schemes. At the point of time at which  you  become a recipient  you (usually)   can only  recieve an annual percentage. Any  residual is  retained when you  are  dead. Better save on your  own account over time. Consider it  a compulsory. :)

Oops!  Too late  . Right?

 

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Just out of curiosity;

 

1) Were you in Oz when for 2 years prior when you applied for the pension or less than 2 years and were deemed a non-resident

 

See to me there is some confusion, i.e. I cannot find anything on any site saying that if you are assessed as a non resident you still get paid the OAP, but have to stay in Oz for 2 years or payments will be stopped.

 

I have seen it saying that the applicant has to be a resident and be in the country for 2 years to be able to apply for the OAP, now they wouldn't be saying it this way to turn us away, would they, because I like the way you have explained it, not that I doubt you, but is there a link that stipulates your version, or is it just the way it happened with you ?

 

To me, if this is the case, the government or department i.e. Human Resources or Centrelink or whoever should state the facts more clearly, e.g. If you are a non resident, you will have to return to Oz 2 years prior to apply and receive your pension effective upon approval, however once payment begins, i.e. within a month, you will have to remain in Oz for 2 years before it can be portable, i.e. transferred to you in the country you choose to reside.

There are 2 residency tests.One is for the OAP and the other is for tax.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Sydney born and raised, family/friends, would have to forgo the latte, I like my own made coffee, I teaspoon Nescafe, half a teaspoon brown sugar and 3 scoops of coffeemate 555

Aust does exist past the Blue Mountains,you know.You talk about your family/friends but here you are living in Thailand.

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, sandgroper2 said:

Let me get this right, " If you can prove you are medically unfit to return, you  cannot return, ".  And yu say "

And you can back this up from etc"..  I dont really think I can possibly answer your question. Try again.

You do not pass go,You do not collect the pension.

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, sandgroper2 said:

I will put a spoke in everyone's wheel. You dont have to have paid tax for 35 years to get th e full OAP. I didnt and i get the full pension, means tested, I I will explain ,if anybody is interested, after i watch Millionair hotseat.

You can be on the dole your whole life and still get a portable full pension.As long as you were available to work for 35 years,

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

Thanks for your comment and not surprised. I don't really know why it would 'have to be in person' but one immediate thought  would be 'to prove that you exist and your alive' and I don't argue that the appropriate agency should make such a check.

 

Although I have poor health and some mobility issues I could go to Australia for a couple of weeks or similar with my Thai adult son accompanying me. Much of my poor health and mobility problems stems from war service in Vietnam for which I do receive a veterans disability pension but not the main OA pension.

 

But I do realize that this would be a long shot. 

A pommy mate living in the next village signed on over the internet.Aust govt are paranoid we are gunna get a dollar we don't deserve as opposed to all their rorts.

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, DavisH said:

The exception is residents who have lived in Australia longer than 35 years, will continue to receive the pension even if they are away for longer than 26 weeks.

 

Is that 35 years, or 35 years of working age (starting at 16 years old)?

A lot of us are not residents,even though we have the 35 years available to work covered.We have to re-establish residency which takes 2 years.

[louse1953]

26 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Superannuation  schemes  are schemes. At the point of time at which  you  become a recipient  you (usually)   can only  recieve an annual percentage. Any  residual is  retained when you  are  dead. Better save on your  own account over time. Consider it  a compulsory. :)

Oops!  Too late  . Right?

 

Rubbish.My will decides who gets the remains of my Super and there is a binding benificary form to tell them also.My Super can be taken as a lump sum but it has tax benefits to take it out in bits and pieces or %.You are living up to your name and if you worked,you have Super.I suggest you read up on it or else you will do yourself out of money.Super performs way better than banks.

[sandgroper2]

4 hours ago, louse1953 said:

You can be on the dole your whole life and still get a portable full pension.As long as you were available to work for 35 years,

You got it. Nobody else woke up to that. Or, ran a business at a loss for many years.

[sandgroper2]

4 hours ago, louse1953 said:

A pommy mate living in the next village signed on over the internet.Aust govt are paranoid we are gunna get a dollar we don't deserve as opposed to all their rorts.

Why are you allowed to get away with saying pommie, i did once and a mod blocked my post.

[sandgroper2]

4 hours ago, louse1953 said:

You do not pass go,You do not collect the pension.

Read what Louise 1953 wrote.  Stop talking about things yu  know nothing about.

Edited December 8, 2016 by sandgroper2
spell error

[sandgroper2]

Im outa here. The bottom line is, if you had worked in a decent job , and saved, your whole working life, you would not be crying abut not getting the OAP.

[4MyEgo]

9 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

Let me get this right, " If you can prove you are medically unfit to return, you  cannot return, ".  And yu say "

And you can back this up from etc"..  I dont really think I can possibly answer your question. Try again.

 

I agree with your theory i.e. if you are medically unfit to return you should be able to get the pension, but we are talking about the Australian government here and their legislation, suffice to say, one would hope that they have some sort of compassionate clause in the legislation saying that unless the applicant is medically unfit to return, hence the reason I asked if you could provide some written confirmation from a site, after all we are talking about a spineless government who is constantly looking for ways to screw us who have worked all our lives paying taxes to get what we are rightfully entitled too, a pension.

 

Because these clowns have stuffed things up, we shouldn't have to pay the ultimate price, they should look at other areas, I am constantly reading people fleecing Centrelink, recently for 4 billion dollars through dodgy insurance claims, and then you had the child centre fraud, how many billions there, and the people fleecing the system get a slap on the wrist, well, I haven't heard of anyone going to jail, probably full as it is or costs too much to keep them there.

 

Over it ! 

[4MyEgo]

10 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

"They" did not make it more difficult for you. You chose not to pay the ferry man, so you dont get to the other side. Stop blaming others. Man up.

 

I suppose if they took your candy from you, you wouldn't spit the dummy ?

[4MyEgo]

10 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

"First step would be to make withdrawals taxable at any age. I would bet that happens".  And so it should happen, draw your super, blow it, give up working then come crying to us tax payers for a handout. Collect tin cans and bottles.

 

When your entitled to something i.e. a pension for all your years of working/serving your country, you should be entitled to it, not f..k around by governments trying to put further restrictions on getting it, don't you get it.

 

How would you feel if they promised you a disability pension if you got injured for your services to the country, then moved overseas early, and when it was time to get your disability pension, they said, you have to return to the country for 2 years, I am sure you would spit the dummy then.

[4MyEgo]

10 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

"They" did not make it more difficult for you. You chose not to pay the ferry man, so you dont get to the other side. Stop blaming others. Man up.

 

Further to my previous reply, what do you mean I chose not to pay the ferry man ?

 

I worked for over 35 years, paid at least a million dollars in taxes and when out of the country for 183 had to make a decision, to return or to sell my property or face the music, i.e. pay 32.5c in the $ tax and full capital gains tax on the future increase of its value, at no time was I provided with the opportunity to contribute to keep my Medicare entitlements up and running, and am not allowed to vote, after all, Australia is the place I was born, and I am an Australian citizen, how appropriate of the government to cunningly work this out, i.e. if they want to have a better life overseas, we will grant you that, but no entitlement or opportunity to pay into Medicare so you can keep it, we will take away your voting rights because you are no longer a resident, therefore you don't count, keep your property and we will make sure you sell it or we will tax you to the eyeballs so as to force it upon you to sell it, we will however let you keep your Australian Citizenship in case you change your mind, that, and we wouldn't want a public outcry for cancelling your Australian Citizenship, because you probably have family here x hundreds of thousands of votes.

 

Don't become a raw prawn with me, oy !

Edited December 8, 2016 by 4MyEgo