Johndoe Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 If like me, you are to have your UK pension topped up to the Oz pension, then you need to be aware that this is then classed as a "part pension" and as a recipient, you do not get the full rebates on utilities, rates, rego etc. It seems a bit of an unfair anomoly that someone receiving the same income by way of a full Australian pension, which is the same amount as a "part pensioner" receives in total, gets greater discounts, whilst the part pensioner is penalised for having an income stream (UK pension or other) despite this income saving them giving you the full pension. I have contacted centrelink re this, and they assure me that a UK pension, no matter how small, then defines you as a part pensioner if receiving a part pension from Australia and as such, you are not entitled to full discounts. Not that I'm whingeing, because my pension is still almost twice that which I would get in the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patphillips47 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 We get both Australian and Uk pensions but don't think we were ever classed as part pensioners ? uk amount isn't the full uk pension but is means tested and we loose a small amount off our Aussie pension We are living in the Uk at the minute but did get concessions off rego etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 We get both Australian and Uk pensions but don't think we were ever classed as part pensioners ? uk amount isn't the full uk pension but is means tested and we loose a small amount off our Aussie pension We are living in the Uk at the minute but did get concessions off rego etc Yes, you do get concessions but not the full concession. I forget the exact figures but it's something like 25% instead of the 40% for a full Oz pension. Figures vary according to which concession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishDigger Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Yes, you do get concessions but not the full concession. I forget the exact figures but it's something like 25% instead of the 40% for a full Oz pension. Figures vary according to which concession. I think you've got it wrong Johndoe, once you qualify for the Australian Aged Pension be it a full pension or a part pension based on the income and assets test you are issued with a Concession Card and that Concession Card entitles to all concessions irrespective of how much pension you are receiving, for example a person on a pension of $1 per fortnight is still a pensioner and is therefore entitled to the Concession Card. Have a listen to this lady, she explains it better that I, https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/video/age-pension-explained Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 I think you've got it wrong Johndoe, once you qualify for the Australian Aged Pension be it a full pension or a part pension based on the income and assets test you are issued with a Concession Card and that Concession Card entitles to all concessions irrespective of how much pension you are receiving, for example a person on a pension of $1 per fortnight is still a pensioner and is therefore entitled to the Concession Card. Have a listen to this lady, she explains it better that I, https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/video/age-pension-explained Wrong mate. A concession card has no influence on what the State or council decides to give you as a concession. It merely illustrates that your are entitled to a concession. They (State or Council) decide what that concession is, and as a part pensioner, it's less than someone on a full Oz pension who gets the full concession, irrespective of the fact that you are both likely in receipt of the same income.................the facts are in the word "Part" pension. I should know, I've been drawing it for 2 yrs and inquiring as to why I get less than someone on the same income, for the same amount of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishDigger Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Wrong mate. A concession card has no influence on what the State or council decides to give you as a concession. It merely illustrates that your are entitled to a concession. They (State or Council) decide what that concession is, and as a part pensioner, it's less than someone on a full Oz pension who gets the full concession, irrespective of the fact that you are both likely in receipt of the same income.................the facts are in the word "Part" pension. I should know, I've been drawing it for 2 yrs and inquiring as to why I get less than someone on the same income, for the same amount of time. I also have been on a part pension for a number of years (not full because of the income and assets test) and through my Pensioner Concession Card I receive full rebates on all the listed services. The Pensioner Concession Card does not differentiate between full and part pension and like I said, even if you were only getting a $1 pension you would still be entitled to a Pensioner Concession Card http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/pensioner-concession-card Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) I also have been on a part pension for a number of years (not full because of the income and assets test) and through my Pensioner Concession Card I receive full rebates on all the listed services. The Pensioner Concession Card does not differentiate between full and part pension and like I said, even if you were only getting a $1 pension you would still be entitled to a Pensioner Concession Card http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/pensioner-concession-card On federal concessions yes, but here in Qld: You may also be entitled to various concessions from state and territory governments and local councils such as: reductions on property and water rates reductions on energy bills reduced fares on public transport reductions on motor vehicle registration, and free rail journeys Sadly, we're not, it's a part reduction for a part pension Just one example is rates [h=2]Maximum remissions (Valid from 1 July 2015)[/h] Maximum remissions are available to people on afull pension. Under this scheme: the state government grants a 20% remission on rates up to a maximum of $50 per quarter ($200 per year) plus 20% of the fire levy, and Council grants a 40% remission on rates up to a maximum of $231 per quarter ($924 per year) [h=2]Part remissions (Valid from 1 July 2015)[/h] Part remissions are available to people on an allowance/benefit or a part pension. Under this scheme: the state government grants a 20% remission on rates up to a maximum of $50 per quarter ($200 per year) plus 20% of the fire levy, and Council grants a 20% remission on rates up to a maximum of $107.75 per quarter ($431 per year) Edited January 31, 2016 by Johndoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I think that's the point isn't it though? Some concessions are state or council based so what you get will depend on the state or council rules. So in effect everyone on the thread is right, it's just the states they are in treat part pensioners differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishDigger Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 On federal concessions yes, but here in Qld:.................................... Well there you go, I thought all of the States gave the same pensioner concessions. I live in Victoria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Well there you go, I thought all of the States gave the same pensioner concessions. I live in Victoria. Perhaps another reason why Melbourne is the most liveable city ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Perhaps another reason why Melbourne is the most liveable city ? In the World. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackToLife Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but I wonder if anyone can help me here. I receive the UK state pension, as well as some other annuities from the UK, but nothing from Australia. Unfortunately, I am not very well off, so I contacted Centrelink to see if I was eligible for a part Australian pension. I have looked up the Centrelink website, and according to the level of my income, I should be eligible for a small top-up, as well as a pensioner's concession card. However the girl I spoke to advised me that as my income was from foreign sources, I would not be eligible for any help unless my fortnightly income fell below $870 fortnightly. However....I am Australian, I lived in Australia from birth until 1974, I worked for five years before I left to go abroad (no super paid that I am aware of) and I have now been back for 3 years. So I would have thought that I would be entitled to something. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 In the palmy days when we got the part pension of $6 a week for 3 months we could get all our services at a reduced cost. After our 3 months were up they were all pretty quick to tell us we no longer qualified. We had to give up our weekly coffees too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but I wonder if anyone can help me here. I receive the UK state pension, as well as some other annuities from the UK, but nothing from Australia. Unfortunately, I am not very well off, so I contacted Centrelink to see if I was eligible for a part Australian pension. I have looked up the Centrelink website, and according to the level of my income, I should be eligible for a small top-up, as well as a pensioner's concession card. However the girl I spoke to advised me that as my income was from foreign sources, I would not be eligible for any help unless my fortnightly income fell below $870 fortnightly. However....I am Australian, I lived in Australia from birth until 1974, I worked for five years before I left to go abroad (no super paid that I am aware of) and I have now been back for 3 years. So I would have thought that I would be entitled to something. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? What the person at Centrelink told you might be correct (it's not my area of expertise) - but my advise from dealing with government employees is to never assume that they actually know what they're talking about. Put in the claim and see what you get back. If they put in writing that you're not entitled to anything then that's probably it (there is an appeals procedure but then you'd have to be certain you were entitled to something to make that worthwhile) but don't treat a verbal opinion as being the final word on a subject, wait until you've got it in writing at least. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 (edited) I receive the UK state pension, as well as some other annuities from the UK, but nothing from Australia. Unfortunately, I am not very well off, so I contacted Centrelink to see if I was eligible for a part Australian pension. I have looked up the Centrelink website, and according to the level of my income, I should be eligible for a small top-up, as well as a pensioner's concession card. However the girl I spoke to advised me that as my income was from foreign sources, I would not be eligible for any help unless my fortnightly income fell below $870 fortnightly. However....I am Australian, I lived in Australia from birth until 1974, I worked for five years before I left to go abroad (no super paid that I am aware of) and I have now been back for 3 years. Being a citizen doesn't give you any entitlement. It's residency that counts, not citizenship. To get any Australian pension at all, you need to meet the residency requirements which are: "You have to be living in Australia continuously for a period of 10 years. If you have lived in Australia on and off, then the total of all such periods of residence must be equal to or more than 10 years. Within these smaller periods, there should be at least one period where you have lived in Australia continuously for five years". I'm not clear whether childhood is counted in that requirement, or whether it's only adult years - I know the British pension only counts from age 16. Maybe someone here can clarify. Then you need to pass the income and assets test. As far as I'm aware it doesn't matter where the income comes from. They simply convert your foreign income into Australian dollars. Maybe they're converting it at a less favourable rate than you are? Edited September 28, 2016 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackToLife Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 (edited) Being a citizen doesn't give you any entitlement. It's residency that counts, not citizenship. To get any Australian pension at all, you need to meet the residency requirements which are: "You have to be living in Australia continuously for a period of 10 years. If you have lived in Australia on and off, then the total of all such periods of residence must be equal to or more than 10 years. Within these smaller periods, there should be at least one period where you have lived in Australia continuously for five years". I'm not clear whether childhood is counted in that requirement, or whether it's only adult years - I know the British pension only counts from age 16. Maybe someone here can clarify. Then you need to pass the income and assets test. As far as I'm aware it doesn't matter where the income comes from. They simply convert your foreign income into Australian dollars. Maybe they're converting it at a less favourable rate than you are? The minute the girl (she sounded very young) heard my income was from the UK, that was when she told me I was effectively entitled to nothing. We didn't get to the stage of discussing the exact amount of my income. Regarding the residency requirements: if childhood is included, then I pass with ease. Otherwise if I count from 16, then I have 7 years + the last 3, so I just scrape in. Edited September 28, 2016 by BackToLife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 The minute the girl (she sounded very young) heard my income was from the UK, that was when she told me I was effectively entitled to nothing. We didn't get to the stage of discussing the exact amount of my income.. It definitely doesn't sound right, because I've seen several people on these forums who get a part British pension and part Australian pension as well. So something doesn't add up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackToLife Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 What the person at Centrelink told you might be correct (it's not my area of expertise) - but my advise from dealing with government employees is to never assume that they actually know what they're talking about. Put in the claim and see what you get back. If they put in writing that you're not entitled to anything then that's probably it (there is an appeals procedure but then you'd have to be certain you were entitled to something to make that worthwhile) but don't treat a verbal opinion as being the final word on a subject, wait until you've got it in writing at least. It definitely doesn't sound right, because I've seen several people on these forums who get a part British pension and part Australian pension as well. So something doesn't add up. Marisa, that is why I am querying it. I have looked very carefully at the form (CI006) which outlines all the requirements, and it states quite clearly: "For Australian social security purposes, income from any source in a country other than Australia is generally assessable under the income test. Pensions from a country with which Australia has a social security agreement may be treated differently..." As Australia/UK no longer have a SSA, I should - theoretically - fall into the category the first sentence outlines. Unless the fact that I have the UK State pension means different rules. Sometimes I think government departments operate a multiple choice system as to what they tell you .....I have certainly encountered this in my dealings with the UK Pensions department. :mad: I am not going to bother going through the rigmarole of a call again. Instead, I am going to take Ken's advice and fill in the relevant forms (SA002/SA369 are the ones I believe I need), send them in online, and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Well there you go, I thought all of the States gave the same pensioner concessions. I live in Victoria. I know the healthcare card provides more benefits to Victorians than it does to people in Queensland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 If like me, you are to have your UK pension topped up to the Oz pension, then you need to be aware that this is then classed as a "part pension" and as a recipient, you do not get the full rebates on utilities, rates, rego etc. It seems a bit of an unfair anomoly that someone receiving the same income by way of a full Australian pension, which is the same amount as a "part pensioner" receives in total, gets greater discounts, whilst the part pensioner is penalised for having an income stream (UK pension or other) despite this income saving them giving you the full pension. I have contacted centrelink re this, and they assure me that a UK pension, no matter how small, then defines you as a part pensioner if receiving a part pension from Australia and as such, you are not entitled to full discounts. Not that I'm whingeing, because my pension is still almost twice that which I would get in the UK It depends on assets and income whether you will get a pension etc. We were getting a part pension from Uk had a tax free income stream which was not counted and still got a part pension from Aus. If you get a part pension from Aus you will get the blue card, its the blue card that gives you the utility and rate reductions. If you have too many assets like me because I am now a widow and no income splitting, no pension is paid and I only get a Commonwealth Health Card which gives me cheaper medicines, I get no rate reduction or utility reduction now. This is the same for Australians as well. I was getting a part pension from NZ as well no more for me though I have to fund my own way now. So if its blue its the go, if its pink sorry no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackToLife Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 Marisa, that is why I am querying it. I have looked very carefully at the form (CI006) which outlines all the requirements, and it states quite clearly: "For Australian social security purposes, income from any source in a country other than Australia is generally assessable under the income test. Pensions from a country with which Australia has a social security agreement may be treated differently..." As Australia/UK no longer have a SSA, I should - theoretically - fall into the category the first sentence outlines. Unless the fact that I have the UK State pension means different rules. Sometimes I think government departments operate a multiple choice system as to what they tell you .....I have certainly encountered this in my dealings with the UK Pensions department. :mad: I am not going to bother going through the rigmarole of a call again. Instead, I am going to take Ken's advice and fill in the relevant forms (SA002/SA369 are the ones I believe I need), send them in online, and see what happens. Update: I took Ken's advice and applied online on October 6th. I had to provide proof of income from all my UK pensions/annuities, as well as verifying my ID. Like a vulture, I kept going onto the Centrelink site almost every day - wishing and hoping and praying! I don't know if you can stalk a website but that is what I was doing. :biglaugh: Anyway, today I received a phone call from Centrelink. They still need a little bit more info which I hadn't previously been asked to provide - a bank statement to prove the balance. But the good news? I am entitled to a part pension and will be receiving the first arrears payment (Oct 6th - 17th) on Friday. I will also be receiving a Pensioner's Concession Card, so I hope the concessions in this part of NSW are the full monty, so to speak.:jiggy::jiggy::jiggy: I am over the moon. This will make such a difference, as the tanking pound has really hammered me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishDigger Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 More on the UK Pension, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/british-retirees-watch-frozen-pensions-disappear/8161786 I wonder why the UK Pension is frozen in some countries and not others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 More on the UK Pension, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/british-retirees-watch-frozen-pensions-disappear/8161786 I wonder why the UK Pension is frozen in some countries and not others? It depends on the terms of the social security agreement that the UK has with the other countries. Where the other country won't pay a pension to it's citizens in the UK on the same terms as it would pay in it's own country then UK pensions are frozen. For example in order to get the Australian Aged Pension paid in the UK you must have been drawing it in Australia for a minimum of 2 years before you move to the UK. A person who moves to the UK 2 years before retirement (even if they've worked in Australia for 30 years) isn't entitled to receive the Australian Aged Pension at all. The UK government considers this an unfair strain on the UK social security system and so leaves the responsibility for topping up the pensions of UK retirees in Australia to the Australian government. US citizens in the UK by comparison are entitled to the same welfare payments they could get in the US and so UK pensions in the US are not frozen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I don't think you can blame Australia. This is UK government policy that Australia has long asked to be changed but UK won't budge. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/british-retirees-watch-frozen-pensions-disappear/8161786 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I don't think you can blame Australia. This is UK government policy that Australia has long asked to be changed but UK won't budge. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/british-retirees-watch-frozen-pensions-disappear/8161786 I do blame Australia. They can't ask the UK government to change their policy whilst refusing to budge themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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