Never found anything so absolutely relevant ....

[Depti72]

Hi I just HAD to register for this site when I read the first post which listed all the drawbacks to Oz, every one of which sooo correct good on you for owning up and returning to UK. Ozzie answer to this post "close the door on the way out" along with the stickers on cars "if you don't love us, leave" the copper in our street, in uniform, that says "there's the airport you have a car Fxxx off".

My husband and I arrived here in 1980 when dear old Maggie took our jobs away. We need your qualifications in Australia, broke every rule for emigrating because they "needed" us. When we arrived we found out it was because nobody wanted to experience overseas working, developing countries etc. etc. we were a brilliant "export" we got many jobs for them because we were "British". We received absolutely no "thanks" and we could have done all these jobs out of UK. It split us up from our family both here and UK. I was so homesick, I still am at 77 and 73 respectively I found this site because I wondered if anybody was out there that felt the same way as me. Wish I had looked earlier !!! I knew from the first week in Oz that I would never make it, my thoughts are exactly the same now 35 years later nothing at all has changed and I just feel that I want to "belong" again to enjoy my later years and to die hopefully with someone who cares, that gives me hope because it is an absolute definite that nobody here will bother.

We have returned for many holidays and the people and atmosphere of London, where I worked for 20 years before my departure, never feels any different, the familiarity, the fact that everybody acknowledges you and you go about your business is something that NEVER happens with the small Oz minds. They have a multi-cultural society they complain about because it doesn't "assimilate" this is a two way street, they don't make ANYBODY feel welcome not in their stores, homes, schools, hospitals the list goes on and on.

If anybody reads this that is retired and gone back to the UK ( we both have a full UK pension) and can let us know the plus and minus of the issue I would be so grateful to.

I am just going to read on - other posts are going to reassure me that I am not the only one I am sure.

Definitely not a true blue!!!!

[Keith and Linda]

I think the mods will do the right thing with this post/thread!

[Depti72]

Thanks to both of you for taking the time, I actually have somebody who cared enough to reply!! Thank you so much.

[Bungo]

My experience of Australia is not the same as yours at all, but it is your experience, how very sad that you stayed all this time, a wasted life if you are not happy. Why didn't you move back?

[JockinTas]

Thanks to both of you for taking the time, I actually have somebody who cared enough to reply!! Thank you so much.

 

You are definitely not the only migrants who feel/felt the same as you. I just feel sorry that you have been so unhappy here for such a long time.

 

Having said that, I have been very happy here and made good friends. Australia has been good to us. I married an Australian (who was living in the UK) and we came here to live in 1981. Maybe you should have tried living in a different part of Australia as you are so unsettled where you are. We lived in Perth, Sydney and now Tasmania. Enjoyed all of those places.

 

There is a Moving Back To The UK thread on this forum. You will find loads of migrants who moved back or hope to move back to the UK there.

[Paul1Perth]

So you knew from the first week you didn't like it and stayed 35 years is it? Don't be too upset, the UK won't be how you remember it.

[JockinTas]

So you knew from the first week you didn't like it and stayed 35 years is it? Don't be too upset, the UK won't be how you remember it.

 

The OP has said they have been back to the UK for many holidays and really enjoy it. Ideally they should have gone back to the UK when they reached retirement age and been happy but perhaps they have family here now which makes it a harder decision to "up sticks" and move.

[ali]

I have moved this thread to the 'moving back to UK' part of the forum (MBTUK).

 

I too am saddened by your post that you have been so unhappy for such a long time, I hope the move back brings some comfort for you.

[Keith and Linda]

I think the copper knew what he was talking about, wise words you should have taken heed of instead of suffering for 35 years, very sad that you decided to live under such conditions for so long but appeared quick to relocate away from so as not to suffer from Maggie.

[JockinTas]

Depti72 sounds very similar to Zack. Mind you Zack did move back to the UK to live and then moved back here because he found Australia better THEN changed his mind again and is back to detesting Australia and hopes to move back again to the UK. I would hate to be in such a miserable position when I reach my 70's.

[Guest241083]

........:hug:......so sorry to hear how unhappy you've been....

........but Australia is such a huge place....

........and sometimes it takes a while to find that place to connect with....

..........did you try other states.....towns cities...?

.......to find.people who share your views....

........small places here and the U.K.....harder to integrate into if the majority have lived there all their lives...

.........often generations......

.........we are always more comfortable with the familiar.....and our fond memories...

.........so I guess with Australia your bad experience has coloured your view....

.........there are many who have gone back and settled into their old life....

..........some who have had to forge new ones....as they have found others have moved on without them...

...........the gap they left closed....

...........and some who went and came back.....

...........if the uk supplies your needs.....many of your wants....

...........then it's the place for you.......I wish you luck....

...........and hopefully those with more practicle advice will post soon....X

[AJ]

So why did you stay so long if it was so bad, you obviously could have afforded to go back if you took many holidays!

[Johndoe]

Depti72 sounds very similar to Zack. Mind you Zack did move back to the UK to live and then moved back here because he found Australia better THEN changed his mind again and is back to detesting Australia and hopes to move back again to the UK. I would hate to be in such a miserable position when I reach my 70's.

 

You mean bitter? At least there's a bit of punctuation there, unlike Zack. If he thinks he can manage on a "full UK pension" then good luck to him. If he can supplement that pension with money he's earned in Oz, then at least he can thank Oz for something, but I doubt he will.

 

Good luck on trying to live in London on a pension that's half that which Australia offers

[VERYSTORMY]

We have had a number of members in your age bracket that have made the move back.

 

You will need to research things such as where to live and housing. But apart from that, it is pretty simple. You buy a plane ticket and leave.

[Quoll]

Yup, you're not Robinson Crusoe! People ask "why do you stay?" - because you get swept along and, having made your bed you have to lie in it! Back then it wasn't so easy to say "stuff it" and move back. Then your career starts to be comfortable, your kids need educating, then your kids start having relationships and for the longest time the Aussie $was down the pan so you couldn't afford to move. Loads of reasons. Then when you lurch into retirement you think OMG! I am doomed to die here and it feels so much worse! Your head tells you that Australia is "home" but your heart refuses to listen!

 

We are odd in that we came back to UK on holiday and the wheels fell off the parental wagon, so, armed just with backpack we have stayed - in limbo, really, and I have promised to return. But I got my life back when we returned - so much more to do and see, so much better weather wise (I walk every day except Tuesday when it rained LOL) and I "belong" - nothing beats that!

 

So, OP, if you have a lot of dosh stashed away, come home!

[newjez]

There are many UK immigrants who haven't assimilated into Australia. They hide out in lofts, and when they go outside they dress up in clothes from target and it can be hard to pick them from real Australians. The only real test is to try and force them into an Australian rules football match. The assimilation police need your help tracking these people down. They bring down the moral of the entire nation so it's important we find them and deport them asap.

[Marisawright]

It was sad to read your post and think of you being so unhappy for so many, many years. I'm guessing you're of that generation that found it too much of a leap to leave a secure job in Oz for an uncertain future in the UK, no matter how homesick you were.

 

I left fleeing from Maggie too! I was living in Central Scotland at the time of the miners' strike and it was soooo depressing. Luckily I loved Sydney, where we settled. Australia isn't the same all over, any more than England is, and it's such a pity you ended up in a redneck part of the country.

 

There are many people in your situation and at your age, relocating to the UK is challenging to organise, but it isn't that complicated. You'll need to take a hard look at your possessions and do some serious decluttering, then ring up a shipping company and get them to pack up and ship all your belongings. Organise yourself some holiday accommodation for a month or so in the UK. Put your home up for sale. Then get on the plane.

 

You say you get a full UK pension but don't mention the Aussie one, I assume that's because you are sufficiently well-off not to qualify. That's good because it means you have some money behind you - if you are thinking of moving back to the South East of England, you'll need it as housing and living costs are quite a bit higher than the rest of the country.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Marisawright

[Johndoe]

 

You say you get a full UK pension but don't mention the Aussie one, I assume that's because you are sufficiently well-off not to qualify. That's good because it means you have some money behind you - if you are thinking of moving back to the South East of England, you'll need it as housing and living costs are quite a bit higher than the rest of the country.

 

If the full UK pension is all he's got, then, if he has no other (big) income, and isn't over the assets test, then he should be on a top up from Australia. If I'm not mistaken, the fact that he's been here more than 35yrs qualifies him for a non-reduced rate. Less than 35yrs, if you're away from Oz for more than 6 weeks they reduce the rate

[amibovered]

The OP may also be entitled to housing benefit if renting here.

[Marisawright]

If the full UK pension is all he's got, then, if he has no other (big) income, and isn't over the assets test, then he should be on a top up from Australia. If I'm not mistaken, the fact that he's been here more than 35yrs qualifies him for a non-reduced rate. Less than 35yrs, if you're away from Oz for more than 6 weeks they reduce the rate

 

As you say, if he was on a full UK pension and had no other savings, then he'd also be getting the Australian pension. I assumed if that was the case, he'd have mentioned it.

[Depti72]

So why did you stay so long if it was so bad, you obviously could have afforded to go back if you took many holidays!

Thanks to everybody... I feel so much better, just the thought that somebody is out there and interested and taking the time to reply and not berating me because I was not grateful. etc. etc. means such a lot. But why would I not expect that, isn't that what I miss.

The point was somehow missed when I said we both worked overseas and we could have done that from the UK. It has been since retirement. If I had to stay here in Oz for 35 years I would have been gone in a flash. Somebody mentioned, quite rightly, my children married ozzies and my six grandchildren are here. I was not involved in their births or growing up which has isolated me from my immediate family, neither of my children want to leave here, they still don't. I hope I instilled some form of patriotism for Australia in them, I never let my thoughts interfere as a bias in anyway, shape or form, they were free to make up their own minds.

My holidays, because of the proximity and cost of either flying to Oz or UK was a choice of my own, money was not an issue, costs remained the same. My parents were alive and sick then so I felt an obligation to spend some time with them.

Both my husband and I feel that we have given our all to more than repay what Oz has given to us. Our full UK pension I have to say is "docked" because we are entitled to full pension here, we have only just given up work....and if we are entitled to pension then it should not be at the expense of our UK one which we paid into. We both had government jobs both here and UK and both of us contributed to a private pension fund, in the UK this is not taxable. Lots of things we planned for in our retirement became very outdated, when the time came to "cash in" we were self funded retirees until the GFC hit and robbed us of any comforts. That is the commercialism of it all, but without a caring word or a welcome when we join an activity or club cannot and will not compensate for any monies, holidays, whatever. Many thanks for all your very kind words of concern.

[Depti72]

Who's Zack interesting !!

[Depti72]

I had a very happy life I lived/worked overseas.

[Marisawright]

The point was somehow missed when I said we both worked overseas and we could have done that from the UK. It has been since retirement. If I had to stay here in Oz for 35 years I would have been gone in a flash. Somebody mentioned, quite rightly, my children married ozzies and my six grandchildren are here. I was not involved in their births or growing up which has isolated me from my immediate family, neither of my children want to leave here. ..

My holidays, because of the proximity and cost of either flying to Oz or UK was a choice of my own... My parents were alive and sick then so I felt an obligation to spend some time with them.

... Our full UK pension I have to say is "docked" because we are entitled to full pension here, we have only just given up work....and if we are entitled to pension then it should not be at the expense of our UK one which we paid into.

 

OK, we missed the bit about you working overseas because it was not clear. So what you are saying is that you moved your family to Australia but didn't live there, you actually worked in another country as an expat.

 

Now you're retired, you've naturally retired to Australia because that's where your family is - but you don't feel at home there. You have a decision that many others have faced - do you move to the UK where you'll feel more at home (but you'll be a long way from family), or do you put up with Australia to be close to your children? It's a common consequence of migration and one that most people don't even consider when setting out as a young couple. The only possible compromise I can think of is to move elsewhere in Australia - you sound as though you haven't travelled much within the country and you might be pleasantly surprised that there are other Australian cities where people are civilised and welcoming.

 

I have to correct your statement that your UK pension is docked because you receive an Aussie pension: that is not the case. The UK pension is NOT means-tested so there is no possibility of it being docked because of the Australian pension. What happens is that while living overseas, your UK pension is frozen. If you move to the UK your UK pension will increase and you can also use your years living in Australia to make up any missing years in your contribution record.

 

Since you have a UK pension, you should have declared that to Centrelink when claiming your Australian pension, and in fact it's the Australian pension that would be reduced to take the British pension into account. If that hasn't happened, then you should double-check with Centrelink soon - because if they find out, they will demand you repay any amount overpaid immediately.

 

If you move to the UK, you'll still get both your UK and Australian pensions. The Australian one may reduce a bit - it would be worth checking with Centrelink to find out.

 

As for being grateful - why on earth should you be grateful? People get upset because they have an affection for Australia and don't like hearing other people say nasty things about it, that's all. I'm not happy here in England and am heading back to Oz soon - I could say some nasty things about life here and you would probably be upset with me for saying them, because you love England!

Edited June 3, 2016 by Marisawright

[Guest]

Thanks to everybody... I feel so much better, just the thought that somebody is out there and interested and taking the time to reply and not berating me because I was not grateful. etc. etc. means such a lot. But why would I not expect that, isn't that what I miss.

The point was somehow missed when I said we both worked overseas and we could have done that from the UK. It has been since retirement. If I had to stay here in Oz for 35 years I would have been gone in a flash. Somebody mentioned, quite rightly, my children married ozzies and my six grandchildren are here. I was not involved in their births or growing up which has isolated me from my immediate family, neither of my children want to leave here, they still don't. I hope I instilled some form of patriotism for Australia in them, I never let my thoughts interfere as a bias in anyway, shape or form, they were free to make up their own minds.

My holidays, because of the proximity and cost of either flying to Oz or UK was a choice of my own, money was not an issue, costs remained the same. My parents were alive and sick then so I felt an obligation to spend some time with them.

Both my husband and I feel that we have given our all to more than repay what Oz has given to us. Our full UK pension I have to say is "docked" because we are entitled to full pension here, we have only just given up work....and if we are entitled to pension then it should not be at the expense of our UK one which we paid into. We both had government jobs both here and UK and both of us contributed to a private pension fund, in the UK this is not taxable. Lots of things we planned for in our retirement became very outdated, when the time came to "cash in" we were self funded retirees until the GFC hit and robbed us of any comforts. That is the commercialism of it all, but without a caring word or a welcome when we join an activity or club cannot and will not compensate for any monies, holidays, whatever. Many thanks for all your very kind words of concern.

 

My heart is hurting for you, we spent 4 years in Australia before deciding to move back, there is nothing wrong with Australia at all but I missed 'belonging' and in our 40's it was easy to return.

 

There certainly are financial considerations in moving back and there are people here who can help you with what I understand are quite complex rules regarding the pension entitlement itself and taxation but as you have reached pension age in Australia you will continue to get your Australian pension in the UK as I understand it.

 

My parents were about your age when i moved to Australia and were fit, healthy and active - 5 years made a difference and now having been back 3 years, my mam died last year & my father is in a wheelchair.

 

A consideration for you is which country you would be better off (not just financially) in old age.

 

My impression is the state provides much better for the elderly in the UK (Scotland certainly) than Australia. My mam died last year and I have power of attourney for my dad and to be honest any worries I had about my own pension provision has dissipated. He worked all his life in the UK so gets the basic state pension & SERPS and wants for nothing. If he didn't get SERPS he'd get pension credit so it'd work out about the same anyway. His healthcare is completely free, the council provided a stair-lift, and he is about to have a wet room installed (he has to pay 10% - it would have been free on pension credit). Lots of other help is available free or for a nominal fee (he has an emergency alarm manned 24 hours for less than £4 a month). There is a bit of an uproar locally as the council were going to stop the free gardening service they provide to the elderly.

 

Crucially for my dad's quality of life though is that I live 3 minutes away. I left home at 18, have lived all over the UK and 5 years in Australia but when push came to the shove I moved my dad to be near to me and visit 4-5 times a week. Even if you don't live in each others pockets now, I would like to think your children would be there if they were needed - if you're in the UK then that's simply not possible.

 

Making friends in adulthood isn't going to that easy in any country & London is notoriously difficult. London is also very expensive, my friends nearing 50 are all talking about their plans to retire out of London!

 

With no real ties can you come and spend a year here? Rent a place in area you would think about living and sort out fact from fantasy in your mind (because no disrespect intended but there will be a wee bit of fantasy in what your life in the UK would be like). We had a previous member do exactly that, decided no way could she return to Queensland so actually went back and lived in Tasmania for a while before returning permanently to the UK (sadly died suddenly not so long ago, otherwise she would have been the first to be offering you a shoulder and a hand - she'd been in Australia about the same sort of time as you but 'belonged' in the UK)

 

There is a MBTTUK group on here that you can ask to join, I am so pleased that everyone has been so supportive but it isn't always the case and sometimes it's nice to have a place to post a rant without worrying you are offending someone.