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Thank you for your reply. I've discovered it was with Zurich but Mum is not going to look into it any further until after the funeral next week. I'm just so worried as she's so vulnerable right now and I'm not there to help. When I know more I'd greatly appreciate more input. x x x x

Thankyou for your replies I'm just trying to think ahead. Did the private pension offer a payout instead of the half pension Wakeboard?

Hi all, my 66 year old step dad passed away unexpectedly in the UK this week. I desperately need advice on the following: - Private pension. He was self employed and paid into a private pension. do they pay out to next of kin or any advice about the please? -sticks and shares. What happens with them if they're in deceased name? - Gas/elec bills. Now mum is in her own do they do a scheme for 40 pound a month for the whole year around for unlimited gas and electric? any other information you'd like to share regarding financial status to assist loved ones please feel free. unfortunately we are not in a position to return and naturally devastated. J x

Do you have kids? What about their teacher?

Well done. Wished I had seen this thread earlier. We had major issues with convictions but are here. Honesty is the best policy

What I have noticed is that back in the UK where I lived a lot of younger parent(s) seemed to think of their kids as a pest, annoying and getting in the way of their lives. I have seen too many times parent(s) ignore, swear at, scream in the faces of their kids and its so sad. One example was a very young girl with a trolley full of beer (much cheaper in UK) dragging her daugther through Tesco when the daugther asks "Can I have a Kit-Kat, Mum?" when the 'mother' screams back "No you f*#^(@g can't, I got no money". I was just stunned and lost for words. Getting back on track, you did the right thing, had you helped the kid you would have been in the wrong for that too. Why was it your responsibility to help? Like you said if the kid was in danger you would have stepped in. To be honest, I prefered to sit or stand a distance away but within sight of what is going on. That way you can watch them sort out their issues and assist if in danger not rely on others to parent your child. This is just my opinion. Well done to you for tackling that rude woman too!!!

Target is not cheap either. I am surprised at their jumpers for this season, same as every season since god knows when... very dated and just horrible! I have had to take some items back recently also. Got daughter 2 tops and they both shrunk very badly the assistant said she handwashes hers??? it didn't say to do that on the label and they advertise that everything is 'tested' beforehand... not convinced at all, maybe on kids school clothes. Rant over!!!!

We had a very reluctant 16 year old being dragged here diggin in her heels and now 19, she would not return to the UK at all!!! Bloody kids, I love our life here and I am so pleased she loves it too. She has a better life and many more opportunities than she would have back in the UK. I'm so proud of her for making the effort and making something of her life. You did the right thing bringing everyone out here to look around its so different to looking on the internet or at pictures. I wish you all the luck in the world and fingers crossed it all works out for you

Obsessive daughter turns 14 on saturday and we missed out on tickets for the concert I wanted to get her some items from Ebay but I forgot the password and its blocked me out... tried all the help steps and its not budging!! Has anyone seen any stuff anywhere in Melbourne? I have tomorrow - Friday - to find some :GEEK: The new sydney shop doesn't ship stuff out either.... Booooo

Hello and welcome. Did you declare it on your application that you had a conviction? Was it a conviction or did you just get a caution with it being a small bit?I am sure you will be fine, its minor.

I didn't need to transfer anything to be an aide, the other jobs i am interested in are with the government and require a definate qualification - one that they don't do in UK and after speaking to HR they suggested I get my qualifications assessed to give a clear Australian qualification equivalent although timewise it may be quicker to complete the course As for the training transcripts, I am not sure i still have them... they may be in the UK

Been here 3 years this year and working as an aide for a pittance.... Anyway, I have found other work I would like to do but they all want Disability Certificate IV. I have looked at the course outline on the TAFE sites and the HLTA I got in UK is similar or above but I need the qualification transferring anyone help or point me in the right direction of where to contact?? Thankyou :yes:

The only thing we had to provide in Victoria was a receipt to show we had the carpets steam cleaned. I have not read anything about spraying?? You could try the Mortein Bombs or something similar. Hope you get it worked out!!

It would take more than that for me to do it. Just don't feel safe there, don't want my kids there and have lived in the south but more so in the north its the same everywhere - I just do not want to be there anymore. I know there are rough places here, I know that there are problems here, but not to the extent the UK has sadly become

We had a 6 month lease then month by month until we were ready to move as we were building. Anyway, we said that house would be ready in August then I arrived home one day to the rental and there was a sale sign outside so i phoned the agent who said i should have already received the 60 days notice (obviously hadn't!) so she said she would do open house when it suited us so i opted for 12.30pm on saturdays so i could work all week then just pop out for 15 mins on a saturday - this included dragging 2 teenagers out of bed and into the car in the garage in their pj's drive around then return! To be honest the agent was good at fitting around us, we also had a dog and when the people who did buy wanted to view on a Tuesday she did come around after I'd finished work so i could take the dog out. We didn't ask for a rent reduction but should have in hindsight. If they are shirty about open for inspections offer them a time that suits you even by email so you have evidence that you aren't being funny. I wanted them onside so i could use them as referees should we rent again (which we are!) Try and keep it friendly

Aww thankyou it does sound good but TBH I'm shittin it incase I leave the school and end up not liking it even if its better $$ Yeah, I thought it was a bit of everything. I'm 40 and hope they aren't ageist against the cheaper 18 year olds... Its expensive to live here... UK weekly shop was about 80 pounds here mine is near $200. And that is Aldi and cheaper shops! (This is just my opinion and how i found things) They are priceless as you need them after having challenging, violent, non-compliant little ruggers day in day out, if I was to work at Aldi at least they'd just be visiting and not my responsibility!! hahaha Don't get too excited with the wages, I earned 1400 pounds a month in the UK, mortgage was 240 a month and we could live off my wage. Here in Aus I earn 2000 a month and rent is $1347 a month - this is doing a similar job in schools. Schools TA/Aide wage is absolutely s**te!!!

We've had a new Aldi open near us and I am tempted to apply.... Can anyone give the the pros/cons of working for them? $21.90 an hour :yes: I currently work as an aide in a school, yes we get the holidays but its severely underpaid and the job expectations just grow and grow.... Soooo any input would be good

I work in a school and we have some very 'different' names here compared to the UK - both first and last names! I will PM you some of them

My friend and I are both in rentals and were comparing bills and discovered that she was also paying the parks and extras fees that the landlord pays!! She always said they were expensive. The dilemma now is how to get the money back... She's lived there 2 years and it was a company through the agents who set up the utilities. She is friendly with the rental agent and could approach her or could phone SE water direct on monday for advice. Anyone had this happen to them or any advice??

The 4, 5 and 6's are in the new 'building schools for the future' building that the government provided for each primary school. Its a very large, open plan style building with 3 classrooms (schools had the choice of 4 buildings to suit their school but are similar) Children at our school have a home room and main teacher but move around during the day to the other classrooms and are also taught by the 2 other teachers. Our school teaches on a 2-3 year rotation and a lot to do with Australian history, this year being 'Gold' and all about the gold rush at various places in the country from the 1800's until now and the mining going on today, how the chinese arrived etc. Last year we did a World Tour the kids had to choose and research 5 countries to visit and diary write about their experiences there. Maths for my daughter was behind what she had learnt in the UK, writing standards are below what she had done too. I am an aide in the school and was back in the UK so can see the good and bad :wink: One good thing is kids are allowed to be kids!!!!

I would go with what the agent says. Even if you are here when you get a C.O if the 12 month rule is up you will have to do them again as you need to leave the country to validate. The medicals have to be valid when re-entering. Our C.O did extend our entry date (without asking) to October even though the medicals expired in August - this rarety does happen. When given the go ahead, it will only take a week or so to arrange to have have the medicals - we sent ours by courier to Sydney to make sure they arrived tracking them all the way.

Lived here with parents from '74 until '87 ish and kept in contact with family and friends here. Feel pretty spesh to have this visa!!:wink: Sorry about that, I was answering what you had asked in a very lazy way...:embarrassed:

Hey pingpongpom I just noticed you too are a subclass 151!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have only EVER seen 2 others on all of the forums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apologies for the excitement

Secondary school funding in my opinion is disgusting. Where as in the UK extra funding would be given for transition from primary to secondary they don't do this and can reduce the funding!! This happened 2 years ago to the boy I supported. Severe behaviour ADHD, Oppositional Definance Disorder, OCD and Domestic Violence trauma. He went from full time funding to 15 hours a week!!! Same this year with the ones we sent up too. Its all minimal support they are stuck in the middle between special and mainstream without the back up of behaviour schools or ASD units here. One to one support in secondary - the 5 that are our feeder schools do not do this. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture This is how it is for us and I do hope somewhere in other states its different.Just to add that compared to the UK the SEN area is MASSIVELY underfunded and very far behind towards where the UK are with it.

I'm in victoria and my friend is in Perth. Her pay is over $3000 more over there, although she works in a base attached to a mainstream primary so maybe that is why - not sure. Anyway, I had a great job with the Special Needs Team in UK as a TA Outreach Worker supporting staff in mainstream with SEN kids but they have nothing similar here I am just an aide here on dire money, its barely minimum wage. Most aides are Mums from school but to be honest (and no disrespect intended) they have no training and the 2 at our school struggle greatly with our challenging kids. They don't want to put any strategies in place to support them or train to understand them its very sad. I am in no way saying every school is like this, I'm just saying what my experience of being an aide is. If you want to know anything else just ask