Tazztell

Hi ! I don't know if this subject has arisen before, so forgive me if it has. Years ago when I was living in the U.K. ,my building society insisted that i pay a yearly Paymentl Protection Insurance ( PPI ) premium so as to cover costs for the building society should I end up defaulting on the mortgage I had with them at that time ( I never did, btw ). In recent years these PPI's have been declared illegal, so claims for compensation have been allowed against the banks, and other finance institutions that offered them. Anyone who has visited the U.K. recently will probably have seen the ad's on TV and newspapers informing them that claims against the banks, finance companies, etc.., will terminate at the end of August this year. I believe I have a claim, but I'm finding that - because I now live in Australia and am no longer resident in Britain - many U.K. based PPI claims companies will not process any application from people living outside the U.K. I would therefore like to know if any forum members living in Australia have been successful making a claim for PPI, and what PPI claim company they used. Many of these PPI claims companies have high payment fees such as 25% or more ( plus VAT ) of the total payout, so I'm looking to pay no more than 20%, or less if possible. I know i could try to make a claim myself but, as the building society I had the mortgage with no longer exists, I believe I have more chance of getting a successful outcome using a PPI claims company. All advice will be gratefully received. Thanks in advance

Hi ! As Snifter as said, it's not that easy getting any benefits in the U.K. now especially as the Tory government there seem to be waging a silent war against the poor, disabled, unemployed and anyone else who isn't a top wage earner. Years ago me and my family returned to the U.K. and applied for benefits, and had to wait a while before we got anything. We found the Citizens Advice Bureau to be pretty useless in our case, and ended up paying a few quid to a solicitor who specialized in dealing with the benefits system to get our issues sorted. You may be able to pay into the DHSS system before you return to the U.K., thus ensuring that you can make a claim straight away, but you'll need to check that out. Finally- if you haven't done so already- make sure you all have Australian citizenship prior to departure as things can change ( we ended up returning to Oz so I speak from experience ). Good luck !

Hi ! You can actually hire a CPAP machine very cheaply via the local hospital provided you are on a Centrelink benefit.I went through this process a couple of years ago and it goes something like this; You first see your local GP who refers you to a ENT specialist. The specialist takes your medical history,etc..., then arranges for a sleep study for you either at home or in a hospital sleep lab. After this sleep study ,you see the specialist again to get the sleep study results.If you are diagnosed with having sleep apneoa, you will be directed to a local CPAP machine supplier.Do inform the specialist that you in receipt of a Centrelink benefit as he can also supply and sign a form which you can sent to the power supplier for a few dollars discount off your electric bill due to the CPAP machine been classed as medical equipment.. The CPAP supplier will then provide you with a modern CPAP machine ( usually a Resmed ,plus humidifier ,mask, tubing,etc..,) and they will set the machine to the rate specified by the ENT specialist. After trying the machine out at home, you will have a follow up appointment with the supplier so they can assess the nightly results and make any rate adjustments if necessary, plus answer any of your questions. I ended up been unable to tolerate the CPAP machine, so I never hired one, but the yearly hire cost was well below $100 from the local hospital, which is far cheaper than hiring from a pharmacy. Should you want/need to buy a CPAP machine outright, there are plenty of ad's on the internet, plus the local Gumtree. Do your homework and as ever,buyer beware.Good luck !

You could also try going to an insurance broker/s who should have a variety of policies to suit your travel and health needs.

I'm sure you'll settle in fairly quickly especially if you have family to help you along. Don't expect any help or handouts from the DHSSin Britain, as you have been away for a few years now, so please make sure you have enough to fund yourself until you find work ( if you can't get fixed up with a job prior to arrival that is ). Also ,do get Australian citizenship if you have'nt done so already, as you may wish to come back to Australia further down the track. Good luck !

Hi ! Whatever you decide to do, I would strongly recommend that you both get Australian citizenship before you leave Oz ( if you haven't done so already.) You never know what the future may hold, and having another passport certainly gives you options Good luck !

Hi ! Your Pennytel SIM should work in Hobart and other decent sized population areas in Tasmania, but not if you are going off the beaten track. If you live in Oz and live near a Aldi supermarket, you can buy one of the $5 Aldi mobile SIM cards which use the Telstra network. The rates on this card are cheap , and Telstra cover just about everywhere in Tassie ( not that I'm a fan of Telstra I hasten to add ). Good luck ,and enjoy your holiday.

Me and my wife, along with our two girls ( both under 2 years of age at that time ) flew with KLM over to Oz in the early 1990's, in economy class. The flight was cheap and the onboard service was what you might call efficient but distant. We survived , and I dare say that they service is better now. What is important to you is saving the $3000 to spend in Dublin, plus the fact that you can get a regional flight with KLM from Amsterdam to Dublin included in the cost of the flight. Have a great Christmas !

No doubt we can expect a balanced piece about the A-League from Channel 7 because of this incident.....not.