Amber Snowball

12 hours ago, Pommiecate said:

Just looking for some reassurance I guess. Been here in Oz for almost 20 years, had a fab time, but wanted to come back since 2011 when my mum died.

We have sold house and all our stuff and suddenly I realise how many friend etc we have here and having huge what have we done moments.

My heart really does want to go home to be with dad while I still have him. I remember feeling like this when we came out here. 
 

Arghhghghgh ! Some virtual handholding appreciated! Xxx

 

 

 

 

I think we all wobble a bit moving in either direction, it’s natural. But I moved back to the uk in 2018 after 13 years in Australia and I am fine with it. although family wasn’t a factor.

Nowhere is utopia these days, niggles all over, you just need to prioritise the best decision for you, now. As said above you can always return to Australia in time. Sometimes different places are better at different stages. Go with it, enjoy the time with your Dad.

@Quoll I hope you haven’t been washed away on your visit. It’s teaming down ooop north!

59 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

You're quite correct, there is no check on wooden stuff, food, soil on boots etc. when incoming to the UK.

There are a few restrictions such as declaring alcohol, I'll try and find the link for the OP, but generally anything goes.

edit - link https://www.gov.uk/moving-to-uk

 

You MAY find that your Aussie shippers advise you to clean everything (like importing to Aus) but thats just cos they haven't looked at the specific UK rules. The girl who packed my stuff into the van for shipping mentioned that things needed to be spotless, but when corrected she di admit she wasn't across the UK rules as she just packs vans, and mostly for shipment to NZ, or delivery in AUs after coming through customs.

 

OP -don't forget your TOR! It must be done by you prior to arrival of your goods, and not by the shipping company

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-to-great-britain

Yes the TOR! I think that process is much quicker and easier these days. I moved not long after it was introduced and it was a nightmare! The thread on here saved me with tips and contacts, it really did!

49 minutes ago, lothar said:

Hi All,

We are moving back to the UK in June. 

I remember when moving out to Aus in 2018 I had to clean everything and disinfect everything we shipped. Do we need to do something similar on the way back? I can't find anything on the UK website, they seem more concerned about custom duty than biological hazards

Thanks.

Exactly right! Money over (organic) matter!

A good clean should be fine. Or it was when I moved back, but that was 2018 now. You don’t want it growing things in transit but they don’t seem to be as vigilant as Australia in that way.

42 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Surprisingly, there is no social security agreement between Australia and the UK so there's no reciprocal credit.

Sorry badly worded. I meant being paid from an Australian super/pension once in the uk and completing a self assessment would result in NI being payable as well as tax. 

Is it still cheaper buying back missing NI years from Australia rather than waiting until back in the uk? It used to be and it’s quite pricey now. You’ll have some years before eligible for the uk pension so you would still be able to get those years via income potentially, as you would self assess for your Australian income and/or working in the uk. I think your Australian pension would trigger NI payments, but it’s really not my area of expertise. just thinking out loud to float some ideas for you.

On 23/01/2024 at 06:42, Marisawright said:

You won't have a fixed address in Australia, but surely you'll have an address in the UK?   There's no obstacle to keeping your Australian accounts while living overseas. All you need to do is notify your Australian bank(s) and superannuation funds of your overseas address, and then keep them updated as you move around.   The easiest way to do that is online, so make sure you understand how to use their online systems, and you may find you'll also need to keep an Australian mobile phone so you can receive SMS messages for two-factor identification.  

You might want to consider moving your bank accounts to HSBC because they seem the most flexible when it comes to overseas customers.

If you were moving back for a few years, I'd say hold onto your Australian property, rent it out, and rent in the UK. However 20 years is a long time to be renting.

Agree with the above.

 I have an Australian bank account with ME bank and don’t need an Australian phone. I would find that an absolute ballache. They and my superannuation company are great and totally set up to dealing with overseas customers. I hope they don’t force 2 factor identification on me and if they do they use my uk phone.

1 hour ago, Skani said:

I've always assumed a migrant is someone making a permanent move to another country and an expat is someone working in another country but knowing it to be temporary and  eventually returning home - for example a diplomat or a transfer to a foreign branch of their company.  But I don't know if that's an official definition.

This has always been my definition. I think it is the accepted, even if not the official, definition! I see other places discussing the 2 in exactly this way.

I sometimes wonder if they think because you are in Australia, you are on holiday so have more time than them or that you are the one with all the “news”? Rather than you are living a life of work, putting the bins out and ferrying children to sport just like them.

I have found the same in both directions. When I moved to Australia people all gave me their email addresses and I duly emailed, not a single one replied. one did when I sent a ranty email asking if they were receiving my emails and they literally sent “yes” back to me. Gave it up then.

Coming in the opposite direction years later pretty much the same thing. So I assume out of sight, out of mind and as others have said, I moved so therefore it’s on me to make the effort. Luckily I don’t get that attached to people, so I move on quite easily.

 I did visit the uk and not tell anyone once, so had a lovely holiday that didn’t revolve around seeing family. But I have an incredibly fractured relationship with my family, so not hard…..

33 minutes ago, bonanza said:

You get issued with an NI number at age of 16. Perhaps you don't get a nice little card in the post like you used to! However you can go and get one by attending the local DWP office. They will expect ID ... a UK passport so that is definitely top priority. Plus a UK address, which is hard to prove until you've been offered a job or obtained a bank account. My step son also found it challenging to come back to the UK from Australia as an adult because of the circuitous nature of not being able to get ID without having ID. but it takes perseverence and it starts with geting a UK passport and NI number.

I might still have my little card somewhere!

8 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

Why not just apply for a UK passport and then many other things will be easier.  You don’t have to apply for citizenship, you already are a citizen.  Why can you not open a bank account? That’s nothing to do with being British, Australian or anything else.  You’ll need identification (you have your Australian passport) and you’ll need evidence of your address.  Ask your grandparent to phone up one of their utility suppliers (BT/Gas/Electric etc) and add you to their bill.  Then they need to ask for a bill to be sent out to them and it will include your name.  There you have it, your proof of address.  Just google how to find my NHS number or even ask a local doctors surgery if they know how. Not sure what you mean regarding your driving license.  A birth certificate is not evidence of identity.  It states that on it.  Good to have though and hopefully your mum still has yours.  If not, easy to get a replacement.  Local registers will help although probably all done online now so that’s another easy google search.  Add how to get a NI number to your google list.  I don’t think you have trouble, you just need to work through a simple tick list to get all what you need. Write a list and tick it off as you get it sorted.  Good luck. 

1 hour ago, Blue Manna said:

Being a UK citizen doesn't count for much. You have to be resident and prove you are resident. Do that and most things will be easy. Agree it would have been easier if you obtained your UK passport in Australia and entered on it. You are effectively a tourist.

Agree, most of the issues listed could be resolved by proving residency (not citizenship) so get added to the utility bills and the electoral roll.

1 minute ago, paulhand said:

You apply for it when you’re 16 (or thereabouts).  It certainly isn’t from birth … an NHS number, maybe. 

That’s what I thought. Yes NHS number from birth and it stays with you. Thank you kindly! 

17 minutes ago, Quoll said:

You would have been given a NI number at birth - you don't need to apply for a new one, just ask them for the old one. You were born in Britain so you just apply for your passport and use your birth certificate for that. If you are in UK on a foreign passport that might well be your problem, hindsight is perfect vision but if you had entered as a citizen you wouldn't be having some of these issues. Passport applications are straightforward and done largely on line these days.

Remember that Australia is a foreign country, you haven't paid a single UK tax for the NHS!!!!

I didn’t think you got a NI number until you are 16 or thereabouts. My son wasn’t issued one that I am aware of. Is this a new thing or do they only tell you about it later on even though it’s created earlier? I’m just curious!

1 hour ago, InnerVoice said:

 

I don't believe there are any rules stating that you can't take a TTR pension overseas. You wouldn't get the tax benefits from the Australian system, but that's by the by.

As you said, the simplest solution is to retire, claim your super, and then re-join the workforce afterwards, but that doesn't accurately reflect you intentions does it?

Still a long way off for me, so it might have all changed by then. 
Taking an income stream via TTR without paying back in via salary sacrifice would just be the same as retiring wouldn’t it? 
Although the way the money is invested by the fund is different isn’t it, as super if TTR, but it moves to something different as a pension income I think…..??

If I think I mean it when I say it, it makes it true doesn’t it……..

5 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

That's an interesting question and I believe the answer is 'no', assuming that 60 is your preservation age (the age at which you can normally access your super). I'm with QSuper and they have something called a Transition to Retirement (TTR) Income account where you can receive payments from your super while you're still working, so I'd assume that other super funds have similar.

I'm sure you're aware that if you keep working you're going to get taxed on the lot by the HMRC, which is a bit of a blow considering you've already paid tax on your contributions while you lived in Australia. I appreciate the following suggestion might be impractical, but if we're talking about a considerable sum then it might be worth considering moving back to Australia for a year and cashing in your super once you reach preservation age. That's assuming you were a citizen when you left, so you can return without any issues.

I thought the TTR was only if you were in Australia, as you would take your income stream from your super, salary sacrifice your maximum back into your super, thus paying little/no tax. Had a colleague who did it!

 What I have read is that outside of Australia you have to meet the age/retirement requirements, but you can return to work after “retiring “ as long as you were “not planning to work “ when you took your super. And how would the Australian super fund know anyway? It seems to be a statement of intent at best.

I was interested in this question as well, thanks @Martinbjulieb!
I was going to see how the landscape looked in 8 years for me.

On 05/01/2024 at 23:39, Cheery Thistle said:

We will. After all, I don’t want to end up an old lady not able to do it and wish that I had when I could. 

Exactly! You might not even be old! I woke up one morning aged 47 and my life completely changed, never be the same again as far as I can tell and very unlikely to be able to climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower or do the bridge climb. So putting things off blithely assuming you won’t be hit by a health issue and have all the time in the world to do all this stuff is ambitious at best. Take life by the scruff of the neck and give it a shake at every opportunity I say.

 I haven’t ever really travelled in my life mainly due to finances but thought I’d do stuff once I had retired. Now that might not happen because I am having to reduce my work hours so again won’t have the money I thought I would, mobility is slightly compromised as well, so hey ho, rethinking it all again. And it could all be very different again by that time. Rolling eyes emoji.

This might be a dramatic response to talk of climbing a bridge but I felt the subject symbolic of life experiences generally!

2 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Also, regarding tornadoes, apparently there was one in Manchester a couple of days ago!!

There was! 

36 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

That should say 3 weeks of sun, not months lol. 
There’s bad weather damage here too, fortunately not our house though. 
The winter has always got to me but I find as I have got older it’s worse, could be the Covid lockdown effect, not sure. We booked and paid for a Christmas light attraction a few weeks ago with some pals and the kids. It was a total washout! Was so bad parts of it were impassable and the kids couldn’t really get on any of the rides. Had to be paid for in advance. We all agreed we would have been better off just staying at home! I get cabin fever from being confined to the house! .As you say not long to go, If Aus doesn’t work out we’ve decided we are not coming back to Scotland. I speak 3 other languages reasonably well and a further one at a basic level which gives us a head start elsewhere. Mopped the floor again last night, poor dogs aren’t getting over the threshold without a towelling down!! 
 

You clearly need to do something as what you are saying isn’t a great way to live/feel. Australia was good to me, but I just got “done” with it in a way I still struggle to verbalise. But that was my experience moving in 2005, in a very different time/place and personal position to you. Your experience will be different purely because you are you, not me! 
Brilliant you can speak different languages, I am so English, I just shout slowly! 

22 minutes ago, Skani said:

My commiserations.  Queensland has really been through the wringer in the last few weeks.  Not "a storm" but violent storms over  days.  And the temp. passed 38 C in Brisbane today, with humidity.  (Yuk!).  Not to mention the effects of the cyclone further north.  One place near Cairns had over 2 metres of rain in 5 days - more than the annual rainfall for Cairns.

Apparently it’s been classed as a tornado. Which makes sense given what they were describing. Yes, they have had a rough run for sure. They got power back on the following day, so that was at least something.

9 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

I just really really struggle with it this time of year and it’s been particularly wet this year. The lack of sunlight and lack of blue sky thoroughly gets to me. I actually hate it! It’s miserable walking the dogs, it’s miserable going out and about. 
Come now, we’re not really comparing the GC to the Lothians now? Yes, GC had a storm, but it’s now 30 degrees and blue sky! It’s been raining more or less incessantly here for 3 months. Not to mention the wet, grey ‘summer’ we suffered. 3 months of sun in June before the school summer holiday. Then rain every day of the school holiday. No word of a lie!! 

Sorry, wasn’t making a direct comparison in that way. Just saying there’s weather everywhere. Just as well it’s blue sky now, they have no roof. 

I understand your desperation to move, I really do, I have been there in both countries. I hope the move is everything you want and a positive change for you, you definitely sound like you need it. I don’t find the winter gets me down in the way you do, but constantly drying dogs does get boring!

Hang in there, you’ll be on the move before you know it. 

The weather is all over the place everywhere really. My son’s inlaws are on the Gold Coast and have extensive damage from the storm on Christmas night.

It’s been wet and windy in Cheshire here, but not all the time. Comes and goes.

Climate change, innit.

Sorry, bit fuzzy, but a real tree. ‍

49 minutes ago, CurrawongSong said:

Hi all

I've moved back and forth between Sydney and the UK a bit and am about to return to the UK in February. I will only have been here for 9 months this time and so have had my ToR application rejected for the first time. I've tried to have it reconsidered but it's not happening. I was wondering if anyone knows how much tax would be paid on a usual personal effects move, or how it's calculated?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, I have to say moving back and forth like that sounds exhausting!!

I don’t think there is a flat rate, it depends on the goods I think.

HMRC have a helpline for TOR and I think an online chat assistant, which might be worth a shot. Wonder why they refused your TOR, maybe they think you are running an illegal import/export in single items of homeware!

Once you get through to HMRC I always find them really helpful.

Good luck!

2 hours ago, Sea breeze said:

Not actually sure 

we have been over before looked at housing etc 

narre warren surrounding or Mornington ( I know it’s expensive) we lived at morrabin before for about 6 months 

maybe look at geelong I’m horsey so semi rural ideally 

I haven’t lived in geelong for years now, but I have a bit of a soft spot for the place. I would live there ahead of narre warren that’s for sure.

Both places have probably become more built up since I was there, but you should find something on the fringe I would think. 

1 hour ago, Simontucks said:

Thank you so much.i do think we are heading down the TAFE route with her as she really is adamant she just wants to do her hair and beauty .I've been pulling my hair out for the last few months regarding it believe me

I can imagine! You worry so much about the right/wrong decision with them, thinking that their entire future rests on what you decide now, but things usually work out one way or another. Can be expensive mistakes sometimes but rarely much worse and usually fixable, just a more meandering route. 
Pick your battles, she sounds like she knows her own mind! Obviously that mind might change later, but that will be another discussion! 
Try to not pull all of your hair out, she’ll need someone to practice on!

8 hours ago, Simontucks said:

Thank you so much for the reply.As much as I disagree with her she really doesn't want to stay in school so we will have to look at the TAFE ,although with her wanting to go down the hair and beauty route I really don't know where to start.lots more investigating to be done I think

Speaking as someone who loathed school, barely attended and left with a couple of grade c’s, one was English literature o level, I liked reading and did it a year early. The other was a commerce gcse. Failed the rest, really, all D’s which no one counts.

I would look at the tafe course and be done with it. I am generally unclear what being forced to do my gcse’s actually achieved.

I left school at 16 and have worked one way or another, every day since. She isn’t saying she wants to sit in her room, smoking a bong all day, she is motivated to learn a skill/trade. If she can tack on some maths or English or something that might be useful.

When I decided to do my nursing, I did a 1 academic year access to higher education course due to the lack of GCSE’s, there’s probably something similar in Australia for adults if she had a change of heart later, I would imagine but don’t know.

 I actively encouraged my son into TAFE but he followed a hard science route and now has a master’s degree and a shed load of debt, that due to inflation is now higher than when he qualified 3 years ago. Apart from entering university, no one has ever asked for my school exam results.

Good luck to her, whatever she chooses to do!