Barnyrubble

Oops. Found it.

I can't find his uk phone number. Anyone have Alan collects please?

Where do you live?

Will we have to pay for all outpatients appointments, all medicine, all equipment needed,all homecare etc?

We don't work here altho in Australia we would have to work part time with son to pay the bills! Financially stupid or what? So if you get sick there you get IN hospital treatment for free but any outpatients appointments, equipment needed, home care, medicines you pay for? We get everything free. Another stupid move?

Oh and I would miss cosy character country pubs with a roaring log fire in the winter, character cottages, churches, cathedrals, castles, flowers too.

Well we still haven't gone unconditional on our house so our move to oz is delayed - which has given us too long to think. What would I miss from UK? Lots. Where my sons live there are no lovely parks like here. Being able to walk in our countryside without fear of snakes. Friends (since primary), Availability and cheapness of food. The seasons (but definitely not Winter!), closeness to Europe for motorhoming, The architecture, Money!!! Which will hamper our lifestyle. The closeness of everything. The free bus pass. Not having to pay for any medical or medicine. But I will love being with my family especially on special occasions, being able to ride my bike more often and not having to keep making that arduous journey to see them, especially as we get even older (it's too physically draining).

Well we are still in the UK. Still deliberating about whether we should sign on the sale of our house (altho there is now a legal issue needing sorting) or stay here but then travel into Europe to avoid the horrible depressing winters. This tho would limit our visits to see our families and being an emotional sensitive mum who is also a home bird I just cannot cope with either path. OH says stay here - I go mad. He says go - I can't cope. Poor thing doesn't know what to do thats right. We did consider renting out the property but then you are arriving half hearted into Australia and unable to move forward and settle at all. I struggle with an indoor life here in winter and the thought of being old with my head stuck watching TV for days on end is a worry. And realistically as mentioned by others health will deteriorate as we age and then we wouldn't be able to travel there and if we are poorly then we need our sons. What a situation. This nightmare needs to end before i explode And to compound the issue my sister and I have made up after years of being estranged and she wants us to stay and travel with her and her OH. Why is life so difficult?

We are led to undersrand that altho its a tax free pension in the uk we will have to pay 32.5% tax on that in Australia. My pension will transfer at about $15k and i will earn $20k employed. So is any of that liable to tax do you know. Aged 70.

No you cant help or no there is no levy?

Can you please advise if we come to oz as permanent residents and have a UK pension paid into a UK bank and then transfer it whenever needed do we get a levy/penalty charged on it?

I do hope you receive some realistic advice soon so someone is able to help you come to the right co clusion. This must be so stressful for you.

P.s. i wouldnt want my son to come back here just for us when he has two businesses there and is very happy with the outdoor life.

I am really struggli g to leave my house knowing i cant afford to buy such a lovely location there.

Sorry i missed an earlier thread. We have no superannuation as it wasnt in the tax system in 81. Both of our sons live there with our blessing and neither would return to UK. They have businnesses and a very comfortable lifestyle and i wouldnt ask it of them. They too dont ask it of us. They suggested it for when we are even older so we have their support, have time to enjoy the grandchildren and avoid the UK winters.

Thank you and that is certainly an option but we have no time to decide as our house sale goes completes in 10 days leaving us houseless. Not a good place for me to be. We could buy smaller property and have a brilliant and quite lavish life style travelling around Europe in a motorhome as opposed to a compromised lifestyle there in the good weather with our sons. We could visit, until we are unable or willing to take that horrendous journey, but to keep having to say farewell tears me apart - especially now i am in a mess! Im so emotional and not sleeping or eating properly but it will gave to sort itself out sometime. Either that or i will jump off a cliff! And the thought of the last survivor of us being alone without any support isnt something to relish.

Thank you. One of us is more inclined to take risks but the end result is we think we need to be with our kids when we are old/alone. So do we do it for further down the years or do we lose our RRV and visit occasionally until health no longer permits. What a quandary. And as UK have a reciorocal agreement we understand from an Australian lawyer that we would be taxed both countries but reclaim from the UK if our only residence is in Australia. So am i reading correctly? If our income is small and we are mainly living from capital do we qualify for a senior's discount card or is it means / capital tested? And the same question applies to the PBS medicine? Can anyone answer those questions please ?

And your food bills are up to 40% higher than here plus the cost of living there is 30% higher. How do you all afford it!?

I thought we qualified for a semior card but mot a concession card for PBS. Different info from Different people. Confusing or what!

Wow. To be in a position you couldnt afford a coffee must be a hard life. And $7k a month without rent is unbelievable. We love Australia and we love rhe UK. Hard choice and we have about a week to make it. Our house sale is priceeding, so do we buy a deautiful downsize and be free to do whatever, whenever and suffer any consequences when we are old?? Who knows whats going to happen but i will let you know.

Thank you for that. We would not qualify for a concession i dont think as we cant access an Australian pension.

Ouch. So what's that annually?

I am just reading these blogs and am so concerned. Our children and grandchildren live in Australia very happily but want us there. I am so scared. I love the UK, being near Europe, feeling financially comfortable but the thought of being there aged 70 with financial insecurity and lonely and 'stuck' is making me feel sick. My spouse wants to try it though but friends downunder are telling us we need at least $100k to live there comfortably and we haven't got that. But I have many worries. Here everything is so close free bus travel free medical and medicine. I feel all I will have there is the same every day of my life from the day I arrive. HELP?

Helpful.thank you he is married with his own business and it would be too much of a worry.

We have full medicare cards but they should not have been issued as we do not live here. We told them but they were not interested. So an earlier comment said 804 holders qualify but 804 applicants (on bridging whole waiting 30 years for grant?) aren't???