DanO

see above table...I'm not making this up?

Also, whenever I have looked on "Rightmove", none of the properties seem to state the Council Tax band...usually only the energy efficiency rating?

Well as per the random example below... When I googled yesterday I obviously looked in a different area....but this was Cheshire. Am I somehow misreading this because they seem to range between $2,500 and $7,000 ??? Band H are houses over 320,000GBP. Weirdly I note it also says that it is based on the house value from 1991 (??????) so maybe a 320,000 house now was only worth 100,000 in 1991 or something...seems a bloody silly way to tax though?

Wow! UK Council tax is mental. I thought our rates were high here (Ballarat $2500 a year), but it looks like a 320,000 GBP house will cost like $8,000 a year! Do they empty the bins daily or what?

Yes, we will have to live on savings and Super alone. Even if we stay in Oz, we probably wont get any Australian pension until we are about 75+ based on our Super assets.

Thanks for the info Blue Flu. The reason I wanted to check is to see if I made the 10 years...I did some part time work before Uni, and then full time until I left for Oz at 29. I'm hoping I just snuck over the line...but if not, well I'll just accept I'll never see a UK or Oz pension. (annoyingly I have paid large taxes and Medicare surcharges in Oz for 24 years as I was well paid).

Thanks @Marisawright. I Think it sounds like the way to go.

Having lived in Brisbane twice, Sydney twice and Melbourne twice over 25 years... they all have something to offer. Sydney - great beaches and some stunning views. If you have enough money to live in the Northern Beaches it is a very compelling city. However, most people cannot afford that and are stuck 40k from the CBD in the Western suburbs. House prices astronomical even tens of kilometres from the good bits! Brisbane - the winters are glorious, the summers can be stiflingly humid. Not as sophisticated as Sydney and Melbourne. If you like BBQ, swimming pools and not wearing shoes it's ideal. Housing still reasonably affordable. Melbourne - easily my favourite city. Probably in the world, now that San Francisco has been trashed. The "Sporting, Music and Food" capital depending on who you ask. Very cosmopolitan, fantastic public transport, diverse and trendy. Very good food and coffee. The weather is much more like the UK...but with more sunshine in Summer. Housing can be extremely expensive and fewer and fewer bargain suburbs left. It all comes down to personal preference.

Thanks for the response AliQ. I forgot there was such a thing as writing to people lol! I'll give it a go.

Man, what an exercise in frustration! Background - Pom with Oz citizenship. I arrived in 1995 after being born in, and working for about 9 years, in the UK. I'm considering returning to retire in the UK with my Australian wife, in the next year or two. I'm trying to find out about my NI contributions, and how much I could contribute in credits to qualify for however a minimal UK pension I might be able to claim (eventually). I tried to register for a Gov.UK account...went through providing my NI number and the various phone/email confirmations only to reach a page which requires me to provide two pieces of information so they can verify my identity. I have my UK passport but they also require either a Northern Ireland driving license (not relevant) or details of UK credit cards/phone contracts etc. Obviously having been in Australia for 25+ years I don't have the ability to provide any of this information. Am I missing something, because it seems virtually IMPOSSIBLE to satisfy these requirements.... Any advice appreciated!

TVs and Sound Systems seem to cost a shedload more in the UK. I will certainly be taking my OLEDS with me when I go back!