SallyKay Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Hi there! Bit of a random one! I just wondered if anyone knew what happens if you are an Australian Pensioner ( I know you need to have resided in Oz for 10yrs first ) if you ever were in a situation where you had no money/home would you be housed like you are in the UK? Surely you're not thrown on the streets?! I can't seem to find an answer on the Internet, does anybody know what entitlements you have as a pensioner in that situation? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Not necessarily. You'd have to be on the list for social housing and there'd have to be a vacancy suitable for your needs. You may get a room in a refuge if you were lucky but there would be no guarantee and it would depend on your available resources - income, friends, etc. There are homeless shelters but they aren't places you'd really want to be in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scuffythetugboat Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 This may be the lucky country but when it comes to retirement it's sink or swim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 You would get the full pension plus full rent assistance so you would be able to rent a small flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Rent assistance is a very small amount though, something like $60 a week from memory, I wouldn't fancy trying to live on the pension and rent assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Lots of pensioners do. Mind you if you get to pension age and have absolutely no savings or assets of any kind it is pretty unusual. In these days of compulsory superannuation, it is certainly not expected that pensioners have nothing to support themselves with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Go to any of the camp / caravan parks around me and you will see what the situation can be. No shortage of people living is tiny caravans and even tents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Hi there!Bit of a random one! I just wondered if anyone knew what happens if you are an Australian Pensioner ( I know you need to have resided in Oz for 10yrs first ) if you ever were in a situation where you had no money/home would you be housed like you are in the UK? Surely you're not thrown on the streets?! I can't seem to find an answer on the Internet, does anybody know what entitlements you have as a pensioner in that situation? Thank you! There are nursing homes which take your full pension in lieu of rent - which means you've got nothing left for luxuries but you do get a roof over your head and your meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Go to any of the camp / caravan parks around me and you will see what the situation can be. No shortage of people living is tiny caravans and even tents. Have to say I home helped last year in the Peel region and there were many pensioners living on caravan parks on very limited means but they were looked after with home helps and care aides etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 But the situation will become desperate for many once the budget comes into play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pommysheila Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Hi I am the same as you but a widow and scared to death of what might happen, if you watch my post you may yourself get some answers. xx pommysheila Australian pensioner returning to the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 HiI am the same as you but a widow and scared to death of what might happen, if you watch my post you may yourself get some answers. xx pommysheila Australian pensioner returning to the UK Sheila, does that mean you are renting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Hi there!Bit of a random one! I just wondered if anyone knew what happens if you are an Australian Pensioner ( I know you need to have resided in Oz for 10yrs first ) if you ever were in a situation where you had no money/home would you be housed like you are in the UK? I don't understand how the system works in the UK but are all homeless pensioners always housed in the UK? Surely there's a waiting list for council housing just like there is in Australia, so even though you're entitled there might be no availability? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 I seem to recall Disillusioned Scot saying he would be homeless if her returned to the UK although I don't know what happened to him in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Perhaps some charities help people who are struggling. Mission Australia does its best to get people of pension age into affordable housing. The government has ignored the problem of affordable/state housing for far too long. Disgusting really. Don't know about the situation in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Disgusting indeed. There are numerous reasons people may end up poor in the age. I was reading recently how divorce has grown among the middle aged. It just takes a few 'life' events to knock an individual for six, and plans astray. Yet these days we are all too willing the place the blame on the individual. Saying that the Aged Pension remains by far the greatest cost in welfare to government. This government has no plans to increase the amount, in fact is actively against the welfare concept in other areas. We surely as a still fairly rich nation, do better than having so many aged living in poverty. Camping grounds would to my mind hardly appeal ideal. Private enterprise in this market are requiring to make a profit. Housing payments by government are incredibly low taking into consideration rent payments. There could be as in parts of Europe, legal requirements in place that the kids are responsible for their parents aged care, at least where possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 This thread is over 2 years old btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 You can't just opt to go into a nursing home. You have to be assessed as needing residential care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Hi there!Bit of a random one! I just wondered if anyone knew what happens if you are an Australian Pensioner ( I know you need to have resided in Oz for 10yrs first ) if you ever were in a situation where you had no money/home would you be housed like you are in the UK? Surely you're not thrown on the streets?! I can't seem to find an answer on the Internet, does anybody know what entitlements you have as a pensioner in that situation? Thank you! I know someone in that situation. They get social housing, but they only have enough money to survive. It's not a pleasant existence. I wouldn't aspire to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 You would get housing benefit in the UK, that pays most of your rent, assuming you have little savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Rental assistance for a single aged pensioner in Australia is only about $70 a week. There are some rental retirement villages around where I live (Brisbane inner north) that cater for pensioners. It's a bedsit - I know because I was curious and had a look at one. They are next to large shopping centres so people can manage without a car. Basically, if you don't own a house by the time you retire, or you are already in social housing, you are going to find it hard to make ends meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Rental assistance for a single aged pensioner in Australia is only about $70 a week. There are some rental retirement villages around where I live (Brisbane inner north) that cater for pensioners. It's a bedsit - I know because I was curious and had a look at one. They are next to large shopping centres so people can manage without a car. Basically, if you don't own a house by the time you retire, or you are already in social housing, you are going to find it hard to make ends meet. Assuming you have no assets at all. But it would be very unusual for any adult to enter retirement with no assets or savings of any kind. I would really wonder why that would be the case for any competent adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patphillips47 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 You would get housing benefit in the UK, that pays most of your rent, assuming you have little savings. You MIGHT get housing benefit but you would most certainly have to go through the habitual residents interview etc i know in the north east a lot of council houses have been taken over by social landlords and unless your classed as homeless there are long lists Even being classed as homeless is extremely hard especially if you have left Australia to go back to the uk they often see that as making yourself homeless ! Again in the north east there are plenty of private rentals at around £100 to £ 150 a week but if you don't qualify for housing benefit that's a big chunk from a pension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 One in three female appear to be living in poverty in Australia, if statistics are to be believed. There are numerous reasons acquired assets may have been depleted. I already mentioned higher divorce rates among older people. Another reason being people are living far longer. Hence the depletion of assets. How many operations and serious medical interventions would it take to use up assets? Then there is handing over too much to kids. Perhaps own free will ,perhaps bullying. Yes the latter does happen. More than some may imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 It's a tricky one because you don't want to encourage people not to work or put money aside for their retirement but obviously sometimes it may be caused by a poor run of luck/circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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