Australian/UK pensions

[MalW]

Can anybody help? I moved to Australia as a ten pound pom with my family in 1955 when I was four. My wife arrived here from Scotland in 1970 also as a migrant family. Now 63 and on a Carer’s pension, my wife on a DSP, we are becoming increasingly frustrated by so many of the wrong directions in which we feel the government is heading and the ever increasing cost of living. Neither of us have become Australian citizens, (probably a mistake), so we remain as permanent residents. We still hold British passports but they have expired. Does anyone know if we were to move back to the UK, would we still receive our Australian pensions, would we qualify for a similar UK pension, and above all else, will it be cheaper to live there?

[Quoll]

If you are on a Centrelink pension then you may take the Age Pension with you (you can't apply for it unless you are resident at the time) but it may be pro rata for the number of years in Aus (you'll probably be ok with that though). Pretty sure the other benefits aren't transferrable. Private pensions you can get no matter where you live but they would be taxable in UK. Unless you've paid your NI contributions you won't be eligible for any UK age pension although you may be able to claim for the period to 2001 when the arrangement ceased.

 

Is there a reason why you don't get citizenship just in case you want to return - it doesn't hurt although gagging down the Vegemite sandwich does make it difficult (LOL)

 

Personally I think you'd want to be financially independent of government hand outs to make a good go of it.

[Andrew from Vista Financial]

Hi

 

Quoll has pretty much answered your question.

 

This may also help: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/centrelink/age-pension/age-pension-while-travelling-outside-australia

[MalW]

Thank you for that information, it is very relevant and has answered some questions.

[Jayenne]

I lived and worked in Australia for 14 years after emigrating from the UK in 1989. I returned to live in the UK in 2002. I enquired the other day over the phone to dept. of Human Services International section, about when I reach pensionable age according to the Australian rules. As I now suffer from severe and permanent lung disease, I am unable to fly and therefore cannot return. I was met with a very disrespectful call centre employee who told me to simply 'get on a boat then'! Obvioiusly I am aware that you have to be resident for at least 2 years prior to claiming your Australian pension (I am also an Australian Citizen), yet through no fault of my own, I was told in no uncertain terms, if you can't get back here, then you miss out..... not impressed!

[Petals]

To receive the Australian pension overseas you have to be already be receiving an aged pension and reached retirement age. Otherwise it is not paid. How do I know my friend's brother lived in Fiji and he got the pension but his wife who was a good deal younger would have been left without a pension if he died. She had lived and worked in Aus for over twenty five years but that made no difference.

 

His wife was on disability and she had to come back to Australia every few months to keep the pension. In fact I think the last time they were cancelling it.

 

Also any extras that are given for cheaper use of utilities and allowances are not paid overseas, just the flat pension.

 

People have to be resident in Australia when they apply for the aged pension.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Petals