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RoundInCircles

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2 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

The rules re: Aussie Penison FYI 🙂

You must have lived in Australia for at least 10 years, and. Of those 10 years that you've lived in Australia, there should be at least 1 period where you have lived in Australia continuously for 5 years.

That's true IF YOU ARE RESIDING IN AUSTRALIA.   If you've lived in Australia for 10 years, then you are entitled to the full pension (means tested, of course).  However if you are living overseas, different rules apply. 

To get the full pension overseas, you need 35 years' residency.  If you've only got 10 years' residency, then you'll only get 10/35ths.  

Anyway, if you move to the UK before you reach pensionable age, you can't even claim it.   If you move back to Australia and live for 2 years either before or after your eligibility date, you can claim the pension and then you can move back to the UK and keep the pension - but I doubt many of us would be keen to uproot ourselves for 2 years in our late sixties/early seventies. 

Edited by Marisawright
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On 24/01/2020 at 13:13, RoundInCircles said:

Hi 

Hi FeelingStuck and thank you for your message; good to hear from you 🙂 Things can't move quick enough for me...currently waiting for my UK Birth Certificate to arrive then I can apply for a British Passport...all this waiting is driving me mad but I. MUST. BE. PATIENT. lol.  So far, I have applied and received my Australian Passport, have made enquiries about shipping my pet,  looked into flights,  started researching where to live,  looking at what jobs are out there and have started a list of the items I want to sell before we leave.  Our goal is to move over in July if finances are tracking okay but we are flexible.

Thank  you for your good wishes...and...you should start planning for your future too! 😄 

Regards...

Hi Round In Circles

I am definitely planning for my future, but love reading about others’ successful trips home in the meantime!!

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23 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

Exactly which is why I said good luck with that... as in no chance. 

Well, some people might want to try it.  Which is why I thought, it's important for people to know about the 35-year requirement.   It would be awful to go to all that expense and upheaval and then find you're only eligible to claim 10/35th anyway!

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4 hours ago, EnglishLass said:

Hi Round In Circles

I am definitely planning for my future, but love reading about others’ successful trips home in the meantime!!

Hello there EnglishLass...thank you for your message 🙂 I'm like you when it comes to the positive move messages...it makes you think "well, if they can do it, so can I!"  It's good to read about the less successful trips home and the reasons that for some it just hasn't worked out and they have finally realised that Australia is the best option for them.  We're all different...we all have our different stories to tell...our family and life circumstances vary...it's good to acknowledge that what works for one may not work for another, true?

Very best of wishes with planning your adventure!

Kind regards...

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13 minutes ago, Rossmoyne said:

What an interesting thread, but what seems to be paramount in all this is that pension rules etc change on a continual basis and you cannot plan your financial retired future with any degree of certainty.  

To me, the paramount thing is that if you're not happy in Australia and hanker to return to the UK (or vice versa), DO NOT think, "I'll stick it out for now, and I'll move back when I retire".  

It's bad enough that so many countries are cutting back on their government pensions, but when you move overseas, you're at the mercy of exchange rates and international taxes - to the point where you just can't afford it.  

The lesson is, if you want to go home (or wherever) do it when you're fifty and still have time to build up savings and a pension before you retire.  Don't wait till retirement or you may find it's too late.

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8 minutes ago, starlight7 said:

The Australian pension is different from the British one because it is means tested. Many of us get zilch and you have to be pretty poor to get a full one. They don’t care how long or how hard you worked. 

That's true, but it's still available to everyone as a safety net in case your superannuation runs out.  

Besides, unlike the UK, there is no NI contribution in Australia.  You pay your taxes but none of that money is earmarked to pay you a pension - it pays for roads, hospitals, and other services.   If some of it was earmarked to pay a guaranteed pension to all, our taxes would have to be higher.   The pension is a benefit, like unemployment benefit, for the needy. 

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In Australia they only pay you a pension if you have had a very low wage, haven’t any other means or are just generally in need. You can’t pay in to it as you can in the uk. Totally different scenario. If your work pension runs dry or you have very little income then it is supposed to kick in . Doesn’t always happen and they put you through hoops to get it. I wouldn’t want to live off it, pretty low but you do get cheaper rates and medical entitlements. If you leave Australia you aren’t going to get it unless you already have an entitlement and are already receiving it. Some go and live somewhere really cheap like Bali ( once they have qualified and receive it)and fly home for medical treatment which can be done. I have come across a few who do this.

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7 hours ago, starlight7 said:

. I wouldn’t want to live off it, pretty low but you do get cheaper rates and medical entitlements. If you leave Australia you aren’t going to get it unless you already have an entitlement and are already receiving it. Some go and live somewhere really cheap like Bali ( once they have qualified and receive it)and fly home for medical treatment which can be done. I have come across a few who do this.

You are aware that the full Australian pension is quite a bit higher than the British one?

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On 31/01/2020 at 12:43, starlight7 said:

In Australia they only pay you a pension if you have had a very low wage, haven’t any other means or are just generally in need. You can’t pay in to it as you can in the uk. Totally different scenario. If your work pension runs dry or you have very little income then it is supposed to kick in . Doesn’t always happen and they put you through hoops to get it. I wouldn’t want to live off it, pretty low but you do get cheaper rates and medical entitlements. If you leave Australia you aren’t going to get it unless you already have an entitlement and are already receiving it. Some go and live somewhere really cheap like Bali ( once they have qualified and receive it)and fly home for medical treatment which can be done. I have come across a few who do this.

Yes, that’s pretty brutal.  Makes me feel happy to be back at home here in UK.  It’s a huge price to pay just to live out there.

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Hi Everyone 🙂 

Just a quick question, please...

On arrival in the UK, is there an expectation/requirement that we must be in possession of  "x" amount of money?  (Just a reminder for you...I am returning to the UK to live and have both an Australian and UK passport)...

Thank you in advance and kind regards...

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12 minutes ago, RoundInCircles said:

Hi Everyone 🙂 

Just a quick question, please...

On arrival in the UK, is there an expectation/requirement that we must be in possession of  "x" amount of money?  (Just a reminder for you...I am returning to the UK to live and have both an Australian and UK passport)...

Thank you in advance and kind regards...

No, no expectation.  You arrive and go through Passport Control with your British passport, exactly the same as if you were returning from a holiday in Ibiza!

Edited by Marisawright
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1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

No, no expectation.  You arrive and go through Passport Control with your British passport, exactly the same as if you were returning from a holiday in Ibiza!

Thank you for the quick reply, Marisawright!  I had a feeling that would be the case but wanted to make doubley sure.  Cheers for now 😄 

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7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

No, no expectation.  You arrive and go through Passport Control with your British passport, exactly the same as if you were returning from a holiday in Ibiza!

And someone will say "Welcome  Home!" And you'll go "Aaaaah!" 

To the  OP - Get yourself on the electoral roll as soon as you can and start establishing yourself. 

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16 hours ago, Quoll said:

And someone will say "Welcome  Home!" And you'll go "Aaaaah!" 

To the  OP - Get yourself on the electoral roll as soon as you can and start establishing yourself. 

Hi Quoll 🙂 I think I will possibly burst into tears if someone says that to me!  Thank you for  your advice re getting on the electoral roll...must add that to my list of "To Do"s...

Kind regards...

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re British Passport application

Application completed, paid for but not yet lodged...working on getting the required documents organised and ready to send off...however, I've reached a bit of a stumbling block with regards to finding someone who's known me for TWO years and are able to complete the Confirm Identity Form...that "someone" must also currently work in, or has previously worked in, a profession as listed by GOV.UK.  I was told last night that the passport won't be issued if that requirement cannot be fulfilled!  Has anybody else had this same problem?

Kind regards

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9 minutes ago, RoundInCircles said:

re British Passport application

Application completed, paid for but not yet lodged...working on getting the required documents organised and ready to send off...however, I've reached a bit of a stumbling block with regards to finding someone who's known me for TWO years and are able to complete the Confirm Identity Form...that "someone" must also currently work in, or has previously worked in, a profession as listed by GOV.UK.  I was told last night that the passport won't be issued if that requirement cannot be fulfilled!  Has anybody else had this same problem?

Kind regards

I used my doctor.

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4 hours ago, RoundInCircles said:

re British Passport application

Application completed, paid for but not yet lodged...working on getting the required documents organised and ready to send off...however, I've reached a bit of a stumbling block with regards to finding someone who's known me for TWO years and are able to complete the Confirm Identity Form...that "someone" must also currently work in, or has previously worked in, a profession as listed by GOV.UK.  I was told last night that the passport won't be issued if that requirement cannot be fulfilled!  Has anybody else had this same problem?

Kind regards

My next door neighbour did. The other neighbour she initially asked wasn’t on the list of professionals and she got knocked back so she asked me even though I was retired I had been on the list. Doctors, dentists, kids’ teachers are usually good options.

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On 07/02/2020 at 02:38, Quoll said:

My next door neighbour did. The other neighbour she initially asked wasn’t on the list of professionals and she got knocked back so she asked me even though I was retired I had been on the list. Doctors, dentists, kids’ teachers are usually good options.

Thanks for that Quoll 🙂  Yes, the person must be a friend and either retired or still working in one of the listed professions.  The good news is, I've tracked down an old friend who is teaching!  Yay me!

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On 07/02/2020 at 09:12, Vickie78 said:

I used an old colleague/friend still, whom works as a contractor in the banking industry (IT) and included the colour copy of his Aussie passport. Was fine. 

Hi Vickie78...many thanks for your message.  I'm relieved to be able to say that I've tracked down an old friend who is currently teaching!  I feel a little less stressed now lol!

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