Back in Blighty

[Jock]

Came back in 2018 as I was extremely pissed off with OZ, too long a story for here. Been back since November 18, and just like OZ when I first emigrated I had to sit all my bus exams again to get my bus licence. There’s no comparison on daily life expenses, everything is totally different especially in wages. 
I do miss the weather and some amazing people. I’m a bit luckier than most ( or not) that I don’t have a family of my own. Already been told my the OZ government that I won’t receive any Australian State pension if I continue to live in the UK after pension age, ( 2029). Feel kinda lost at the moment, maybe I was too hasty. Don’t really know what to do next.

[ali]

4 hours ago, Jock said:

Came back in 2018 as I was extremely pissed off with OZ, too long a story for here. Been back since November 18, and just like OZ when I first emigrated I had to sit all my bus exams again to get my bus licence. There’s no comparison on daily life expenses, everything is totally different especially in wages. 
I do miss the weather and some amazing people. I’m a bit luckier than most ( or not) that I don’t have a family of my own. Already been told my the OZ government that I won’t receive any Australian State pension if I continue to live in the UK after pension age, ( 2029). Feel kinda lost at the moment, maybe I was too hasty. Don’t really know what to do next.

Not asking you to go into detail, but have a think of the reasons you decided that Aus wasn't for you and what it was that made you want to move back home?  Are those reasons still valid?  Do you still have a valid visa or citizenship so that you could return to Aus if you wanted to?  

[Marisawright]

I agree with Ali.   Sit down and force yourself to write down all the reasons you left (don't just do this mentally, writing them down is important).  

It's important because rose-tinted glasses are a real thing.  The human brain doesn't like remembering bad stuff.  So the longer you're away from somewhere, the more your memories of the unpleasant stuff fade.  You'll start thinking, "maybe I over-reacted", "maybe I was too hasty", "maybe I should have tried harder" - and it's probably not true. It takes a lot to make someone pick up their whole life and move halfway across the world, so it's very unlikely you did it without sufficient thought.  You've just forgotten how bad you felt. 

Australia is not a paradise.  Prices have gone up here just the same as in the UK.  Wages have stagnated.  House prices, in particular, have soared.  Unemployment is about the same as the UK.  If you want to come back, come back because you felt happier here, not because "life is better".  

[Quoll]

It's always tempting to compare the bad of the now with the good of the then!  This damned virus has certainly made the perception of today's "bad" worse in UK at the moment I think.  I had moments when I lived in UK (up until mid March for 8.5 years) that Australia looked like a better option but when I was in Australia before I left I was so damned depressed it was as much as I could do to get through each day, but I didnt realise it at the time.  Back in Aus now for a month and I know that I will never "belong" here.  All sorts of pragmatic reasons for being here and, given the virus, it's the better place to be at the moment and my dad is safe enough in a care home that were very forward thinking.  But it's certainly not magically better.  We are haemorrhaging cash at the moment with re-establishment and renovations which is very scary and I am being very vigilant and not allowing myself to get into self destructive depressed mode.

I guess it all depends what you want out of life - if you have to move on then move on but it doesnt have to be to the other side of the world if you are only itching for a bit of a change and an adventure.

Edited to say - remember that the Australian "pension" has never been a "right".  Your superannuation will still be there for you when you get to preservation age.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by Quoll

[Marisawright]

9 hours ago, Jock said:

. Already been told my the OZ government that I won’t receive any Australian State pension if I continue to live in the UK after pension age, ( 2029). Feel kinda lost at the moment, maybe I was too hasty. Don’t really know what to do next.

@Jock - I don't know if it helps, but if you move to almost any European country, you'll be able to claim your Australian pension no bother.  It's only in the UK that you can't get it (crazy, I know).  So you could plan to retire in Crete or Benidorm or the Greek Islands and you'll be all set. 

People seem to think that after Brexit, you won't be able to settle in EU countries any more - but that's rubbish.  You'll lose your free access to the EU, but it doesn't mean you're blocked out altogether.  My oh looked into settling in Italy at one time (before we met).  As an Australian he has no special rights, but the requirements weren't that hard.  It's not like emigrating to Australia.  You just need to prove you can buy a home and support yourself. Thta was fifteen years ago but it hasn't changed.

Edited April 24, 2020 by Marisawright

[AliQ]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

@Jock - I don't know if it helps, but if you move to almost any European country, you'll be able to claim your Australian pension no bother.  It's only in the UK that you can't get it (crazy, I know).  So you could plan to retire in Crete or Benidorm or the Greek Islands and you'll be all set. 

You have to return to Australia to return to claim the pension. There are certain rules about being resident for a period of time as well, and if you leave the country soon after claiming ( 2 years ? ) then it may be stopped, but that all depends on how long you have been out of the country before claiming.

We're currently looking into this and the rules are quite complex.

I wish you well Jock with your decision.

[Marisawright]

3 hours ago, AliQ said:

You have to return to Australia to return to claim the pension. There are certain rules about being resident for a period of time as well, and if you leave the country soon after claiming ( 2 years ? ) then it may be stopped, but that all depends on how long you have been out of the country before claiming.

We're currently looking into this and the rules are quite complex.

I wish you well Jock with your decision.

The residency rule is actually straightforward AFAIK.  To claim the pension, you must be resident in Australia at the time you claim.  Also, you must EITHER have been resident in Australia for 2 years before that date, OR you must remain resident in Australia for 2 years after that date.

I m not aware of any exceptions based on how long you’ve been away or anything else for that matter

Edited April 24, 2020 by Marisawright

[AliQ]

6 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Jock - I don't know if it helps, but if you move to almost any European country, you'll be able to claim your Australian pension no bother.  It's only in the UK that you can't get it (crazy, I know).  So you could plan to retire in Crete or Benidorm or the Greek Islands and you'll be all set. 

Hi Marisawright, my husband gets paid his Australian Pension here in the UK, has there been a recent change that we're unaware of please ?

 

[Marisawright]

41 minutes ago, AliQ said:

Hi Marisawright, my husband gets paid his Australian Pension here in the UK, has there been a recent change that we're unaware of please ?

 

When did he start receiving it and had you been living in Australia for 2 years before or after he claimed?

Once you have fulfilled the residency requirement, then you can leave Australia and continue to receive the aged pension indefinitely.

Edited April 24, 2020 by Marisawright

[AliQ]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

When did he start receiving it and had you been living in Australia for 2 years before or after he claimed?

Once you have fulfilled the residency requirement, then you can leave Australia and continue to receive the aged pension indefinitely.

Thanks Marisawright, yes, we lived in Aus for 28 years before claiming and claimed whilst still living there. I got myself confused reading this thread !
Must be the sun as it's out here in the UK today !

[starlight7]

You don't automatically get an Australian pension because it is means tested. If you have worked in Britain you will have to apply for a British pension before they will give you an Australian one and then they subtract what you get from Britain from it. We found we couldn't get an Australian pension at all, even though we had both worked here for dozens of years. Still, we get approximately $10 a week from Britain  which never varies and never will, so we should be content!

[Jock]

Let me give you a heads up on the diplomatic relationship between OZ and the UK, there is none!!!!!!

In 2001 both countries had a wee tiff, and both have the same agreement, which is : I will not receive an Australian STATE pension if I continue to live in the UK after pension age, I can, however live in other European  countries, like Ireland where  both my parents are from, and claim my Oz pension, and I think that's what I might do.

And I might become an Irish citizen in the process

[Marisawright]

7 hours ago, Jock said:

: I will not receive an Australian STATE pension if I continue to live in the UK after pension age, I can, however live in other European  countries, like Ireland where  both my parents are from, and claim my Oz pension, and I think that's what I might do.

And I might become an Irish citizen in the process

Yes, that's what I said.  

[AliQ]

On 25/04/2020 at 17:27, Jock said:

Let me give you a heads up on the diplomatic relationship between OZ and the UK, there is none!!!!!!

In 2001 both countries had a wee tiff, and both have the same agreement, which is : I will not receive an Australian STATE pension if I continue to live in the UK after pension age, I can, however live in other European  countries, like Ireland where  both my parents are from, and claim my Oz pension, and I think that's what I might do.

And I might become an Irish citizen in the process

Don't choose France. You can not get an Australian Pension if you decide to live in France. 

[AliQ]

1 hour ago, AliQ said:

Don't choose France. You can not get an Australian Pension if you decide to live in France. 

Forgot to add, if you claim your Aussie pension whilst living IN Australia, THEN move to France, then yes you can receive your pension in France, but it will be paid at a reduced rate.

[Marisawright]

10 hours ago, AliQ said:

Don't choose France. You can not get an Australian Pension if you decide to live in France. 

Are you sure? I thought they had an agreement same as Italy and Spain 

[Toots]

3 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Are you sure? I thought they had an agreement same as Italy and Spain 

I'm surprised too but France isn't on the 'list'.

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/international-social-security-agreements/which-countries-have-agreements-us

[MARYROSE02]

On 25/04/2020 at 23:09, starlight7 said:

You don't automatically get an Australian pension because it is means tested. If you have worked in Britain you will have to apply for a British pension before they will give you an Australian one and then they subtract what you get from Britain from it. We found we couldn't get an Australian pension at all, even though we had both worked here for dozens of years. Still, we get approximately $10 a week from Britain  which never varies and never will, so we should be content!

That's what I thought about the Aussie State Pension, i.e. it is means tested so all your other income and assets will be totted up and you either get a part pension or none?

I am 66 and I did start to apply on line for the Aussie pension but gave up as I totalled my income and assets.

The UK pension is not means tested but living in OZ means it is "frozen" with no cost of living increases.

Other pensions / super is not affected regardless of where you live and I get both UK and OZ employer pensions. The only thing that affects them is the FX rate.

I went back to England for 12 years in 1996, just for a holiday to see my parents after losing my job. I could have stayed for good but once my parents passed I thought I would be better off in OZ as I have two brothers here.

As long as you have citizenship or permanent residency, and if you have no family commitments you can do what you like.

So for Jock(?) see how you feel. My experience of going from one country to another to "live" as opposed to on holidays is that it takes time to settle.

I've not been back for 11 years now after multiple back and forth. I don't want to go through the unsettled part again nor build another network of friends.

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by MARYROSE02

[Marisawright]

28 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said:

That's what I thought about the Aussie State Pension, i.e. it is means tested so all your other income and assets will be totted up and you either get a part pension or none?

Yes, it is means tested.   The thing is, though, you never know if the money in your super fund is going to last as long as you do.  When your super starts to run low, you'll be able to claim the pension to keep you going.   

Jock's problem is that he's living in the UK at the moment.  So even though he's an Australian citizen, he can't claim the Australian pension, even if he's eligible.  You have to be legally resident in Australia to do that, or legally resident in a country that has a special agreement with Australia.