Thinking of moving back to Uk

[Home and Happy]

On 10/02/2021 at 04:27, Fergie said:

the NHS when we get old

 

    .  

Yes the NHS, the state pension and free bus travel....plus your right in the middle of the world,  It’s great back here !

[Fergie]

Maryrose02 

sorry I didn’t reply to your earlier post about tamborine mountain. It’s the closest thing to England I’ve found here, you mentioned doing lots of walking, I love walking to and from a young age always fancied myself as a rambler as I got older. 
I walk round the mountain most days I don’t work, it’s beautiful, it’s 5 degrees cooler than the gold coast, so more bearable, you can walk to the shops, especially if you live in north tamborine, there are lots of coffee shops, a pub, restaurants , IGA etc all there , I live in Eagle heights and I have a few shops near me, but north tamborine better for that. You do need a car though for driving down the mountain ( if you want to) we are very well serviced up here with Dr’s, dentist, etc 

I found it fills some of the things I miss about Uk. If you come up for a visit , come up on a week day , go to north tamborine and have a little walk round. Keep away from gallery walk( the glitter strip) where all the tourists go. And I’m sure you’ll see that’s it’s quite a unique little place and quite beautiful.  

[ramot]

On 01/03/2021 at 15:37, Quoll said:

LOL my second son did that - went to UK at 18 or 19, going to stay forever.  Arrived in June, home just after the New Year and then he said he was never going back, Australia was the best place on earth blah blah.  Now he says he would kill to go back there ever since he had a holiday in 2016 and we travelled about a lot.  Unfortunately for him he's got two kids whose mother wouldnt let them leave the country although both have said they would like to live in UK because of the weather.  You never can tell can you.

Different families have different experiences.

I have three children, 2 boys, 1 daughter. As some posters know, due to my husband’s job, we lived in Brunei for 10 years, leaving our children in UK for their education. They joined us for their holidays. My husband and I then retired to Australia. Our two younger children couldn’t settle in UK, they missed the climate of a warmer country, plus much more than that. They both followed us to Australia and say they will never go back. Our oldest married someone who had never travelled more than a few hundred miles from her home for university. They will never leave UK. All 3 have made their own individual decisions about the life that suits them best, they don’t criticise each other’s countries.

I can sort of compare  the lifestyle of both my son’s, if you think it’s a fair comparison of Brisbane to Bristol. My UK son has a slightly more high powered job, pre covid travelled to London 3 times a week, 2 days WFH. Both earn almost the same salary. Bristol home, a  suburb, just out of central Bristol, a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom 1930’s semi, front lounge, extended kitchen and dining room joined by archway,  the 4th bedroom a Loft extension, small bedroom only good for a cot, small back garden, garage too small for modern car, so both cars parked in front forecourt. On a fairly busy road. Approximately value 650,000pds

Brisbane son, suburb 30 minutes from central Brisbane, 4 bedroom house all a good size, 2 bathrooms, double garage, good size block, and garden, large kitchen dining family room, plus very large extra lounge. On a quiet cul-de-sac. Approximate value $700,000.

No idea if anyone will find this interesting, but there are posts saying one country is better than the other, it’s actually irrelevant if you are happy living where you are, which all 3 of mine are.

Edited March 3, 2021 by ramot

[ramot]

2 hours ago, Fergie said:

Maryrose02 

sorry I didn’t reply to your earlier post about tamborine mountain. It’s the closest thing to England I’ve found here, you mentioned doing lots of walking, I love walking to and from a young age always fancied myself as a rambler as I got older. 
I walk round the mountain most days I don’t work, it’s beautiful, it’s 5 degrees cooler than the gold coast, so more bearable, you can walk to the shops, especially if you live in north tamborine, there are lots of coffee shops, a pub, restaurants , IGA etc all there , I live in Eagle heights and I have a few shops near me, but north tamborine better for that. You do need a car though for driving down the mountain ( if you want to) we are very well serviced up here with Dr’s, dentist, etc 

I found it fills some of the things I miss about Uk. If you come up for a visit , come up on a week day , go to north tamborine and have a little walk round. Keep away from gallery walk( the glitter strip) where all the tourists go. And I’m sure you’ll see that’s it’s quite a unique little place and quite beautiful.  

It’s a lovely area, luckily have friends there, and enjoy visiting there.

[MARYROSE02]

11 hours ago, Home and Happy said:

Yes the NHS, the state pension and free bus travel....plus your right in the middle of the world,  It’s great back here !

I wouldn't say any of those things are better than in the UK and it's the middle of the northern hemisphere not the middle of the world. Unless things have changed, GPs mostly work Monday to Friday whereas here they work seven days a week at least in the urban centres and $2.50 to travel on buses and trains and trams is hardly onerous. You pay for your state pension via NI whereas you pay for your pension via super and if you don't have any assets or super then you qualify for the Centrelink pension which is paid by the state

[MARYROSE02]

4 hours ago, Fergie said:

Maryrose02 

sorry I didn’t reply to your earlier post about tamborine mountain. It’s the closest thing to England I’ve found here, you mentioned doing lots of walking, I love walking to and from a young age always fancied myself as a rambler as I got older. 
I walk round the mountain most days I don’t work, it’s beautiful, it’s 5 degrees cooler than the gold coast, so more bearable, you can walk to the shops, especially if you live in north tamborine, there are lots of coffee shops, a pub, restaurants , IGA etc all there , I live in Eagle heights and I have a few shops near me, but north tamborine better for that. You do need a car though for driving down the mountain ( if you want to) we are very well serviced up here with Dr’s, dentist, etc 

I found it fills some of the things I miss about Uk. If you come up for a visit , come up on a week day , go to north tamborine and have a little walk round. Keep away from gallery walk( the glitter strip) where all the tourists go. And I’m sure you’ll see that’s it’s quite a unique little place and quite beautiful.  

Thanks, I asked my brother yesterday if he'd been up there and he said "no."  I know I have been there before, maybe in 1985 when I came up with my Mum to stay in Tweed Heads and we had a hire car for a week. It sounds like somewhere to stay for a few days rather than a day trip. I remember reading about an English style pub up there or near there?

My brother is talking about moving on somewhere at the end of March and If I stay for a while I might hire a car. Mostly I've been happy to stick to Surfers itself and occasional rides on the tram. We are going to Northcliff Surf Club tonight so will probably get the tram there - two stops - then walk a few hundred metres and walk back to Surfers later.

I imagine there is probably a local rambling, sorry, bush walking group? I've not done that for a long while. I was in the Ramblers in England and bushwalking groups in Sydney.

I'm not sure what I'll do if my brother moves on. I think he's planning a trip north with my other brother which I could join them on. Or, I'll stay and see how I get on living on my own here and see if that "pushes" me back to Sydney.

[Paul1Perth]

4 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I wouldn't say any of those things are better than in the UK and it's the middle of the northern hemisphere not the middle of the world. Unless things have changed, GPs mostly work Monday to Friday whereas here they work seven days a week at least in the urban centres and $2.50 to travel on buses and trains and trams is hardly onerous. You pay for your state pension via NI whereas you pay for your pension via super and if you don't have any assets or super then you qualify for the Centrelink pension which is paid by the state

And if you've lived and worked in the UK you get your state pension here, my wife gets her NHS one, I get my NCB and a Ferranti pensions plus my super from work here. Medicare is not far off equivalent to the NHS, probably better in Perth than the NHS in busy areas of the UK. 

Free bus travel, train and ferry, tick.

[Tulip1]

4 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I wouldn't say any of those things are better than in the UK and it's the middle of the northern hemisphere not the middle of the world. Unless things have changed, GPs mostly work Monday to Friday whereas here they work seven days a week at least in the urban centres and $2.50 to travel on buses and trains and trams is hardly onerous. You pay for your state pension via NI whereas you pay for your pension via super and if you don't have any assets or super then you qualify for the Centrelink pension which is paid by the state

NI contributions go into the pot that dishes out the state pension but similar to the situation there, if you’ve never paid a penny in NI contributions, you still get state pension. You get more if you’ve paid lots of NI but the state still pay you regardless. The transport is very cheap in Australia, that’s something I’ve noticed. Buses here are quite expensive. $2.50 a day is very good but not quite as good as free. The NHS is wonderful for your peace of mind.   To know for your entire life you never have to pay for any medical help you ever need is an incredible gift I think. There’s many in the world who would give anything for that.  You’re right that GP practises only open Monday to Friday but that doesn’t mean you can’t see a GP if you need one. Only some weeks ago my son came over very unwell in the early morning on a Saturday which never happens with him.  I ended up ringing 111 which is the NHS assessment line. They asked some questions, said a doctor would ring us back soon. The phone went ten minutes later and the doctor asked more questions. Within half an hour he had an appointment with an out of hours GP. Had to drive 5 miles to the centre and he was seen within minutes of turning up, fantastic service.  

[Tulip1]

29 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

And if you've lived and worked in the UK you get your state pension here, my wife gets her NHS one, I get my NCB and a Ferranti pensions plus my super from work here. Medicare is not far off equivalent to the NHS, probably better in Perth than the NHS in busy areas of the UK. 

Free bus travel, train and ferry, tick.

You’d get some state pension there even if you’d never worked a day in the UK but it would be a lower amount. How come you get free travel but Maryrose doesn’t?

Edited March 3, 2021 by Tulip1

[Marisawright]

37 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

NI contributions go into the pot that dishes out the state pension but similar to the situation there, if you’ve never paid a penny in NI contributions, you still get state pension..... $2.50 a day is very good but not quite as good as free. The NHS is wonderful for your peace of mind.   To know for your entire life you never have to pay for any medical help you ever need is an incredible gift I think. 

The Australian state pension is not connected to your working life either.  As long as you've lived in Australia for 10 years or more, you're entitled.  However, it's means-tested, so you only get it if you need it.   If you've got enough money to support yourself, you don't get it - and I think that's fair enough.  If you do need it, the maximum Australian pension is more generous than the British one.  

Each state is different when it comes to fares on public transport.

As for NHS vs Medicare, the big difference is that dental and optical aren't covered by Medicare (although there are dental hospitals).  Otherwise, it is possible to be fully covered by Medicare for all your health needs.  You just need to be more educated about what you're entitled to, unlike in the UK where it all happens automatically. Prescriptions aren't free for pensioners, but are only $5 a pop if you apply for a Commonwealth Health Card.  Australians are so used to accessing private health care to avoid waiting lists, that GP's will often refer you to a private specialist without even asking (it happened to me a few times).  I've come across at least one pensioner on these forums who didn't even know they had a right to ask to be referred to the public system, and had been fretting about affording a private specialist. 

[tea4too]

57 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

You’d get some state pension there even if you’d never worked a day in the UK but it would be a lower amount. How come you get free travel but Maryrose doesn’t?

Not sure if I've misunderstood your post,  but there is no automatic right to a UK Retirement Pension. You need to pay NI contributions to qualify or alternatively have been awarded NI credits as a consequence of being in receipt of certain other state benefits. 

People who have no NI contributions or a very low amount can claim Pension Credit, but this is a means tested benefit and subject to the habitual residence tests as eligibility depends on living in the UK. T x 

[FirstWorldProblems]

You need 35 qualifying years of NI contributions for the full UK pension and a minimum of 10.

If you have fewer than 35 years' worth, you'll get an amount based on the number of years you have paid or been credited with National Insurance contributions.

• Divide the weekly pension amount by 35 and multiply by the number of qualifying years
• You can make class 3 voluntary contributions to top up the gap

If you retire abroad

• You can claim State Pension abroad if you’ve paid enough UK National Insurance contributions to qualify
• You will not get yearly increases
• Your pension will go up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK

In 2020 the full state pension was £135.25 a week per person

[ramot]

33 minutes ago, FirstWorldProblems said:

You need 35 qualifying years of NI contributions for the full UK pension and a minimum of 10.

If you have fewer than 35 years' worth, you'll get an amount based on the number of years you have paid or been credited with National Insurance contributions.

• Divide the weekly pension amount by 35 and multiply by the number of qualifying years
• You can make class 3 voluntary contributions to top up the gap

If you retire abroad

• You can claim State Pension abroad if you’ve paid enough UK National Insurance contributions to qualify
• You will not get yearly increases
• Your pension will go up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK

In 2020 the full state pension was £135.25 a week per person

 

Apart from the above, I didn’t work after I married, so apart from the few years I had worked, I was granted an extra 17 years for child rearing, which bumped up my state pension.

Your pension is also increased if you return to UK on holiday. You inform the appropriate department, and you receive the amount you would receive had you not left the country. On your return to Australia it reverts back to the original frozen amount. Pre covid we went to UK most years for about 3 months, so we always made sure we received the extra while there.

The UK pension isn’t frozen for retirees in every country, for instance it is frozen in Canada but not the USA.

[tea4too]

1 hour ago, tea4too said:

Not sure if I've misunderstood your post,  but there is no automatic right to a UK Retirement Pension. You need to pay NI contributions to qualify or alternatively have been awarded NI credits as a consequence of being in receipt of certain other state benefits. 

 

23 minutes ago, ramot said:

Apart from the above, I didn’t work after I married, so apart from the few years I had worked, I was granted an extra 17 years for child rearing, which bumped up my state pension.

Child Benefit, or Family Allowance as it was formerly known, is just one of the state benefits that automatically credits a recipient with NI contributions. But there are a number of situations where it's necessary to apply for credits, so it's worth people checking the government website if in doubt. Tx

[Paul1Perth]

3 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

You’d get some state pension there even if you’d never worked a day in the UK but it would be a lower amount. How come you get free travel but Maryrose doesn’t?

Can't speak for Maryrose, maybe he doesn't have a seniors card, maybe Queenslands rules are different. I only know that here, out of rush hour morning and evening, trains, busses and ferries are free with a seniors card.

 

[Paul1Perth]

3 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

NI contributions go into the pot that dishes out the state pension but similar to the situation there, if you’ve never paid a penny in NI contributions, you still get state pension. You get more if you’ve paid lots of NI but the state still pay you regardless. The transport is very cheap in Australia, that’s something I’ve noticed. Buses here are quite expensive. $2.50 a day is very good but not quite as good as free. The NHS is wonderful for your peace of mind.   To know for your entire life you never have to pay for any medical help you ever need is an incredible gift I think. There’s many in the world who would give anything for that.  You’re right that GP practises only open Monday to Friday but that doesn’t mean you can’t see a GP if you need one. Only some weeks ago my son came over very unwell in the early morning on a Saturday which never happens with him.  I ended up ringing 111 which is the NHS assessment line. They asked some questions, said a doctor would ring us back soon. The phone went ten minutes later and the doctor asked more questions. Within half an hour he had an appointment with an out of hours GP. Had to drive 5 miles to the centre and he was seen within minutes of turning up, fantastic service.  

Sadly the NHS does not mean you will never have to pay for anything your whole life. My Dad had a bad knee due to a work injury for years. It eventually buggered his hip up. He was on a waiting list for hip and knee replacement but the pain drove him to pay privately. God knows what the waiting times would be in London and other big cities.

 

[MARYROSE02]

6 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

And if you've lived and worked in the UK you get your state pension here, my wife gets her NHS one, I get my NCB and a Ferranti pensions plus my super from work here. Medicare is not far off equivalent to the NHS, probably better in Perth than the NHS in busy areas of the UK. 

Free bus travel, train and ferry, tick.

Free bus, train and ferry? How come? I have my Seniors' card which means $2.50 max in NSW and QLD but not free? Yes, I get my UK state pension, albeit "frozen" and my Royal Mail pension "unfrozen" i.e. I get cost of living increases.

So far as I can tell, there is little difference between the NHS and Aussie public hospital and medical systems.  If you need an op and you don't want to go private then you have to wait in both countries?

[MARYROSE02]

6 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

You’d get some state pension there even if you’d never worked a day in the UK but it would be a lower amount. How come you get free travel but Maryrose doesn’t?

Perhaps travel is free once you get to Centrelink pension age AND you pass the means testing for the pension, and in turn, other benefits? Once I turned 60 I got my Senior's Card which entitled me to $2.50 max travel in NSW and QLD.

[Tulip1]

8 hours ago, tea4too said:

Not sure if I've misunderstood your post,  but there is no automatic right to a UK Retirement Pension. You need to pay NI contributions to qualify or alternatively have been awarded NI credits as a consequence of being in receipt of certain other state benefits. 

People who have no NI contributions or a very low amount can claim Pension Credit, but this is a means tested benefit and subject to the habitual residence tests as eligibility depends on living in the UK. T x 

There are many older ladies for example that have never worked but they get state pension. The rules have changed over recent years but these ladies can get it because their husband worked.  Many women not as old have also never worked but are entitled to some because they raised the kids and claimed child benefit.  I believe others claiming certain other benefits such as carers allowance can also claim state pension.  Pension credit is a top up for state pension if the person is on a low income. Whether some can get that instead I don’t know. It makes sense that if it tops up a low state pension it may well be given to someone who cannot claim any pension.  My comments were off the back of Paul saying you can get your state pension in Oz if you’ve worked in the U.K. There will be many older migrants over there that get a state pension who have not worked, those that fit what I have mentioned above.

[Tulip1]

7 hours ago, ramot said:

 

Apart from the above, I didn’t work after I married, so apart from the few years I had worked, I was granted an extra 17 years for child rearing, which bumped up my state pension.

Your pension is also increased if you return to UK on holiday. You inform the appropriate department, and you receive the amount you would receive had you not left the country. On your return to Australia it reverts back to the original frozen amount. Pre covid we went to UK most years for about 3 months, so we always made sure we received the extra while there.

The UK pension isn’t frozen for retirees in every country, for instance it is frozen in Canada but not the USA.

Your situation is one of the ones I was talking about. Many women didn’t work when they had kids, some never worked. There’s lots of old ladies here today that fit that mould and they definitely get state pension. Working isn’t the only reason you qualify as you’ve said. 

[Tulip1]

7 hours ago, tea4too said:

 

Child Benefit, or Family Allowance as it was formerly known, is just one of the state benefits that automatically credits a recipient with NI contributions. But there are a number of situations where it's necessary to apply for credits, so it's worth people checking the government website if in doubt. Tx

That was my point, you don’t have to have worked to get state pension.  I probably didn’t word it very well and it did sound like I meant absolutely everyone when I said you could get it if you’d never paid a penny in NI contributions but was just making the point that you don’t have to have worked to get state pension.  Those that qualified by other means never themselves personally paid a penny towards it. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Tulip1

[Tulip1]

6 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Can't speak for Maryrose, maybe he doesn't have a seniors card, maybe Queenslands rules are different. I only know that here, out of rush hour morning and evening, trains, busses and ferries are free with a seniors card.

 

 

6 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Sadly the NHS does not mean you will never have to pay for anything your whole life. My Dad had a bad knee due to a work injury for years. It eventually buggered his hip up. He was on a waiting list for hip and knee replacement but the pain drove him to pay privately. God knows what the waiting times would be in London and other big cities.

 

Sadly that sort of thing did happen years ago, people so fed up of waiting they paid for it themselves. My dad was thinking of doing that too but then died suddenly. It’s done a u turn now and if anything is silly fast. They have a target to meet nowadays and go to extreme measures to meet it.  Four years ago my mum had a hip replacement. We thought she’d be in for a long wait but were told their target was 12 weeks for most things these days. It may have been 16 weeks, I can’t remember for sure but very short.  We got a call after a few months offering mum the surgery at a local private hospital. The reason why was because the nhs wouldn’t be able to do it that quick and they needed to meet their targets so the nhs pay for people to go private. Turns out others in that hospital were nhs patients and I’ve since heard it’s quite common practise. My friends dad had a knee replacement last year, again private within a few months so that targets were met. Good for the patient, not good for the budget.  I’ve rarely had to use the nhs myself although one of my sons was a lose cannon as a child and a trip to A&E was a regular occurrence. If there was a possible accident to be had, he’d be first in the queue!  I have only ever had exceptional service, cannot fault anything. My mums health has deteriorated over the last four years and she has received incredible care.  I’m sure Medicare is exceptional too, we are all very lucky.

[Skani]

13 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

 How come you get free travel but Maryrose doesn’t?

They live in different states.  Concessions generally - not just for travel but for utilities, car registration etc. - are legislated by the states so are not standard across the country.

[ramot]

4 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

Your situation is one of the ones I was talking about. Many women didn’t work when they had kids, some never worked. There’s lots of old ladies here today that fit that mould and they definitely get state pension. Working isn’t the only reason you qualify as you’ve said. 

Not sure I like the label ‘old ladies’  bit ageist. You could also argue that bringing up children did qualify as working. My situation as you sweepingly put it, was due to my husband’s work that meant moving at least every 2 years, and weeks away from home, so like many other women in similar situations it was totally impractical to working full time. So there were many reasons why some of us didn’t work, but put our families first. and yes it was hard work. 

[Marisawright]

8 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Perhaps travel is free once you get to Centrelink pension age AND you pass the means testing for the pension, and in turn, other benefits? Once I turned 60 I got my Senior's Card which entitled me to $2.50 max travel in NSW and QLD.

No, it's just that different states have different rules.