CFS/ ME citizen but not resident….

[Cakey25]

I am currently living in the UK after moving back here in Nov 2019.

I am a Australian Citizen of roughly 10 years.

Whilst in Australia I was told I had CFS but not sure I have many doctor records about it. Earlier this year after being in denial and managing okish health wise from lockdowns n not being at work I have been really poorly this year and again told I have CFS/ME. I can only manage to work 12-20hours…

now if I want to move back what financial help can I get? Is it even possible?

costs of living in the UK are ridiculous so I wouldn’t be able to afford to move back on my little bit of money to wait 4 years to be able to claim a benefit? 

is there any charities or support or advice I can get?

How can I find out if they consider my time in Australia to a total of 10 years?

thanks for reading, I don’t know how to find out the correct information.

[pob]

If I had health problems I would rather be in the UK than Australia.

Yes, things are going to be crazy in the UK for at least three more years. They have an awful lot to work out.

But if I was in the position where I needed benifits and healthcare I would rather be in the UK.

Sorry.

[Skani]

6 hours ago, Cakey25 said:

I am a Australian Citizen of roughly 10 years.

How can I find out if they consider my time in Australia to a total of 10 years?

I am not quite sure what you mean.  If you were granted official Australian citizenship during your time here you are entitled to the same as any other Australian citizen.

Or do you mean just that you were resident in Australia for 10 years?

I'm not sure how much support is currently offered to CFS/ME sufferers in Australia but you could contact some of the support organisations for information:  

https://www.emerge.org.au/

and a variety of state based support groups listed here:  (I am sure many will have Facebook groups too)

https://mecfs.org.au/related-organisations/

You have my sympathy - I went through this 35+ years ago when there were no support organisations at all.

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, Skani said:

I am not quite sure what you mean.  If you were granted official Australian citizenship during your time here you are entitled to the same as any other Australian citizen.

In terms of Medicare, yes, that's right.  However I think the OP is asking about welfare benefits and perhaps disability support, and I am pretty sure there are residency requirements for those -- it's not enough to be a citizen?

[Ken]

3 hours ago, Marisawright said:

In terms of Medicare, yes, that's right.  However I think the OP is asking about welfare benefits and perhaps disability support, and I am pretty sure there are residency requirements for those -- it's not enough to be a citizen?

Actually it looks as if it is enough to be a citizen. There are "Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Periods" but there are exemptions from those waiting periods for citizens and for refugees.

I've also googled NDIS residency requirements but the only thing it specifically says is that you must live in Australia. Nothing about how long you must have lived in Australia.  

[Cakey25]

8 hours ago, pob said:

If I had health problems I would rather be in the UK than Australia.

Yes, things are going to be crazy in the UK for at least three more years. They have an awful lot to work out.

But if I was in the position where I needed benifits and healthcare I would rather be in the UK.

Sorry.

Are you in the UK now?

I was wondering why would you rather be here?

[Cakey25]

7 hours ago, Skani said:

I am not quite sure what you mean.  If you were granted official Australian citizenship during your time here you are entitled to the same as any other Australian citizen.

Or do you mean just that you were resident in Australia for 10 years?

I'm not sure how much support is currently offered to CFS/ME sufferers in Australia but you could contact some of the support organisations for information:  

https://www.emerge.org.au/

and a variety of state based support groups listed here:  (I am sure many will have Facebook groups too)

https://mecfs.org.au/related-organisations/

You have my sympathy - I went through this 35+ years ago when there were no support organisations at all.

Thank you I will check these links out!

yes I became a Australia citizen in 2014 after moving there as a PR in Jan 2009 but left Nov 2019.

from what I can see to get a disability pension you need to have resided in the country for at least 10 years.

hence I’m not sure if I will qualify and I can’t see what other benefits are available to help as physically I can’t manage to work enough to cover the costs of living.(in either country) as a single person.

[Cakey25]

4 hours ago, Marisawright said:

In terms of Medicare, yes, that's right.  However I think the OP is asking about welfare benefits and perhaps disability support, and I am pretty sure there are residency requirements for those -- it's not enough to be a citizen?

From what I understand no it’s not… seems they changed eligibility rules last year?

[Cakey25]

47 minutes ago, Ken said:

Actually it looks as if it is enough to be a citizen. There are "Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Periods" but there are exemptions from those waiting periods for citizens and for refugees.

I've also googled NDIS residency requirements but the only thing it specifically says is that you must live in Australia. Nothing about how long you must have lived in Australia.  

Hopefully! That would be a huge help!

Id need to move back and try n see if I qualify for any benefits whilst trying to work a little too. 

[Ken]

47 minutes ago, Cakey25 said:

Thank you I will check these links out!

yes I became a Australia citizen in 2014 after moving there as a PR in Jan 2009 but left Nov 2019.

from what I can see to get a disability pension you need to have resided in the country for at least 10 years.

hence I’m not sure if I will qualify and I can’t see what other benefits are available to help as physically I can’t manage to work enough to cover the costs of living.(in either country) as a single person.

Yes, to get the Disability Support Pension there is a requirement to have lived in Australia for at least 10 years but by my calculations Jan 2009 to Nov 2019 is more than 10 years so you appear to have fulfilled that requirement (the "newly arrived resident's waiting period" is a different thing that applies to most Centrelink payments but the DSP and the Age Pension have this 10 year rule). And yes, the period when you had PR but not citizenship does count. Of course there's a whole load of other requirements and you can't apply until after you've moved back to Australia, making it something of a gamble (especially if you were to lose any UK entitlements by moving to Australia).

Edited September 5, 2022 by Ken

[Cakey25]

1 hour ago, Ken said:

Yes, to get the Disability Support Pension there is a requirement to have lived in Australia for at least 10 years but by my calculations Jan 2009 to Nov 2019 is more than 10 years so you appear to have fulfilled that requirement (the "newly arrived resident's waiting period" is a different thing that applies to most Centrelink payments but the DSP and the Age Pension have this 10 year rule). And yes, the period when you had PR but not citizenship does count. Of course there's a whole load of other requirements and you can't apply until after you've moved back to Australia, making it something of a gamble (especially if you were to lose any UK entitlements by moving to Australia).

Yes although in that time I came back to the UK to care for my terminally ill mother between March 2016- Sept 2017..

But I wasn’t working in either country obviously during this time, although I’m sure I submitted my tax return in Australia in these years. Something I can check.

thanks for your time Ken much appreciated, I would lose my benefits within 6 months of leaving the UK.

the costs of living here is nothing short of ridiculous the average energy bill is now meant to be around $7,000 a year!! Petrol is over $3 a litre and I thought food was expensive in WA… not anymore!

I appreciate the benefits system here as I do the NHS but it’s not possible to live off $700 a month… I’m still waiting for appointments and actual payments of benefits. One benefit has a 22 week wait! My CFS/ME clinic appointment has an 18 week wait.. my friends hip operation.. 2 years! Soon there will be no NHS.

everything is such a struggle just trying to maintain my health without getting too stressed with one thing and another. I am not sure where I am better off. I came home to be close to my siblings but since I’ve been back employment & wages is awful too.. 

Sorry feeling sorry for myself…thanks for reading

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Cakey25

[Ken]

4 hours ago, Cakey25 said:

Yes although in that time I came back to the UK to care for my terminally ill mother between March 2016- Sept 2017..

But I wasn’t working in either country obviously during this time, although I’m sure I submitted my tax return in Australia in these years. Something I can check.

thanks for your time Ken much appreciated, I would lose my benefits within 6 months of leaving the UK.

the costs of living here is nothing short of ridiculous the average energy bill is now meant to be around $7,000 a year!! Petrol is over $3 a litre and I thought food was expensive in WA… not anymore!

I appreciate the benefits system here as I do the NHS but it’s not possible to live off $700 a month… I’m still waiting for appointments and actual payments of benefits. One benefit has a 22 week wait! My CFS/ME clinic appointment has an 18 week wait.. my friends hip operation.. 2 years! Soon there will be no NHS.

everything is such a struggle just trying to maintain my health without getting too stressed with one thing and another. I am not sure where I am better off. I came home to be close to my siblings but since I’ve been back employment & wages is awful too.. 

Sorry feeling sorry for myself…thanks for reading

 

If that was the only period you were out of Australia it still looks to me as if you've exceeded "a total of 10 years with no break in residence for at least 5 of those years" which is the requirement for anyone who hasn't been resident for at least 10 years in a row - and that's only if they do treat your absence for those months as not being resident.