Catlady2014 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 I get a Queensland Seniors Card, which gives subsidised travel on public transport. I got something similar in the UK. I will never get an Australian pension (at least I don't think I will, as I believe it's means tested) but that's ok - I get my British State pension (although it's frozen at the rate when I left the UK). I do have to pay for prescriptions - these were free in the UK - but it's not a big deal. I will be happy to get back my AoS bond in 10 years time - if I die before then, my daughter can spend it as she thinks fit. So I'm not much worse off than I was in the UK and I'm perfectly content with that. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenses Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 (edited) Hi Tulip, As a tax payer totally agree on the 10 year wait for pension. What I was trying to say is that do you have to wait 10 years for the concession card, ie you don't get the concession card until you are eligible to pension. My parents will be unlikely to be around for the pension and $100K is a lot of money so I'm trying to advise them whether to go for contributory or stick it out in the queue for non contributory visa (they will never get!). Edited June 6, 2018 by Lenses 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 (edited) https://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/benefits-and-payments/older-australians/seniors-card The above is for all over 60s https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card You can’t get the Senior health card until you have aged pension which is granted because of low income and obviously you can’t claim aged pension for 10 years. So yes you have to wait 10 years AND be on low enough income to get the aged pension which then gives you the card. To to be honest people really have to be able to support themselves in old age as far as Australia is concerned - this is why there’s a lot of anti parent immigration feelings at present so people shouldn't expect to go over and claim benefits Edited June 6, 2018 by LindaH27 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 (edited) Posted twice after editing /- sorry Edited June 6, 2018 by LindaH27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 39 minutes ago, LindaH27 said: https://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/benefits-and-payments/older-australians/seniors-card The above is for all over 60s https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card You can’t get the Senior health card until you have aged pension which is granted because of low income and obviously you can’t claim aged pension for 10 years. So yes you have to wait 10 years AND be on low enough income to get the aged pension which then gives you the card. To to be honest people really have to be able to support themselves in old age as far as Australia is concerned - this is why there’s a lot of anti parent immigration feelings at present so people shouldn't expect to go over and claim benefits There are always some people with an eye to the main chance - but I doubt there are many expecting to come over to Australia and claim benefits. On the other hand, most people want to know how their new country functions and what help - if any - would ultimately be available if the need arose. I'm a bit puzzled by your comment about anti parent feeling. I'm in NSW and have met with nothing but kindness and enthusiasm so far = how do people know you've come over on a parent visa anyway? Most people I've met have assumed I've been here donkeys years and just never lost the accent. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Lenses said: Hi Tulip, As a tax payer totally agree on the 10 year wait for pension. What I was trying to say is that do you have to wait 10 years for the concession card, ie you don't get the concession card until you are eligible to pension. My parents will be unlikely to be around for the pension and $100K is a lot of money so I'm trying to advise them whether to go for contributory or stick it out in the queue for non contributory visa (they will never get!). I see, makes sense now. If they are elderly, and it sounds like they may be from what you said then can they not do the aged visa onshore? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Anti parent immigration feelings are strong within the government and within a certain section of the Australian public - you’ve only got to see some of the comments on Nick McKims Facebook page when they overturned the AOS changes! I’ve also seen comments on online newspaper articles. They are not not personal attacks against any one person it’s just the posters railing against perceived costs to taxpayer etc Having said that in my annual 3 month visits for the last 12-13 years like you I’ve met nothing but kindness ! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 1 hour ago, LindaH27 said: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card You can’t get the Senior health card until you have aged pension which is granted because of low income and obviously you can’t claim aged pension for 10 years. So yes you have to wait 10 years AND be on low enough income to get the aged pension which then gives you the card. This is not true. You get the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card if you are of pension age but do NOT get an Aged pension. This card was designed for self-funded retirees - to give them some of the benefits that pensioners get. Please read your own link. It states: unable to get a payment from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs There is an income test but your income can be much higher than that which disqualifies you for an Aged Pension. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 You can currently apply for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card when you have been in Australia for 2 years permanently and meet the income requirements. They now want to change this to 4 years. In addition some doctors will bulk bill holders of the CSHC as ours does so we do not pay for doctor's visits. Also in Queensland this card gives us access to the public dental system, so we do not have to pay for basic dental treatment. States and utilities companies vary in what concessions you can access with this card. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 1 hour ago, LindaH27 said: Anti parent immigration feelings are strong within the government and within a certain section of the Australian public - you’ve only got to see some of the comments on Nick McKims Facebook page when they overturned the AOS changes! I’ve also seen comments on online newspaper articles. They are not not personal attacks against any one person it’s just the posters railing against perceived costs to taxpayer etc Having said that in my annual 3 month visits for the last 12-13 years like you I’ve met nothing but kindness ! There is generally a bit of anti immigration feeling at the moment, but most of it is due to the wrong impression that immigrants just walk into the country. Hardly anyone I know apart from the few who have had a family member involved in applying has a clue how hard it is or what is involved. To be honest most seem to confuse refugees with immigrants who have to apply for a visa. If as some posters say the government is so anti parents coming here, then it doesn't make sense that they have made a pathway available for the people on the 410/405 visas as they are all elderly so potentially expensive. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Thanks very much for letting me know about that. I did look again at the website but couldn’t see anything about self funded having higher income assessment levels. Could you point me to the right place please ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 6 hours ago, Fisher1 said: Please excuse me if I'm mistaken but as I understand it, there are two different cards available to pensioners. One is the commonwealth seniors' card and the other is the pensioners' card. The commonwealth seniors' card entitles you to various discounts that (in my opinion) are easy to live without. In New South Wales it entitles you to a Gold Opal card - which caps your costs on Public transport (train, bus and ferry) to $2.50 per day. A fantastic perk which enables us to travel far and wide without a second thought. Possibly there are similar schemes in other states? The pensioners' card is different - it only goes to people receiving the state pension, which is a benefit paid to those on a low income. The pensioners' card gives discounts on (I believe) important living expenses such as power. This Australian state pension is the one you can't apply for until you've been in the country for ten years. NSW seniors card might be different to ours in QLD, the discounts are certainly worth having here. We get Discount on electricity bills, rates and water bills, plus 10% off in all sorts of shops. Well worth having in QLD. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 (edited) @ramot I’m guessing that perhaps it’s because the govt know/think self funded retirees have/will have sufficient income/savings to pay for aged care in the future? But I don’t know financial requirement for self funded visas and I dont know how much Medicare funds towards aged care. Perhaps it’s like UK where you end up using all your assets until a very low level remains? Also self funders are already in Australia and by using up some of the 143 places the govt could argue that they are in effect cutting migration levels as well??? Edited June 6, 2018 by LindaH27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 3 minutes ago, LindaH27 said: @ramot I’m guessing that perhaps it’s because the govt know/think self funded retirees have/will have sufficient income/savings to pay for aged care in the future? But I don’t know financial requirement for self funded visas and I dont know how much Medicare funds towards aged care. Perhaps it’s like UK where you end up using all your assets until a very low level remains? Costs a fortune here to go into care as far as I Know, you have to put down in many cases $500,000, then pay weekly. Like others am burying my head in the sand, and hoping home care will suffice!!! We have a wonderful local organisation Cittamani locally that provide amazing care and help to keep you in your home when seriously ill. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catlady2014 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 10 minutes ago, ramot said: NSW seniors card might be different to ours in QLD, the discounts are certainly worth having here. We get Discount on electricity bills, rates and water bills, plus 10% off in all sorts of shops. Well worth having in QLD. I have the Queensland Seniors Card. I live with my daughter and family and we're extending their house to give me my own space, so I can't get the utilities discounts as I'm not the householder or bill payer. I've tried getting discounts in shops but none of them advertise a discount for cardholders and most say no when asked, although a lot of coffee shops do give a discount. And I discovered that cardholders can claim a decent discount on car rego, which I had already paid at full rate, so I applied for a refund and was pleasantly surprised. And of course, there are subsidised fares on public transport too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieRoo Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Can you get discount on wine? 1 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 48 minutes ago, LindaH27 said: Thanks very much for letting me know about that. I did look again at the website but couldn’t see anything about self funded having higher income assessment levels. Could you point me to the right place please ? Are you referring to my post? When I talk about self-funded retirees I mean all Australian residents who are retired and who don't get the Aged Pension because their income is too high. I'm not referring to people migrating here under any particular visa. My husband and I are Australian citizens and self-funded retirees and we've lived in Australia for over 40 years. My husband has a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. To get a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (amongst other criteria) you currently need to earn under $86,076 a year if you are a couple. (https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/eligibility/income-test ) To get any amount of Aged Pension (amongst other criteria) you currently need to earn under $78936 a year ($3036 a fortnight) if you are a couple. To get a full Aged Pension you need to earn under $7800 a year ($300 a fortnight). https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension/eligibility-payment-rates/income-test-pensions 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 @NickyNookThank you for that. Its really helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber Snowball Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 54 minutes ago, ramot said: Costs a fortune here to go into care as far as I Know, you have to put down in many cases $500,000, then pay weekly. Like others am burying my head in the sand, and hoping home care will suffice!!! We have a wonderful local organisation Cittamani locally that provide amazing care and help to keep you in your home when seriously ill. There are a number of ways that resi care can be paid for. A bond as you have mentioned and a daily care fee, or a bond and the care fee is taken from that lump sum if you don’t have enough income. Or for those with no assets, the option of a concession bed, which has no bond but they will take 85% of your aged pension. This is a very simplistic overview of a complex issue and there are a number of different permutations. A whole financial advice sector has sprung up since the new funding came in in 2014, says it all! Not many people go into a facility unless they have to. About 8% of over 85s are in aged care, the rest are at home. The average time spent in a facility is 12 months, so very near the end of life before moving into aged care. The “ traditional “ way for us all to leave this earth is ; live at home with or without help, get sick, go into hospital for 5 days, die. As self funded retirees I would recommend you pay privately for home care and stay away from the Government home care system, as it stands currently. As you sound fit, well and loving life from your posts, stick your head back in the sand and live well! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole Eire Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Still waiting very impatiently. No request for 2nd VAC, despite the previous email from immi telling us the amount that would be requested and that we would have 28 days to pay etc... thank you for your patience. How about all the others from March 2015 - Mikenc Pertenhall?? Anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidang Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 17 minutes ago, Nicole Eire said: Still waiting very impatiently. No request for 2nd VAC, despite the previous email from immi telling us the amount that would be requested and that we would have 28 days to pay etc... thank you for your patience. How about all the others from March 2015 - Mikenc Pertenhall?? Anything? Hi I'm in the same boat lodged in 26/03/2015 . Just had AOS letter in 3 May 2018 and still waiting since there .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikenC Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 24 minutes ago, Nicole Eire said: Still waiting very impatiently. No request for 2nd VAC, despite the previous email from immi telling us the amount that would be requested and that we would have 28 days to pay etc... thank you for your patience. How about all the others from March 2015 - Mikenc Pertenhall?? Anything? No we’re still waiting I’m afraid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palaceboy1 Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 5 hours ago, Lenses said: Hi Tulip, As a tax payer totally agree on the 10 year wait for pension. What I was trying to say is that do you have to wait 10 years for the concession card, ie you don't get the concession card until you are eligible to pension. My parents will be unlikely to be around for the pension and $100K is a lot of money so I'm trying to advise them whether to go for contributory or stick it out in the queue for non contributory visa (they will never get!). What,s there date in the 103 queue ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidang Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 17 minutes ago, Nicole Eire said: Still waiting very impatiently. No request for 2nd VAC, despite the previous email from immi telling us the amount that would be requested and that we would have 28 days to pay etc... thank you for your patience. How about all the others from March 2015 - Mikenc Pertenhall?? Anything? Hi I'm in the same boat lodged in 26/03/2015 . Just had AOS letter in 3 May 2018 and still waiting since there .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryweather Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 2 hours ago, Nicole Eire said: Still waiting very impatiently. No request for 2nd VAC, despite the previous email from immi telling us the amount that would be requested and that we would have 28 days to pay etc... thank you for your patience. How about all the others from March 2015 - Mikenc Pertenhall?? Anything? Our dates are the same - still waiting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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