Tiggs+Graz

Hi all
can anyone point me in the direction of a good website that gives info on pension entitlements for PR visa holders?
Karma in it for you!!

Ta
Tiggs

MartinLuther

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/interne...ge_pension.htm

The main thing for migrants is that you have to be here 10 years before you are eligible.

Tiggs+Graz

ta very much
I knew about the 10 years but couldn't remember the details (for some reason my parents think that i can answer all australian based questions!!! )

K on the way!!

Tiggs+Graz

Hmm - still missing some details...

if you are retired and recieving a uk pension and you move to Oz on a PR visa (contributory parents) and you live in Oz for 10 years (but don't work) do you then qualify (assets nowithstanding) for an Australian pension?
what happens if you take Australian citizenship in the meantime?
What happens to your uk pension?

Tiggs

MartinLuther

Sorry - this is a bit advanced for me - but I think the UK pension counts as income against the income test and can reduce what you get.

I don't think work is a requirement to get the pension in Aus.

I don't think the citizenship affects the 10 year requirement.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Pollyana

The Aus state pension is means tested, and everything counts against it, including savings and UK income/pensions

MartinLuther

It might come as a surprise to some, but in the reverse situation the UK pension would also be means-tested

Tiggs+Graz

Thanks for the replies.
So if i am following this right ...

you move to oz and take your uk state pension with you (which is 'frozen' at the amount you are getting when you leave the uk i.e. you do not get any of the increases that the pensioners back in the uk get while you are away)

you live in oz for 10 years and then you become eligible for an australian pension which is means tested.

you still recieve your uk penison and if appropriate this is 'topped up' by the oz pension.


I should think that if your uk pension has not been increased for 10 years that it should be farily substantially below the threashold for the oz pension when you become eligible - i can probably take a rough estimate of this looking back over the figures for the last 10 years.

also is the whole if the australian pension means tested? - what i mean is that in the uk everyone gets a 'basic' pension and then are means tested for pension credit. Do they take into account 'assets' or just money savings etc?

hmm - why do these things have to be so complicated?!

MartinLuther

Sounds about right. The whole of the Aus pension is means tested (on both income and assets). Everything except your home is considered an asset - so buy a cheap car and an expensive home.

Tiggs+Graz

thanks for the help

FRAYNE

Hi there now I am not that clued up on the pension system yet so just humour me I am in my 50 and was going to carry on paying my national insurance so will my pension be frozen when I leave the UK or when I reach 60 if it is when I leave the UK and not when I reach 60 then there is no point in me carrying on paying contributions for the next 7 years is there or am I missing something
Janet

Tiggs+Graz

sorry don't know the answer to this one but it is actually a very valid question. I would think that your pension rate would be fixed at the point when you reach pensionable age (i.e. when you would be due your first payment if you were resident in the uk) but you would definitely need to check this!

MartinLuther

It's fixed when it starts paying out - not when you leave the UK.

You're lucky to get it at 60. My mum had to wait till she was 65 because my dad was younger than her. Apparently married women over 60 (but under 65) don't get the pension unless their husband is over 65.

supersonic4

So say you leave Uk for 15 years ,get UK pension in Aust,then if you came back to UK ,would it then go up to the current rate? or would you have to be here for a certain time?
Cheers
Lorri

Tiggs+Graz

Hi Lorrie
I think that if you came back to the uk to live as a RESIDENT then your pension would increase to the current rate (plus you would again be able to apply for the means tested pension credit etc that you don't get if you are offshore).
But you may have to convince the pensions department that you were back in the uk as a permanent resident. If they thought that you had just come back to top up your pension and then head back to oz i believe that they can alter your payments accordingly.