pensions in Australia
May 12th 2004 | 7:41 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
pensions in Australia
I do not know how many of you are planning on drawing a UK pension in Australia, do you realise this?? I din'nt until earlier today.
The pensions of more than 450,000 Britons who live abroad will continue to be frozen after a Court of Appeal ruling this week.
Judges rejected a claim by Annette Carson, 62, an author who lives in South Africa, that the Government was discriminating against Britons abroad by refusing to uprate pensions in line with inflation.
The Government has already conceded that it is illogical that pensioners living in Europe and America get the increase while others, such as those in South Africa, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, do not.
About 900,000 pensioners live abroad and fewer than half receive upratings.
The Government claims that it would be too expensive to upgrade all pensions. Had Miss Carson won her case, it would have cost the Government an estimated additional pensions bill of £390 million per year.
She was ordered to pay the costs of the action both in the appeal and High Court and was refused permission to take the case to the Lords.
And this:
One 95-year-old British pensioner, who lives in Australia, receives just £6.75 each week having started to draw his pension in 1972.
I moved back from Australia as I found it to be a dull, boring suburban backwater , suitable for retirement, but not for a younger minded person. Now it seems that even retirement in Australia is a bum deal.
The pensions of more than 450,000 Britons who live abroad will continue to be frozen after a Court of Appeal ruling this week.
Judges rejected a claim by Annette Carson, 62, an author who lives in South Africa, that the Government was discriminating against Britons abroad by refusing to uprate pensions in line with inflation.
The Government has already conceded that it is illogical that pensioners living in Europe and America get the increase while others, such as those in South Africa, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, do not.
About 900,000 pensioners live abroad and fewer than half receive upratings.
The Government claims that it would be too expensive to upgrade all pensions. Had Miss Carson won her case, it would have cost the Government an estimated additional pensions bill of £390 million per year.
She was ordered to pay the costs of the action both in the appeal and High Court and was refused permission to take the case to the Lords.
And this:
One 95-year-old British pensioner, who lives in Australia, receives just £6.75 each week having started to draw his pension in 1972.
I moved back from Australia as I found it to be a dull, boring suburban backwater , suitable for retirement, but not for a younger minded person. Now it seems that even retirement in Australia is a bum deal.
May 12th 2004 | 10:30 am
#3
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 21
From: NSW ex Cheshire
Yes I think most of us were already aware of this. The Court of Appeal decision is being appealed to the House of Lords who will hear the appeal early next year. If the decision is unfavourable I understand that an appeal will then be made to the European Court of Human Rights (were there is the greatest chance of success). So not quite the end of the story yet.
May 12th 2004 | 9:10 pm
#4
Retired
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,646
This only affects the basic state pension - not private or company pensions.
I'm not sure how it affects the SERPS state pension component.
Jeremy
I'm not sure how it affects the SERPS state pension component.
Jeremy
Originally posted by Cestrian
Yes I think most of us were already aware of this. The Court of Appeal decision is being appealed to the House of Lords who will hear the appeal early next year. If the decision is unfavourable I understand that an appeal will then be made to the European Court of Human Rights (were there is the greatest chance of success). So not quite the end of the story yet.
Yes I think most of us were already aware of this. The Court of Appeal decision is being appealed to the House of Lords who will hear the appeal early next year. If the decision is unfavourable I understand that an appeal will then be made to the European Court of Human Rights (were there is the greatest chance of success). So not quite the end of the story yet.
May 12th 2004 | 11:42 pm
#5
Happy Daddy
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,312
From: Dodgey West Midlands , UK
Originally posted by JAJ
This only affects the basic state pension - not private or company pensions.
I'm not sure how it affects the SERPS state pension component.
Jeremy
This only affects the basic state pension - not private or company pensions.
I'm not sure how it affects the SERPS state pension component.
Jeremy
Hiya JAJ,
I think that people who have contracted out of SERPS will not be affected by this injustice & that is what it is!!!
When you contracted out your pension, the company undertook the liability of offering you the minimum pension, so there is no government part of these pensions.
I'm more worried about transfering out of my company pension and getting a bum deal from them!
Bye
Mark
