Mike at Taree

On their websites Centrelink do say that any back payment lump sum is deemed as income, also of course a full UK pension would start to affect your Aussie pension once you are past the "free area". I thought it was $150 a fortnight but looks like it's $250.
So you shouldn't pay 50c for every single dollar of UK pension, just 50c for every dollar over the "free area".

A full UK pension would indeed knock back your Centrelink pension - that's why I'm only going for a half pension, at this stage.

ozzieeagle

I thought the Aus pension scheme took over at the point where the UK one stops... IE: just a top up to the Aus max... nothing extra in other words ?

Are you saying your getting pension on top of pension ? I thought that only worked with private pension not Government ?

Although having said that I do know the Italians around here get extra money on top of their pensions, so maybe your on the right track.

I've got a really complicated situation with my UK private pension in the mix and shed loads of super... I may not get bloody anything unless I do something now like move to a dearer house and get more mortgage ... Then use my super at age 60 to pay some of that off... but then I have to leave work I think.

Mike at Taree

Australian pension is non contributory, they aren't at all interested in what other pension you get, in fact they don't directly deal with the UK at all other than forwarding your details. So "taking over at the point where the UK pension stops" isn't remotely in their job description.

All they want to know is how much money you have coming in from whatever source, then apply that against your Aussie pension to see if they need to start recouping fifty cents in the dollar.

I've been a carer for the last 10 years and receiving the Carers Payment that is identical to the age pension. I worked part time and that income was tested against my payment. So a UK pension will be treated exactly the same. A UK pension will just be regarded by Centrelink in the same way as income from a job and will cut back the Aussie pension once that income exceeds the "free area".

In other words, as you say, pension on top of pension because I contributed NI payments so I'm entitled to the UK pension via contributions, and I'm entitled to the Aus Pension due to age and length of residence.

Hino

As I stated I am single, the single "allowance" is less than the married allowance.

As I also stated I am already over my "allowance" so I'm already on a reduced pension. The UK pension just reduces the Centrelink pension further.

And further to your statement about Centrelink contacting immigrants prior to their 65th birthday...This certainly was not the case for me. This is how I managed to get into a lump payment situation.

Also your information about data sharing between Centrelink and UK DWP seems to incorrect as it was Centrelink that first informed me that my UK pension had been awarded and they knew exactly how much I was receiving. That is why they reduced my Australian pension.

Mike at Taree

Doesn't surprise me, I rang a Centrelink call centre a couple of months before I got my "About UK Pensions" letter to see what the drill was and after a girl had spoken to a few supervisors she gave me a UK freecall number to ring, that didn't work.
Most of my useful current info has come from the UK end.

Hino

Hi Mike,

I just looked back at my previous post on this topic and realised that it might be interpreted as a 'dig' at you, that was not my intention. My only problem is with Centrelink.

Hino

ozzieeagle

Good on yer Hino


Centerlink are hell to deal with thats for sure. We had Child Tax benefit issues with them for years... then we got an accountant that actually dealt with Centerlink Issues and boy did that change things... We went from indebt, to them owing us money, as the amount we had been paying them back for 20 months or more had not taken into account the amount we should have received during the 20 months within the pay back period.

They are probably the single worst organisation I've ever had to deal with, in as much as one person tells you one thing with all the authority of government and right behind them... Then low and behold a week later it's a different story, from the same bloody department.... Meantime dealing with them takes hours and hours out of your day.