ABCDiamond

But the question is....

Why Do the British Expats in the USA get the rises, but the British Expats in Canada do not ?

kevin747

Yes I think it's unfair. I'm not actually bitter,just a realist who chose to emigrate and then leave Australia after considering the things that both countries offered.
You are now being childish.

You have really set yourself up!

kevin747

Don't know yet. I think the UK govt are conspiring to annoy you.

Wol

So what's the difference between Australia and, say, the USA or the Philippines?

MartinLuther

I must admit that I didn't know about the freeze until I arrived but in truth it doesn't upset me as I hadn't planned to rely on it anyway. That however does not mean I can't comment on the inconsistent position of the UK government and it's supporters

As for the comment about not paying tax. As well as being inconsistent it misses the point that people have paid for it. And I suspect that most of the people who moved to Aus, Canada, SA, etc probably paid in more than average into the scheme. And I paid a bucket load of tax as well but I think they spent it on a cruise missile.

Jimclevs

Hi

Hope you're well?

I did not mention SERPS specifically because its linked to the state pension administered from DWP. My reference to other pensions was in regard of private, public service, company, foreign etc.

Jim

ABCDiamond

So you aren't bitter, but you think I am ?

You try to bring my views on the price of property into the thread, but get it wrong anyway.

Then you mention the free dental care and cheap superior healthcare that the UK has...

And you accuse me of being childish...

Can you answer the question I am raising, or do you just wish to attack Australia ?

What is the difference between the British Expats in Australia and Canada who don't get it, and those in the USA who do get it ?

Without resorting to My personal view is that no permanent resident outside the UK should get it. We have chosen to leave the UK, and we should have no rights in that respect.

In your view that makes me bitter ? It is OK for you to have your view, but when someone else does, you like to attack them ?

ABCDiamond

Hmmm.....

koalakim

Quite agree..what is the difference between a pensioner in the US or one in Oz - they've all paid their taxes and NI so should be equal. So it should be one rule for all ex-pat pensioners.

The crux is that there are these recipricol agreements with some countries and not others and obviously Oz and the UK don't see eye to eye on something so they don't have one.

I knew about the freeze before we came but we'll just have to decide on the situation when we are due to retire as to what country we'll be better off in.

Jimclevs

Hi

Correct - and while we are on tax matters and to add salt to the wound, as ex-UK pensioners now citizens of Australia, we are obliged to pay tax in Australia on our UK pension income with a much lower tax free threshold over here than is allowed to pensioners resident in UK. We have no choice in this, as part of the Double Taxation Agreement between the two countries, we are taxed in the country we reside in, not the country which pays the pensions!

I personally do not have an issue with that other than since 2008 (?) when the (at that time, soon to be outgoing Coalition) government introduced Simpler Super here which allows Australian superannuation payments (pensions to us!) from the age of 60 to be tax-free and non declarable on the annual tax return. As ex-UK pensioners with our income source from there, we are not allowed to take advantage of this ruling and are taxed accordingly at the nominal rate. Yet another inconsistency.

The five-yearly review of the DTA has now been ongoing for some 16 months which is very unusual as it is normally a case of confirming the standing agreement, dotting the i's etc and signing it. Before this review, however, they asked for public submissions which attracted many letters regarding the issue I mentioned above so we are ever hopeful that we can be brought on to the same level playing field as the born and bred Australians. If we have no choice in our country of taxation we should be taxed under the same rules.

Whenever this sort of issue gets discussed on these forums, there will always be those who suggest "don't like it - go back to UK". Things in life are never that simple, are they, especially when you have sunk your hard-earned into an expensive visa (in our case the CPV), left a country which you have spent the best part of 60 years in, settled into life here, notwithstanding the plunging exchange rate, and the inequalities regarding pensions and taxation.

You do all this because you want to be with your family for the later stages of your life, seeing your grandchildren grow and develop.

ALL we ask for in return is fairness and equality.

Jim

koalakim

Well said Jim!

Thanks also for pointing out the taxation implications as well - lots to consider when it comes to retirement time.

kporte

I think we all need to get used to the idea that pensions will soon be a thing of the past. With health advancements and population increases it is going to be simply unrealistic to have pensions as they exist now.
It's time for a rethink about how, as an individual, you prepare for retirement. The frozen UK pension affects me also, but I can only see the decision as sensible.
To maintain a pension system in the UK, along with the NHS, there will have to be some major changes to funding, much higher taxes for a start. No one likes that. Part of the problem is people want the huge safety net of the NHS and pensions but don't want to pay for it now. Someone has to.

MartinLuther

Super is taxed on the way in whereas the UK pension payments were not. That's why the UK pension can't be treated the same as a super payout. You should be able to get at least 8% of your UK pension payment tax free though.

jad n rich

Really, then centerlink and the pensions dept must quote rubbish, links to the subject must also be rubbish, peoples experiences and posts on the subject must also be rubbish.

Among the many rules to claim a OZ aged pension you need to reside in OZ at the time of the claim, for 2 years prior to the date of the claim.

So as I said. If you go back to the UK unless you are already pension age or then NO you cant claim your aussie pension, no matter how many years you worked in OZ.

If you read up on the facts you might also discover many expats only discover this once they try to claim. Aussie Expats now living in asia are a classic example.

Jimclevs

Hi

The decision, surely, is only sensible if it is applied equally across all expat pensioners?

I do agree with you, however, that with a rapidly ageing population (in all western countries), there will have to be a major rethink on the way pensions are funded, both state and private. That of course is for the future and I have no idea how that can be achieved but it does not apply to the current issues whereby the money we have all already paid in is being withheld from some of us.

Jim