Geoff S

Hi, this is my first post here, so bear with my dumbness if it occurs. Due to happenings in my life, and I don't want sympathy, as much my fault as anyone else, I now find myself living on a disability pension in a share house in Adelaide. My son is my only family in Australia and he lives in Perth and has his own family and life. Earlier this year my Dad, in the UK, died 2 days short of his centenary.( He never had any time for royalty, so probably he did it deliberately so he wouldn't get the telegram).and I went over for the Funeral, my first time back since 1986. My family over there have asked me to come "home". I would have to wait for 2 years to receive the age pension here, and I could then move to the UK and get my Aussie pension over there. I have read elsewhere about contributing to N.I. in order to qualify for pension etc in the UK.. So I'm really looking for pointers towards the N.I. situation, and any other tips people can give me. Sorry if I rambled.

Novocastrian

Welcome to the forum Geoff. We'll need to know your date of birth and how many years you worked in the UK before leaving (in 1986?).

Geoff S

My DOB is 9/6/1954
I worked only about 9 months in a few jobs after leaving school before I left for Aust. with the British Boys Movement in 69/70 1986 was the year I went back with my wife and son for a holiday. I'm pretty sure I had a N.I. number. 10s6d seems to ring a bell for some reason.

Novocastrian

OK. Your pensionable age in the UK starts on 6/3/2020 BUT, because your were born after 6/4/51 your are under the new state pension rules which needs a minimum of 10 years NI contributions to qualify. You can "buy" 6 or 7 but I don't think as many as 10.

Others on here will hopefully clarify.

Geoff S

So with what you are saying if say, I could buy 6 years NI contributions, I would then have to wait 4 years before becoming eligible?

neilcumming

Geoff, you have to contribute 30yrs of N.I. payments to qualifly for full British pension. I recently checked on my British pension and I was a few yrs short of qualifying for full pension and I would have to pay in N.I. contributions 1000s of pounds to to get the full pension which would have been no more than a tenner more a week. So if you only have 9 months of N.I. contributions you might not get much . You can check your pension online ,how much you get, how much you contributed etc.
https://www.gov.uk/state-pension
You need your N.I. number to access your info.

Geoff S

Thanks Neil, looking like I'll be trying to survive on about £220 a week, lucky I've got family to live with. As long as they put up with me that is.

mikelincs

With only 9 MONTHS NI he will NOT qualify for UK pension, minimum time is 10 YEARS as has already been quoted.

neilcumming

If you had read my post correctly I didnt say he qualified ,I said he wouldnt get much and zero isnt much is it?

Novocastrian

I'm not in a position to advise, but others may know if disability pension and/or pension credit are on the cards.

PS. If neilcummings was born after 1951, he needs to do another pension check on the gov.uk site he posted.

neilcumming

No worries but check the government website to be certain.

neilcumming

PS. If neilcummings was born after 1951, he needs to do another pension check on the gov.uk site he posted.[/QUOTE]
I think you mean Geoff S as he was the one asking about UK pensions, not me.

Geoff S

As far as I know my Disability Pension is not transferable, in fact if I leave Australia for more than 28 days a year it gets reduced or cancelled, that's why I have to wait until I qualify for age pension.

uk_grenada

If as you say you can bring your australian pension to the uk, thats all you’ll get, it will bar you from other benefits and is of course taxable [though sounds less than the zero rate limit.]

So - if your relatives are happy to financially support you, ok, go for it, but be very careful that they really are.

mikelincs

The OZ pension will NOT bar the OP from any other help once they have been back for the 3 months, they may get council tax relief, and other means tested benefits, it really depends on where they are living.