Getting the Australian Age Pension in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore or China
There is a lot of confusion about the getting the Age Pension overseas. Frequently asked questions are:
Can you apply from overseas?
How long do you have to be in Australia before you can apply?
Will your payments be thinned down or stopped if you leave Australia?
Issues such as travelling back to Australia, uncertainty around legislation and the implementation of it, Australian Working Life Residency and proportional portability make applying for the Australian Age Pension seem like a mountain too steep to climb!
Luckily, Pelican Expat Services have the right knowledge, training and experience to help you get there. We have many successful client outcomes and are able to clearly explain complex issues surrounding application processes, eligibility criteria, and possible outcomes, before you start making expensive plans to apply.
The Department of Social Security has certain measures that classify you according to your movements in and out of Australia preceding your application. The classification that the DSS puts on you will affect what you can do after receiving the pension and whether you can travel immediately or not.
Concern about returning to Australia due to a restriction after receiving teh pension on travel, may influence many retirees not to apply, however with professional advice you can have a better idea about what is fact and what are myths about the Age Pension for Expats.
Depending on the country that you have bene living in, you may not even have to return to Australia to apply for it!
DSS procedures are important in knowing where you stand. We can represent you on your behalf to the DSS and help you fill in the application forms.
You should be aware that even returning and submitting the Age Pension application form may not guarantee that it is accepted. The DSS has a policy to refuse returning residents if they think that you are returning for the purposes of claiming the pension.
Further, if you do receive the Age Pension, it can be cancelled, putting the claimant in severe financial hardship not to mention the expense and time of having to reapply again.
These pitfalls can be avoided by obtaining professional advice that creates clarity in the maze of the complexity of Social Security, the Australian Government and Australian Social Security legislation.
Travel restrictions may apply to some people and breaches of this would result in cancellation of the pension payment. The importance of structuring your affairs, documentation and Centrelink interview correctly is recommended by many of our clients who have successfully applied for the Australian Age Pension and returned to Thailand continuing to receive it.
The ability to appeal Centrelink decisions can be a daunting one if you don’t know the legislation well. An expert in this area can guide you by having strong knowledge of the rules and how they are applied in practice. The importance of what you say to Centrelink on any previous phone call is relevant (or for that matter written submissions to them) because it is recorded and noted and could be used against you at a future point.
In summary, the application for eh Age Pension is a complex and involved process, and not one that you would like to get wrong, as the effects could take a long time to undo. One should seek professional advice before and whilst applying from a licenced Australian professional who understands the legislation and the implementation of it.
Pension payment rates while absent from Australia
If you are successful in getting the age pension, the rate of pension will drop after you leave Australia to reside in another country. You should be aware of the factors that cause this drop, the timing of it and teh amount of the drop so that you can plan accordingly.
A term called “proportional portability” is used to create the formula that determines the new rate after you leave Australia. It is based on your Australian Working Life residence.
To calculate your rate of pension you can expect as well as the expected drop when moving overseas, you an ask a licenced consultant on +61 416801226.
The rate of Pension Supplement you receive will reduce on departure if you leave Australia permanently or after six weeks if you leave Australia temporarily.
Australian Working Life Residency thresholds changed on 1 January 2014. To see how this impacts you, please call our office.
The rate is different if you are travelling to New Zealand, Greece or the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
- John’s case
Q.John:”I am struggling to make ends meet on the pension. I don’t own my own home and am thinking of moving overseas, either to Thailand or the Philippines. But how will such a move affect my Centrelink entitlements?”
John will benefit from sound advice so that he can know ahead of time what financial impacts his move will have on his pension.
Q.Alex
Hello my elderly mother (Australian living in QLD) may come to live with me for a while in the USA. Can she still receive her pension, benefits etc if she stays with me for 6 months? Can she get assistance in the cost of her travel to her location with me, she is elderly and suffers from several medical situations?
Payment rates for Age Pension
Please call our office to get a Pension Quote on the rate at which you can expect to receive if you satisfy all the eligibility criteria.
There are different rates of Age Pension payments for single people and couples. Your rate also depends on your income, and assets.
Pelican Expat Services
We help you through the maze of expat financial matters
Email info@pelicanfinance.com.au
Tel +61 416801226
or, click here to get us to call you back
