The Injustice of the Portability of the Australian Age Pension.

sceadugenga wrote:

I think everyone effected should appeal and complain... become a serial pest... camp on your MP's doorstep and in particular ask WHY????

Dear Sceadugenga,

Sounds like a recipe to get the police authorities after you for harassment.  As you may know, word(s) in all caps signify shouting.

cccmedia in Ecuador

I would have to live in Oz for 2 years on the pension before I can be considered for payment of the pension overseas.
The key word is CONSIDERED as the govt is trying to eventually cut all overseas pension or allowance payments.   

The labor govt were looking to cut it all by 2020.

sceadugenga wrote:

I think everyone effected should appeal and complain to the highest level, become a serial pest, write, ring and email the relevant ministers, camp on your MP's doorstep and in particular ask WHY????

It is a law that benefits no one, self funded retirees are not restricted and the taxpayer support their pensions through tax breaks to the same extent as the Age Pension.

You say that "self funded retirees are not restricted"  but actually most "self funded retirees" get nothing from the Aged Pension system.

You say that "It is a law that benefits no one", but it benefits the taxpayer by restricting welfare payments to only those who NEED it.  This leaves taxpayer funds allocated for welfare to be available to those in need of support.

Paying Taxes does NOT automatically qualify you for an Aged Pension.
Paying Superannuation payments DOES qualify you for your personal portable, superannuation pension.

The Australian Aged Pension is a welfare payment for those who have insufficient funds of their own to live on.
It is not designed for Australians who have funds and assets.

If you have income or Assets over the threshold you get ZERO Aged Pension anyway.
If you have enough, as you said, to "living off savings or investments for their final working life years." then you probably are not entitled to the Aged Pension anyway, so it is a mute point.

Most Australians are now getting the private Superannuation, paid from the Compulsory Super payments that come with wages, and so, fewer people will be eligible for the Aged Pension welfare payment in the future.

Some people say that those of us who can afford to travel do not need Australian taxpayers to fund them in this.

Personally I wish it hadn't changed as I would love some extra taxpayers funds to enable me to live a life of luxury overseas

I never said they got anything from the Age Pension, i said that the TAXPAYER supports their system.
Take a google search and see how much the government put into Self Managed super funds last year.
Where does that come from?

My point is that people retiring now and in the past paid for their pensions with high income taxes back in the 60s and 70s, this was what it was supposed to be all about.
Where's that money gone now?
Bullshit wars, politicians perks and breaks for businesses that stopped creating jobs years ago.

sceadugenga wrote:

My point is that people retiring now and in the past paid for their pensions with high income taxes back in the 60s and 70s, this was what it was supposed to be all about.
Where's that money gone now?

It is still there being used for aged pensions for those that NEED it.

Anyone resident, and fitting the residency rules in Australia, and that is in need of the aged pension welfare payment will get it, the same as always.

The taxes in the 60s and 70s, as you say, covered this welfare payment. It is still being paid to those who need it.

I don't see much difference.  All I see is people who can afford to travel, and want to live overseas, also want the Australian taxpayer to pay for it. As they DEEM themselves in need of this welfare payment.

People with high incomes in the past, as you say, should have used that to set up for the future, as is being done now. Instead of relying on the taxpayer to subsidise them later, after spending it all.

ABCD, a moot point is one that is already decided or is no longer relevant.

A mute point...  is that one where nothing has to be said?

cccmedia wrote:

ABCD, a moot point is one that is already decided or is no longer relevant.

A mute point...  is that one where nothing has to be said?

I never was that good at English, so I had to look that up..

I spelt it wrong, should be moot

English
“moot” is an adjective that means an arguable or debatable point,

American
“moot” is the meaning of something that doesn't matter

The website went on to say:
whether you mean that something is arguable or pointless, the spelling is m-o-o-t.  

Mute
adjective
- silent; refraining from speech or utterance.
noun
- Law. a person who stands mute when arraigned.
verb
- to deaden or muffle the sound of.

I am very disappointed in the way Centrelink looks like not paying me a pension when i do get to retiring age. My story  is at 62 years old and paid very  large portion of my wages in taxes in heavy construction (scaffolding) for forty years. I now have a heart condition that has had surgery and a lower back problem that am awaiting surgery for more than one year. It was my  plan to retire self funded for the next five years to a home in the province using my small amount of superannuation. But i now don't know how i can get a pension that as far as i am concerned i have paid for with out returning to Australia and leave my family for two years so as to be classed as a resident when i am allready a citizen

40+ years of paying taxes that a component of was meant to provide me a pension only to be told I may not get it because I now live overseas . What a rort ! I bet a politician who can get / qualify for a pension ( 10 x what a normal person gets and funded by the tax payer) after 10 years can live wherever they choose with no assets , income checks , portability rules etc etc . Whoose getting the rough end of the pineapple !! Maybe I should move back to Australia with my wife and family and bludge on the system that I worked a lifetime to fund .

@ABCDiamond  . 50% of expats live overseas because they can not afford to live in Australia after marriage , business failures etc etc . Where not all living the dream life . When you loose everything you've worked for and face the prospect of working for the rest of your life to be able to afford to live in the country you were born in the overseas option is a very attractive one . Why should we be denied something which we paid for because of where we live while others get it . And who funds the politicians massive pensions and perks and lurks that they get no questions asked after only ten years . I know where the money that was supposedly for our pensions goes and this is just another rort to cover there arses .