Disability Pensioners Living Overseas

[icyfroth]

This was being discussed on the breakfast show this moring:

THOUSANDS of Australian disability pensioners are receiving taxpayers' money to live overseas, many in places best known as holiday destinations.

Australians are paying $100 million a year to fund 7300 recipients of the disability pension living overseas.

Official figures show the greatest number, more than 1200, live in Greece, while hundreds more live in Turkey, Croatia, Thailand and New Zealand.

The Philippines and areas of Indonesia, including 83 people in Bali, are among the other destinations where Australian disability pensioners are living at a cost to the taxpayer of $99.9 million a year, News Corp reports.

Social Service Minister Kevin Andrews has told News Corp he has asked for information clarifying residency requirements for such pensioners, saying he's concerned some pension recipients may be choosing to live overseas for lifestyle reasons at the expense of taxpayers.

The federal government now disallows the pension for those who are overseas for more than six weeks.

From Here

The consensus of callers invited to comment felt that disability pensioners should be living in Australia. That is my opinion also. $100 mil for aussie pensioners living overseas permanently is money that's not going back into the Aus economy.

[izabsmiling]

Paints, haven't you heard? You don't work hard unless you are highly paid....

Some whinge that other people cost 'them' so much...

more they claim than what they can and do give back AND more than what they 'take' in benefits

and then take issue with the idea that that those same people may  live overseas where they only receive their pension (no Australian tax payer funded public services required).

[izabsmiling]

that's correct crikey*mate

[izabsmiling]

My head hurts too much to look it up at the moment but there was an article I read recently on homessness

?maybe from the abc (pre budget)

 A homeless charity I think it was gave the number of affordable rentals available in Australia...the percentage of the total rentals which were affordable was staggeringly low.

[cherry*135]

Yes, crikey the op is about Australian eligible for the DSP, in particular those who may have moved back to their home country, being no longer able to work anywhere. The article is trying to make this out as a scam, when it most likely is not, as rules allow some to do this.

I emailed the editor and asked why there is a misleading statement at the end of that article.

The current govt haven't at this date made any changes to,the DSP (specifically the rule about living overseas)I don't know why they are being brought into the topic.

[*crikey*mate*]

I was trying to connect the dots, but couldn't work it out either

[cherry*135]

When a person on a DSP turns 65yo, they will then move to the aged pension? I don't know whether that is the same or higher amount. If living overseas they will be subject to different criteria then...depending on whether they are eligible for an Australian one or their home country..gets a bit messy then,

[izabsmiling]

Disability Support Pension (DSP)

If you leave Australia to live in another country you will not be able to receive Disability Support Pension (DSP) in the other country, unless you:

• are terminally ill and are leaving Australia permanently to be with or near a family member, or to return to your country of origin, or
• left Australia prior to 1 July 2004, and at the time of leaving you were told that you could be paid indefinitely, and you have not returned to Australia to live since that time, or
• have been assessed in Australia prior to the departure as having a permanent, severe impairment and no future work capacity. Assessment involves a review of your DSP qualification and a Job Capacity Assessment

In these situations, you can keep your DSP payments for the whole time you are outside Australia, however, the amount that you get may change.

When you leave Australia temporarily, you can usually get your DSP payments for up to six weeks while you're away.

You may be able to get your DSP for more than six weeks if you:

• are studying outside Australia as part of a full-time Australian course, or
• are severely disabled and dependent on and living with, a family member who has been temporarily posted to work outside Australia by their Australian employer

If you returned to live in Australia and were granted or transferred to DSP within the last two years, you will not be able to receive DSP outside Australia. After you return, to be paid outside the country you must have been living in Australia for two years since you last arrived in Australia to live.

If you stop receiving your DSP under the rules mentioned above, you may be able to get a pension from the country you're going to, if it has a social security agreement with Australia that covers DSP. However, this normally requires you to be 'severely disabled'.

If you are travelling to New Zealand, your payment rate may be affected by the social security agreement between Australia and New Zealand.

For more information, such as whether the country that you are going to has a social security agreement with Australia, visit Countries that have a agreements with Australia or callInternational Services on 

 http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/outside-australia#Pensionpaymentrateswhileabsentfr...

more info on other overs pensions and payments,specific conditions,rates,time-limits etc in dhs link above 

[cherry*135]

Isn't that the same as the one I already posted a few posts ago?? What is an overs pension?

Links arent much use for aged pensions for Australians living overseas..need to contact Centrelink and discuss your individual case.

[purple_haize]

AM, at the moment when you turn 65yrs they transfer you to the age pension which is the same amount paid.

[izabsmiling]

Sorry Am3, I wish that I had seen yours.It would have saved me adding it.Yours didn't stand out as being a c&p.If it did,I would have noticed it more and  read it.

overs = mistake.

Good night

ps.the link is there (in my post) if you or anyone wants to compare pensions.