Hello from new member!

[hansel75]

Hi everyone and thank you for having me here.

I am currently on dsp for mental health reasons(chronic depression and anxiety), i am also doing some casual work when i can of around 10hrs a week, in which i declare to CL.

I have joined this forum as i have some questions i would like help with, and in time i will post these questions.

Thank you for now.

[Banjo]

Welcome to the forum hansel75, hopefully we can help you out, remember that we're only a bunch of similar people to yourself but we may be able to point you in the right direction.

[gized]

Hi and welcome, I am new as only just started. But very helpful TG o hear from others and certainly we are keen to help.

[hansel75]

Hi again and thanks for welcoming me here.

I have a fairly simple question to start with but first i will explain my situation more, since october last year i have been overseas twice for 16 days each time.

Totaling 32days after the last trip over there,  i went over the 28day dsp overseas allowance.
I did the right thing before my last trip and went into centrelink to notify them, at the time the lady there told me it would not affect my dsp and it was ok to travel.

But i did end up losing 4days worth of dsp etc once i got home because my dsp was temporarily suspended, which is fair enough i suppose as i did go over the limit, but i had no issues once back in the country and they resumed my payments again with no problems at all, apart from the loss of 4days pay.

I do also understand that if someone goes over that 28days, that after that they will have 6 weeks of suspension if still out of the country, then after 6weeks they can get cut off the dsp.

What i would like to know, even though i have gone over the 28day limit at a total of 32days overseas, am i able to go overseas again before my 1yr resets this october, knowing i will lose payment with a suspension while i am out of the country which i am ok with?

I would only be looking at a brief 4days out of the country on next trip overseas which would total 36days.
But i don't want to risk getting cut off the dsp and would not risk going if this is the case, i am hoping they would just suspend my payment for those 4days then resume payment once back home like last time.

Thanks and much appreciated if anyone has some answers, otherwise i will need to contact CL.

PS: Also i don't want to look like i holiday all the time and have a life of luxury as this is not the case, these last few recent holidays of mine were the first proper holidays i have had in 20yrs and i had saved a long time for them.

[Banjo]

You can have up to 13 weeks of suspended pension if you take more than the 28 days portability.

There should be no problem going away, unpaid, before your portability resets but I always stress to people in your position that they need to ring Centrelink International Services before they leave and and make sure there is no problem.
Get the name of the person you speak to and the receipt number for the call.

[hansel75]

Thanks Banjo for your info.

I will make sure to contact centrelink international if i do go away again.
It might of been asked elsewhere, but any chance you could provide a contact number for them?

Thanks again.

[scallywag]

May 18, 2016 20:34:15 GMT 7 hansel75 said:

Thanks Banjo for your info.

I will make sure to contact centrelink international if i do go away again.
It might of been asked elsewhere, but any chance you could provide a contact number for them?

Thanks again.

www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/contact-us/phone-us

[hansel75]

Hi! I apologize if this is a dumb question, but could someone explain what the difference is between calling the normal centrelink vs centrelink international?

From this link i have been given - www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/contact-us/phone-us , i could only find this number listed under International Services - 131 673.
Is this the correct phone number for centrelink international?

Also when clicking on this link - www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/international-services , it has this information-

About International Services

International Services can:
-tell you whether an international social security agreement between Australia and another country may be able to help you get an Australian pension, and
-assist with non-Australian pension claims submitted in Australia - if we can't help you claim your pension from another country, we can tell you who can

I am a little confused as this doesn't seem to apply to me?

Thanks.

[Banjo]

You call International Services if you're leaving the country, and again when you return.
You also call them from overseas if you have a problem, using the numbers provided, depending on where you are.

The number you provide is the free call number from within Australia

The standard Centrelink number is for anything your involved in or want to discuss in Australasia.