peace
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Posts: 8
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Post by peace on Aug 19, 2012 19:08:06 GMT 7
Hi All, have been surfing your site for weeks! I am doing my first 13 week overseas on the DSP. I must go back by the 3rd of Sept . Can some one please tell me how long I must stay in Australia on my return before I can come back. I am in England. I will elaborate in a later message. I want to stay the minimum amount possible and without first speaking with centrelink need some advice. I want to book my ticket back as soon as possible. Have loads to tell you all, spoke with centrelink last week about the new assessment for portability. Hope to hear from someone soon. Like can I stay for only 3 days when I get back?
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Post by Banjo on Aug 19, 2012 19:20:55 GMT 7
Welcome to the board. There's nothing in the legislation that sets a time between portability periods. For years people have been turning round in the same week and with only one trip away on your books there should be no reason why you can't do that. Many regular travelers have had residency problems this year but, as I said, if you only have had one trip then go for it.
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peace
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Posts: 8
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Post by peace on Aug 19, 2012 19:40:36 GMT 7
Hi Banjo, Thankyou for the response. Here is my story. Been on DSP for 10 years. I have severe ptsd. 4 years ago was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of Breast Cancer. Surgery Chemo etc. and looking good for now. My son and his partner moved to England 2.5 years ago on a Tier 1 visa. I am not travelling well at the moment, need a little bit more support than before. He wants me to move here. They won't be legally settled for another 2.5 years and they will then have citizenship. I am 56. I spoke with centrelink and they told me that because there is no agreement with the UK the only way they can continue paying me was if I get the new indefinite portablility. this was in early June before they really knew what was happening with it all. I spoke with them last week again and they said that it was a risk to apply for it as people have begun getting assessed and have actually been found as not being qualified to receive dsp under the new rules and have lost their pensions! I was told that the procedure that would be taken is.... I must come back to Australia and apply for the Pack. it wil be sent to me and then I would have to get my doctor to fill in forms. then see a centrelink doctor. and then see a JCA. apparently the JCA can over rule the doctors even if i have 20 in the one section of the new assessment. This whole procedure would take 3 months of which I would have to stay in Australia for that whole time. At the end of it I may lose my pension. My son works in Hong Kong also and has said to me that I can do the 6 months in England that I am allowed to do and then do 6 months in Hong Kong. 3 months at a time in Hong Kong but you only have to go over to Shenzhen for the day to get another 3 months. I don't want to give up my pension incase it doesn't work out for me. I have never been a dependent type. If I was 65 I could apply to stay in England as a dependent and if i got the unlimited portablility I could still support myself. Anyway I was thinking it all seems not worth it. I do not want to stay in Australia for 3 months getting the assessment done. So I am thinking just do another 13 weeks and that will finish before the new rules on 1st Jan 2013 and get back out again for my last 13 week stint and then maybe do the assessment. It is all so hard. When I first decided yes I would come to England I spoke with Centrelink and they explained that after the new rules came in it would be possible for me to continue receiving my pension but now they are not very encouraging about it at all.
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peace
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Posts: 8
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Post by peace on Aug 19, 2012 19:44:28 GMT 7
a bit more... In June centrelink told me that i could get away with 2 or possibly even 3 lots of 13 weeks but then someone would be likely to say hey whats happening with this person and review my trips
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Post by Banjo on Aug 20, 2012 4:43:57 GMT 7
Yes, if you only have short stays in Australia you could possibly do two more trips away of 13 weeks.
I try not to dwell too long on people's disabilities on this forum, the fact that they are on the DSP is all that matters but Centrelink can have a strange attitude towards cancer sufferers. There's a school of thought that their condition isn't "stabilized" enough for them to qualify, the fact you have been assessed speaks volumes but you should keep this in mind before you apply for the unlimited portability.
DSPoverseas is currently campaigning against Centrelink using the new impairment tables to assess DSP recipients for the unlimited portability; while they may suit the government's purpose of keeping new applicants off the DSP it's nothing short of draconian to make us go through them. We need to make them see the "no future work capacity" is all that matters.
I urge you to start a dialogue with your federal Member of Parliament or a sympathetic state Senator and put your case to them.
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peace
Full Member
Posts: 8
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Post by peace on Aug 21, 2012 7:21:32 GMT 7
I agree full heartedly that something has to be done. Is there a set format type document that has been prepared as a base letter to send off to MP's etc by anyone on the board? My heart goes out to everyone who has been living overseas for so long to have some sort of quality of life on the pension and now having these hurdles in front of them. The shock of having to come back to Australia with prices rising so quickly lately would be very hard to deal with for them. I would be very prepared to help in anyway by writing letters etc. Is there a list of people and departments to write to? Let me know
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