7 hour flight delay now cut off benifits!

[lafferty]

So I was one of the last DSP recipients lucky enough to just scrape overseas travel before the federal government was legally entitled to restrict the mobility and civil liberties of its disabled,- from 13 weeks to 6 as of Jan 1st.
Made sure I had 13 weeks exact advising c'link I would leaving Nov 12th, RETURNING on Feb 12th. I got the OK, (that was 13 weeks according to them). Booked the flight no problems.
Now, "Returning" in my mind is, getting on a flight on that date, that is "returning". Somewhere midair at 5pm australian time, on the 12th ,quite possibly on of Macklins minions were sweating on a fax from DFAT alerting them, low and behold, i 'hadnt returned!' and a letter was sent immediatly (on the 12th) advising me all my benifits had ceased and that I had to reapply. I was 7 HOURS LATE FFS! lol.(.nevermind they forgot to tell me thier definition of 'returning' when they gave the ok).
Long story short I got reinstated (big hassle) but now have a barrage of forms to fill as if Im a criminal, earnings plus change in cirucmtances (never had this before) PLUS, they have 'docked' my benifits as punishment I suppose for not being here ON THE 12TH. Thats $50 less to live on this fortnight that I WILL MISS. I might defend this seeing though it was 7 hours-divide that into 24...i should get a refund of around $30? worth a shot?lol
ALP have clearly lost the plot thats just NUTS

[lafferty]

...and how is it, thay can threaten to cancel benifits when I was told, if you stay outside 13 weeks (longer than) you will still get a base rate of family tax A, and still be 'on benifits' without receiving money? I was shit scared thinking Im up for review by a minor technicality! Be warned people, my next time out will be a week early back, in the event Im targeted for some insideous review of my eligibility next time....how can this craziness be reversed? Talking about it is doing nothing. We need numbers and protest, the problem is ALP has targeted the demographics least able to defend themselves, deliberatley.

[Banjo]

Welcome o the board lafferty.

You're not going to get a better deal off of the Liberals I can assure you, I wasted quite a bit of time talking to them when the legislation was changing and it WAS a waste of time.

I'm surprised you had such a problem over a one day overstay, the normal procedure is to reinstate on return up to 13 weeks.

It's happened to me several times, one involving several days.
You lose the money you would have received for that period.

As you found out, Centrelink consider that you're back in Australia when you check through immigration, not when you enter territorial waters.

If you feel you are being victimised, and yes, it does happen if you draw attention to yourself... Banjo has red flags all over his Centrelink file... then you should see Welfare Rights in your home state.

[lafferty]

its a crying shame gillard is paving the way for an unprecedented ALP defeat, and I agree, you think its bad now, most of us are too aware of Joe Hockeys 'entitlement age must come to an end!".... enjoy anytime whatsoever abroad ...while you can! after all those poor mining company's deserve the tax breaks taken from societies most disenfranchised. ...Re: the $50...its not worth the red flags/reviews, ..already I'm paranoid of more forms being sent since i had the breathtaking audacity to challenge/have my benefits reinstated...tough times ahead..i thought of overstaying next time, never returning and just surviving on my wits abroad...relinquishing my pension altogether..its exacerbating my mental health...worse i feel, especially when Abbott gets in...

[Banjo]

If I was a bit younger that's what I would do, many Aussies have dropped out of the big picture and do reasonable well surviving overseas.

I know a few who are teaching in Thailand for about $700 a month and live comfortably, and then there's the multitudes managing bars and guest houses all over Asia.
I know a guy who did extremely well with a chain of second hand bookshops, selling tatty paperbacks to expats and backpackers.

[Deleted]

Welcome Lafferty: I cant believe they knocked you on the head being under 24hrs late; its F*#"ing criminal mate:( But I wouldn't roll over on the $50 mate, thats a lot of money for us poor bastards, so stand up to them and worry less about red flags or inciting their wrath, just go and see welfare rights as Banjo suggests! Follow his advice to the letter mate because I have and won; I got my "UP" only because of this site and listening to Banjo & Banker:)) Go hard mate and fight to the death, take no prisoners and live your life as you want to; not as they dictate... Be Safe... Cheetal:))

Banj... Even though I have my "UP", I think they'll move the goalposts again in a few years and I've already taken your profound advice about a small business; I hope I can tell them to shove it fair up their arse one day. But thats for the future, as I'll play their silly little game for awhile yet and I'm fully prepared for any future problems, thanks mostly to you big fella! Keep up the good work Banj, your a Legend as far as I'm concerned:)) Cheers Mate... Cheetal...

[takeo19]

Hey guys thought id report back on my recent trip to asia. As I mentioned before I overstayed by about a week, when I returned I was reinstated immediatley, no probs called them anyhow just to be safe. funny thing is i was sent a new PCC with the start date of my reinstatement date on it not my grant date, don't understand what this is all about..
sounds like Lafferty was treated unfairly by centrelink. We are suppose to have 13 weeks once our payments are cancelled to contact CL and be reinstated.
Anyhow Im off again next week to cambodia, I got to be goin cause now im homeless, my health is not good either but ive got nowhere to go here in aus can only survive in a 3rd world country...well 6 weeks anyway.
Im looking out for the small business over there too maybe a bar or something we defeniatly need an escape for when the government ends entitilements and destroys our human rights.

[Banjo]

You need to consider the consequences of announcing your homelessness in Australia and informing people of your intent to set up a business overseas.

But then all of us here understand that you are speaking metaphorically.