Post by bruceb on Feb 1, 2012 13:29:03 GMT 7
hi everyone. I was told about this forum after posting a note in another forum related to expats living in Thailand. This is what I wrote:
" ... I just don't see how - in the overall scheme of things - that people choosing to retire overseas is actually "rorting". Presumably if people are oz citizens and qualify for government support in all other regards then they should get it. Look at two people ... Sad Sam is clogging up the roads, using the parks, using medicare and various other public services in Australia - and getting the aged pension
... Clever Trevor is here in Thailand (using their roads, etc - thanks Samran, buddy )... why should poor old Trevor be penalised for living frugally and in all other regards NOT being a burden on the already crowded, bitter and downtrodden hordes in Burke St, Pitt St, Queens Street, etc?
I would also point out that, as far as I am aware, no other forms of Oz gov't assistance are available to people beyond the 13 week limit, for example 'family assistance', veterans gold card benefits, etc. The aged pension was 'it' ... so it will be rather sad if this is in fact being further restricted ... doubly so given the pitiful state of most of the elder care facilities available there. This latter issue is being discussed in another current thread, and I can see considerable potential for Thailand to tap into this significant and growing demand ... though without access to the pension any future facilities would only cater to well-funded retirees"
I spend time each year in both Thailand and Australia. I believe that government benefits should be payable to people who choose to relocate to an Asian country for all or part of the year. But I also believe that there is currently little support for changing existing restrictive government policy in this regard.
I have just started a thread in the sub-forum entitled "Writing to politicians" - take a look. It's about what I see as a good opportunity to get the issue onto a stage where people can discuss it and maybe take some overdue action.
" ... I just don't see how - in the overall scheme of things - that people choosing to retire overseas is actually "rorting". Presumably if people are oz citizens and qualify for government support in all other regards then they should get it. Look at two people ... Sad Sam is clogging up the roads, using the parks, using medicare and various other public services in Australia - and getting the aged pension
... Clever Trevor is here in Thailand (using their roads, etc - thanks Samran, buddy )... why should poor old Trevor be penalised for living frugally and in all other regards NOT being a burden on the already crowded, bitter and downtrodden hordes in Burke St, Pitt St, Queens Street, etc?
I would also point out that, as far as I am aware, no other forms of Oz gov't assistance are available to people beyond the 13 week limit, for example 'family assistance', veterans gold card benefits, etc. The aged pension was 'it' ... so it will be rather sad if this is in fact being further restricted ... doubly so given the pitiful state of most of the elder care facilities available there. This latter issue is being discussed in another current thread, and I can see considerable potential for Thailand to tap into this significant and growing demand ... though without access to the pension any future facilities would only cater to well-funded retirees"
I spend time each year in both Thailand and Australia. I believe that government benefits should be payable to people who choose to relocate to an Asian country for all or part of the year. But I also believe that there is currently little support for changing existing restrictive government policy in this regard.
I have just started a thread in the sub-forum entitled "Writing to politicians" - take a look. It's about what I see as a good opportunity to get the issue onto a stage where people can discuss it and maybe take some overdue action.