Quotas

#12. That was one of my quibbles when paying tax . 0ur taxes were paid separately and our old age pension were paid separately , if all our pensions had been combined and divided by 2 , I would have paid no tax. But was over the limits when calculated on my own. Got it sorted hopefully this year. Anyhow the what you might call rent . but is not as is a maintainance fee is , 30% of whatever the standard rate of a single persons Australian government OAP is and this is set in cement. And as I said I see no reason why people are sleeping on the streets in Australia. Cheers JS

Des the comment about no men in child care is only for us here in Mexico.

But I worked for 6.5 years in a retirement lodge, mainly widows and i was the only male allowed to work there.

As to the pension, we get about 95% of that combined with our super and a part UK one each, but stuck at the same as when we first drew it at 52 GBP per month.

The concessions on utilities and motor reg helps to keep household accounts low, but for those on pension only it can be very hard.

As to aged care facilities, we have some every good ones here, similar to the one JS in WA lives in.
But there are some you would not even put your mother in law in.

One here in Melbourne, very poorly run, saw 52 die in there last hear with the virus.
Two things brought that about, it was run by the Greek church, untrained staff and orders of the state health official.

Good friend in Adelaide has her husband in one, not expected to last the year out, and some of the horror stories she has told about the placed make you wonder, and they charge an arm and a leg each month to be there.

I have yet to see this arm and a leg bit over here. We thoroughly investigated various villages , some had different rules but were nearly all cheaper to live in than going and buying your house from scratch on a mortgage. Most in the Australian workforce get a retirement payment on finishing work and this alone would buy them housing and money over . Seamen when I arrived out here in 1991 were receiving on average about $ 500,000 for 25 years service , don’t think they are as well off today though .This money was paid them through the seamen’s union believe it or not. That is why one of the reasons I do not decry. them, It was of course the seaman’s own money invested for them by the union. 0ut of the 4 unions , the seaman’s, the Guild, the Engineers, the stewards , the seaman’s were the top payers out on retirement. Hard to belief when you compare with the shoddy NUS. I did ok with the short 11 years I did with the guild. JS.

I can speak for the Guild as not too sure about the others. The shipping out here when I arrived was a closed shop and only union members allowed on shipping . An AB when I arrived here was on just under $50,000 dollars in 1991. this was for 6 months work. if he worked a year he was on double
The guild the officers union who I can quote as was supplied work through them were on the same work /leave ratio.
If you were an A registered seafarer which was permanent 5% of salary went to the Guild who invested it together with the owners contribution and you received statements every statements every year as to what you had waiting on retirement .
If you chose to go on the B Roster which was not considered permanent , you only paid 2% of salary to the union, but you got a 28% increase in salary , needless to say I chose the B roster as only had a short term remaining at sea. but even during the 11 years working mainly on the B roster picked up over 100,000 on leaving due to the investments made for me when on A agreement. this was the period 1991 to 2002. Much has happened since then , but the few I meet who I sailed with out here , dont have too many kind words about the Industry today.
Leave rate was 1.17 paid days off for every day on. But shortly after was 1 for 1. This was Offshore Agreements. I think the likes of shopworkers in 1991 would of been on about $26,000. My first house bought in 1991 was $80.000 JS .

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

.However your income is doubled as whatever pension you are entitled to , your wife gets exactly the same. JS

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Alas not in the UK, most wives get a pittance, especially if they are few stamps short in their working life contributions for such mundane reasons as having babies etc. Of course if you were not born here, never worked here, have no intention of working here, you will be well looked after by the State. I can see exocets heading my way from the usual self righteous directions because of the last few words

My wife paid what was known as a married women work stamp, which was just short of the full stamp, but she was not informed that non of it went toward her pension, so she only got her pension on my contributions. My sister in law, never worked during her marriage, but went from one university course to the next one, was very well educated , but her stamps were paid in full time education, and got her full pension, lots of differences in pensions. If you live in Oz and drawing a UK pension, it is not upgraded every year, but live in USA and it is, kt

The last time I was in Australia I had flown into Perth to see my mother who was in a nursing home. Unfortunately she did not know who I was, she had dementia. The home was very spacious with large windows all around, it was also very clean and all the staff I met seemed to be happy working there. It was only for female residents, I do not know how much my sister and her husband were paying to have my mother in care.
One old lady was known as the Duchess, she thought she living in a manor house and all the carers were her personal servants, the staff addressed her as Ma'am.

Probably the one where my sister worked but at the moment the name eludes me Louis , she was a senior sister there . Some of the stories are funny but personal but what I can remember they were all looked after well. She herself today is in the same circumstances but doubt her welfare is as good as she gave out. JS

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Originally Posted by Louis the fly

The last time I was in Australia I had flown into Perth to see my mother who was in a nursing home. Unfortunately she did not know who I was, she had dementia. The home was very spacious with large windows all around, it was also very clean and all the staff I met seemed to be happy working there. It was only for female residents, I do not know how much my sister and her husband were paying to have my mother in care.
One old lady was known as the Duchess, she thought she living in a manor house and all the carers were her personal servants, the staff addressed her as Ma'am.

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There can be much sadness in these carehomes......but also much humour ...all in all they are not places we would wish to be for long methinks .....my mother was in a home she died at a few minutes to midnight last day of the month.....i got the bill and they had charged for the ist day of next month ....i disputed this as the funeral director had taken her away by 11 am the next day.....sadly she had lost most of her mental faculties .....but at least she was warm and fed and washed ....nothing more nothing less.......they are what they are ....nothing more nothing less.....such is life ......my brother also with dementure .....a big man slowly fading into a 8 or 9 stone wasted and unrecognisable .....enjoy what time we have ....it is what happens sadly....cappy

Cappy I have always worked on the assumption it is my duty to look after my wife to the fullness of my ability. And to this end I have done so by if I pop the old clogs first she will have full care as she needs .If it works out the other way I have a sneaking feeling there are enough rich widows to see my days out. Just joking of course.But if anyone thinks they are indestructible they are living under false premises . Life is for living as you say so enjoy it while you can. But there is always the rough to accompany the smooth. Merry Xmas and hope your mince pies match the Chardonnay . Cheers JS

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

Cappy I have always worked on the assumption it is my duty to look after my wife to the fullness of my ability. And to this end I have done so by if I pop the old clogs first she will have full care as she needs .If it works out the other way I have a sneaking feeling there are enough rich widows to see my days out. Just joking of course.But if anyone thinks they are indestructible they are living under false premises . Life is for living as you say so enjoy it while you can. But there is always the rough to accompany the smooth. Merry Xmas and hope your mince pies match the Chardonnay . Cheers JS

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well the mince pies might match the chardonnay.......if you send the three shillings and ninepence .......cappy