docking day

[j.sabourn]

#39:I get a letter every 2 months from centre link,telling me the rates of exchange for the pound and if over is deducted from the Oz pension.All those years paying into it was a con.the only people who get big tax concessions are big business and rarely the people who have worked for it and are paid up members . JS

[j.sabourn]

#36 I was married on the 27 January 1962 I was 24. The next day on the 28 January I was 25 . So I always say she was my belated birthday present. After a week in London I was back at sea again for the next 6 months. Maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder . So the next one is 64 years and not out….Yet. JS…

[Bill Morrison]

Hi Des. This so called Labour government has it in for pensioners. First they cancelled the winter heating allowance, worth about £300. per couple. The personable allowance has been left the same so the increase in your pensions moves you into a higher tax bracket. If you have been prudent and have savings, interest is tax at 20% in the pound. I have three pensions. (1) State untaxed (2) MNOP ever Pound taxed @20% (3) To make matters worse The HMRC say I have underpaid in the last year so my personable allowance is - £1537, this will be deducted from my main pension over the next year and also living in Scotland the parasites in Edinburgh get a share.
When I think of time and some long hours I worked to have a decent retirement was it worth it.
Bill M.

[Les Woodard]

#39:I get a letter every 2 months from centre link,telling me the rates of exchange for the pound and if over is deducted from the Oz pension.All those years paying into it was a con.the only people who get big tax concessions are big business and rarely the people who have worked for it and are paid up members . JS

I too get the same letters mate but I think it depends on whether you are assessed with Income or Assets test. I am under the Income test and Centrelink assess the UK pension at 50 cents in the dollar income. But surely we must be complaining to much as there are heaps of others worse of. So many who look at what they are not getting without looking over their shoulder at those that do not have what one is getting. Think this is theh problem of modern day. As that old saying goes? Complained about not having any shoes, until I met a man with no feet.

[Des Jenkins]

Hi Bill
As you may know by now I emigrated to NZ in 56, when I retired here in Aus I applied to Newcastle in the tax office in the UK to see if I was entitled to a part pension, they said no, since then in some ways I am glad they said that, as others have all kinds of checking up and deducting to do. We get a pension of around $1,800 fortnight between us, never any mention of tax, the way i see it if the Govt give you a pension why should they then take some f it back after you retired, unless it is to make sure they have enough to pay all those MP's and of course the House of bludgers the Lords.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

That tax office was at Longbenton Des , outside Newcastle think it’s not there today as was moved sometime ago. Or at least I was told to apply to a different address on the few times I returned to the UK for visits and I claimed the going rate for pensions which I received whilst in the uk , however Centrelink was also informed and the British pension was Deducted from the Centrelink one. I paid also into the extra NHI. My pension in 2002 was about 70 pounds a week, it is still the same 23years later. How else can the govt. afford to pay these illegal,immigrants ? And hopefully get their vote at the next election. JS..

[Des Jenkins]

Hi John
When one considers the size of this country and the population I think we are in the better place, despite the number of immigrants being allowed in, who are at least screened. We have a good standard of living, despite the shortage of housing which will always be there with the number of people being allowed in, maybe they should stop immigration for a couple of years until they catch up, who knows certainly not the politicians.
Hope you got your Easter eggs.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

When we took permanent abode out here Des , I really thought it was heaven , but after a time one takes things for granted and tend to join the whingers.Every so often have to give oneself a kick and think back on what one left behind. It wasn’t bad smells however , and only wish I had emigrated earlier , compared with other countries and as seafarers we know about every nation with a coastline I would put Australia at the head of the pack for a living and comfortable life style.
However it could be even better but for peoples different views on the likes of religion and dare I say politics. I am a great believer on the people of a country having the deciding vote on who they have as neighbours regarding both subjects plus many more, everyone however who has a crusade to fight and old arguments of the ages all have the freedom to leave and take their so called injustices with them , and leave the others in peace and harmony. Cheers JS

[Tony Taylor]

Hi Bill
As you may know by now I emigrated to NZ in 56, when I retired here in Aus I applied to Newcastle in the tax office in the UK to see if I was entitled to a part pension, they said no, since then in some ways I am glad they said that, as others have all kinds of checking up and deducting to do. We get a pension of around $1,800 fortnight between us, never any mention of tax, the way i see it if the Govt give you a pension why should they then take some f it back after you retired, unless it is to make sure they have enough to pay all those MP's and of course the House of bludgers the Lords.
Cheers Des

Des, that office in Newcastle is not the tax but National Insurance, DHSS in Longbenton (a suburb of Newcastle), but as your UK pension is taken abroad it is not eligible for UK tax , but you may be liable for tax in your country of residence depending on local tax lax laws. If you earn more than the tax free allowance in the UK you will get a demand from the Inland Revenue or HMRC as it is known as now known.
In earlier times, seamens tax was dealt with by an office in Cardiff or thereabouts.

[Les Woodard]

I enquired about the UK pension real early and found out that I could pay into it to increase my pension plus as I later found out. The sheriff was also entitled to (I think it was 40%) of my pension even though she was Australian and never been outside the country. I too get just over 70 quid a week paid into my account every quarter (13 weeks). I am sure that I posted all this info on this site years ago. As said previously in this post. If on the income test then you loose fifty cents in the dollar on the Oz pension but if on the asset test then you get the whole amount. When the sheriff died made sure that I informed them and now just on the single UK pension that does help with cost of living. So Des if there is any chance that you are entitled to the UK pension I would advise to look into it as I had only paid tax in the UK for roughly ten years.