Phil has just discovered he is eligible for the Australian pension and wants to know when his payments will start.
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Q. Phil
I have tried to find out info about my claim but I have only had automated responses from Centrelink, so was hoping you could shed some light on the possible outcome in my situation. I arrived in Australia from the UK in 1957 and left just as I was about to turn 30. I worked in Australia for around 14 years after leaving school when I was 15. My work history included a stint in the Royal Australian Navy. I did not think I would be entitled to any pension from Australia as I no longer reside there. However, I discovered the Irish have some agreement with Australia, meaning you can apply for entitlements from here. I applied last January and was soon after sent a request for further info, which I duly returned and have heard no more since. Will any payments I may be entitled to be paid from the date of application or just from the actual date of any approval? There does not seem to be any clarity on any site I have found.
A. Under the terms of the social security agreement between Australia and Ireland, most government payments are paid from, or just after, the date on which the application is made.
For Australian payments, you must lodge your claim and all supporting documents at the same time. If you don’t, your claim may not be accepted.
Under the agreement, you can also add periods of Australian Working Life Residence to your periods of coverage in Ireland to meet the minimum requirement for the Irish State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Transition), Invalidity Pension, Widow/Widower’s Contributory Pension, Bereavement Grant and Guardian’s Payment (Contributory).
The Irish pension authorities make all decisions about Irish payments. For more information about Irish payments, you should contact the Irish pension authorities.
Do you claim your pension from overseas? What problems have you encountered?
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Disclaimer: All content on YourLifeChoices website is of a general nature and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It has been prepared with due care but no guarantees are provided for ongoing accuracy or relevance. Before making a decision based on this information, you should consider its appropriateness in regard to your own circumstances. You should seek professional advice from a Centrelink Financial Information Services officer, financial planner, lawyer or tax agent in relation to any aspects that affect your financial and legal circumstances.
