Army veteran denied pension by Centrelink after being trapped overseas due to border closures
- Replies 23
After being stuck in Malaysia when the borders closed down, an Australian veteran says he felt like Centrelink told him “f**k you” after being denied his application for the pension.
Steve Hambley and his wife were stuck in Malaysia and could not apply for the Age Pension. Photos from news.com.au.
Steve Hambley has spent 21 years in the army and has worked as a corrections officer in Brisbane for 23 years. After retiring, the veteran and his wife sold their Brisbane home and travelled around for four years.
The application process for Services Australia’s Age Pension requires a submitted claim 13 weeks before the person reaches Age Pension age, which is 67 years old. Mr Hambley became eligible last year while renting in Penang.
When the pair was due to fly back home to Australia in early 2020, the international borders slammed shut, forcing the two to ‘ride out’ the lockdowns in Malaysia instead.
They tried booking several flights back home but were unsuccessful. At the time, airfare prices were beginning to skyrocket.
“I’m not in a financial position for the two of us to pay $10,000 in airfares then $4000-5000 in isolation costs,” said Mr Hambley.
“We were looking at anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000 just to get home.”
Arrangements between Australia and other countries for social security payments allow pensioners stuck outside the country to keep on receiving their payments.
However, the process for claiming Age Pension does not accommodate for people like Mr Hambley, who was applying for the first time.
When he attempted to apply for pension via the Centrelink website, the final part of the application process required him to attend in person.
“I contacted Centrelink and was told there’s no way around this,” the 67-year-old said.
“I sent emails to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, the PM’s office, the leader of the opposition. I got condolences from everybody – how sad, too bad. The PM’s office sent an email back saying thanks for your enquiry. Unfortunately, nothing can be done. That’s the rules, and that’s the way it is.”
Mr Hambley also recalled receiving a phone call from a representative from Services Australia, who told him he’s “been out of Australia too long” to be eligible to apply at all.
The 67-year-old veteran felt like the government handed him a “f**k you” after the call.
“If it was a politician having a similar issue, I can tell you they would sort it out,” he added.
Photo credit: Superguide.com.au.
Currently, Australia has international security agreements with 31 countries, with several more under negotiation. These agreements allow Australian residents to maximise their income and claim certain social security payments, including the Age Pension, while living in an agreement country.
The list of agreement countries includes Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Switzerland, and the USA.
Unfortunately, Malaysia is not currently on the list.
Mr Hambley said he and his wife were unsure of their possible next steps, and their finances were “dwindling fairly quickly”.
“Luckily, the dollar goes a lot further here,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services has already responded to Mr Hambley’s enquiries.
“It is a longstanding requirement of the social security system that a person must be in Australia on the date that a claim for the Age Pension is lodged,” she said.
“These rules are set in legislation, and there is no discretionary power to intervene and allow someone to claim the Pension while overseas.
“During the pandemic, the government extended portability arrangements to ensure anyone unable to return home because of Covid-19 could continue to receive payments.
“When Mr Hambley returns to Australia, he will be able to apply for the Age Pension.”
What are your thoughts?
Steve Hambley and his wife were stuck in Malaysia and could not apply for the Age Pension. Photos from news.com.au.
Steve Hambley has spent 21 years in the army and has worked as a corrections officer in Brisbane for 23 years. After retiring, the veteran and his wife sold their Brisbane home and travelled around for four years.
The application process for Services Australia’s Age Pension requires a submitted claim 13 weeks before the person reaches Age Pension age, which is 67 years old. Mr Hambley became eligible last year while renting in Penang.
When the pair was due to fly back home to Australia in early 2020, the international borders slammed shut, forcing the two to ‘ride out’ the lockdowns in Malaysia instead.
They tried booking several flights back home but were unsuccessful. At the time, airfare prices were beginning to skyrocket.
“I’m not in a financial position for the two of us to pay $10,000 in airfares then $4000-5000 in isolation costs,” said Mr Hambley.
“We were looking at anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000 just to get home.”
Arrangements between Australia and other countries for social security payments allow pensioners stuck outside the country to keep on receiving their payments.
However, the process for claiming Age Pension does not accommodate for people like Mr Hambley, who was applying for the first time.
When he attempted to apply for pension via the Centrelink website, the final part of the application process required him to attend in person.
“I contacted Centrelink and was told there’s no way around this,” the 67-year-old said.
“I sent emails to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, the PM’s office, the leader of the opposition. I got condolences from everybody – how sad, too bad. The PM’s office sent an email back saying thanks for your enquiry. Unfortunately, nothing can be done. That’s the rules, and that’s the way it is.”
Mr Hambley also recalled receiving a phone call from a representative from Services Australia, who told him he’s “been out of Australia too long” to be eligible to apply at all.
The 67-year-old veteran felt like the government handed him a “f**k you” after the call.
“If it was a politician having a similar issue, I can tell you they would sort it out,” he added.
Photo credit: Superguide.com.au.
Currently, Australia has international security agreements with 31 countries, with several more under negotiation. These agreements allow Australian residents to maximise their income and claim certain social security payments, including the Age Pension, while living in an agreement country.
The list of agreement countries includes Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Switzerland, and the USA.
Unfortunately, Malaysia is not currently on the list.
Mr Hambley said he and his wife were unsure of their possible next steps, and their finances were “dwindling fairly quickly”.
“Luckily, the dollar goes a lot further here,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services has already responded to Mr Hambley’s enquiries.
“It is a longstanding requirement of the social security system that a person must be in Australia on the date that a claim for the Age Pension is lodged,” she said.
“These rules are set in legislation, and there is no discretionary power to intervene and allow someone to claim the Pension while overseas.
“During the pandemic, the government extended portability arrangements to ensure anyone unable to return home because of Covid-19 could continue to receive payments.
“When Mr Hambley returns to Australia, he will be able to apply for the Age Pension.”
What are your thoughts?
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