I really think you will have no choice - Centrelink will move you to the Age pension as soon as you reach 65. Your wife may be able to apply for carer's pension then. However, if you do not have a sufficient disability, she will be placed on the Newstart allowance, and be expected to either look for work, or do I don't know how many hours of voluntary work. There's no partner allowance any more.

I think you will automatically be changed to an aged pension once you reach 65.

Good luck to your wife finding work as it is not easy if she has been out of the work force for a long time.

Phyl.

On the Aged Pension claim form, i can choose to either take the Aged Pension or stay on Disability Pension when i turn 65 in May.



Your replies suggest that if i go for the pension, my wife will automatically come off the partner Allowance, is this correct?

If you really do have a choice, stay with the Disability Pension, with your partners allowance. Otherwise, your wife will lose out. with the partners allowance.

Jonno depends if your wife was on Partner allowance prior to 2003 when it was discontinued. If she was then she will stay on it if you are changed over to Age Pension.



I think you will find you get changed over without anything being said. Happens to most. But they may have changed it - go ask.



Look here.



http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/partner.htm



Partner Allowance is $409 per fortnight. Same as Newstart for married folk.

G'day everyone,





My experience in this dilemma is as follows.



If you have a Carer and then progress to the age pension, you still keep the carer.

So obviously you need to have a Carer if you are on Disability.



So that when you are transferred to the Age Pension automatically, your partner will still be your Carer and still recieve the Carers Payment.



Best to see your Doctor and discuss the matter, but do take the Carer Application forms to the Dr. with you. ( They are availavble at Centrelink) (or download and print)



Cheers Charlee.

PS. Further to the query.



If you are already a Customer of Centrelink you DO NOT apply for the Age Pension,

they automatically put you on it.



But the amount received is the same, the benefits are the same for the PERSON who was on Disability.



It seems to me , you are concerned about you wife. Fair enough , I suggest you take the Carers forms to your Doctor ASAP.





As soon as you have your birthday you will no longer qualify to have a Carer.



Then the whole thing changes, you start with Community Help etc.



WHOLE NEW BALL GAME.



Sorry , but I think the sooner you sort this the better.

Cheers

Charlee.

Charlee he said his wife is [b]already on Partner allowance[/b].



So she will remain on it when they change him over and they just do it automatically on his birthday as I said unless they have changed it since I last checked.



Nothing on the data base so I think he will be okay and remain on the same payments as right now.

Your wife would be rather lucky to receive an allowance if you are able to work and earn $300 a fortnight. Wouldn't they say why do you need a carer?

Your wife would be rather lucky to receive an allowance if you are able to work and earn $300 a fortnight. Wouldn't they say why do you need a carer?



Phyl You must read the original post!



Jonno

If a woman is not caring for her husband who is working and receiving a disability pension how can she get Government money at just 58?

sounds pretty good if she can....

I did not realise these perks were available and just always worked lol

Hello again,



How things change. What is true today will be very different tomorrow.



Oh well, we are trying to help after all.



Maybe the earnings will confuse the issue. Cant need a Carer if you can work.



Maybe the wife will go to work and support the old age pensioner, who knows?



Cheers.

Charlee.

Hello



Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate your input. Let me rephrase my question.



1) I would like to know the disadvantages (if any) of changing from Disability to Aged Pension (Centrelink has given me the choice of staying on DSP or being an Aged Pensioner, i hope they are not misleading me on this).



2) If i sign up for the Aged Pension, will my wife lose her Partner Allowance and be placed on Newstart (she is not getting a carer allowance).



Have a Happy Easter



Cheers





Jonno

I reckon the only way you are really going to find out, is to go in to a Centrelink office. Be sure that you ask all the right questions. Am I able to choose? Will my wife still have a partner's allowance? What are the benefits - what are the downside? Centrelink is so complex - what was in last year, is out this. We've mostly all had different experiences, not always to our own benefit..