Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 10:27:20 to 10:30:44
The department addresses the costs associated with permanent portability of the age pension and the specific circumstances under which other social security payments can be received while residing overseas.
Topics: Government spending, Public service staffing
Speakers: Hon Anne Ruston, Matt Flavel, Ellie Whiteaker, Unknown Speaker
Great. Senator Ruston?
Thank you. Um just following on from this portability of payments um debate. Um there was an article recently, if I recall um that claimed that the bill to Australian taxpayers for um people who um receiving an age pension who permanently reside overseas was 2.5 million dollars a day. Um and I think that is contained in the FOI document. Is that is that correct? Because that adds up to billion dollars a year.
I I'm not sure, Senator. I'm just not aware of that together.
Yeah, is it is it possible to where's the FOI from? Um it was released by the department it was LEX 56898.
Yeah, I'll have to look into that one, Senator. I don't have have that detail in front of me.
Yeah, I can just be interested if if um if they where there was some update in terms of that data. Um is it only the age pension that has um permanent portability? Well, you know, can you permanently reside overseas on an age pension?
Uh yes, however, it can there are small numbers of people in we covered this last time, I think there are small numbers of people um in social security agreements who um that were generally signed sort of um decades ago. There are some DSP and Kerer payment recipients who are also overseas, so um there may be others other than age pension who are um permanently overseas.
Okay, so in terms of the the the data set in relation to people permanently residing overseas and receiving Australian payments apart from the legacy options, are there any payments that currently you are eligible outside of the age pension to permanently reside overseas if you're applying to do so now?
Uh generally not permanently, and that's why we have and so instead there are a range of portability um arrangements that allow people to depart Australia and continue to receive payments while they're overseas, but again we covered this last time, they vary by payment type in some cases.
So that data set is is is available. So the the information that you provided last time, is that the most up-to-date information that you have?
Yes, it would be, yes.
Okay, thanks. Um then there there is no there is no further A data that's that needs is required to fill this data set apart from the
And indeed, um quant 783 in response to questions asked by Senator ASCII went to whether there was basically was around portability of working age payments which confirm the periods that people and circumstances in which people may be eligible beyond that.
Chair, that's me.
Okay, thank you. Yes.