Hi Andy, I’ve received a reply to the letter I sent to the Ministers. Basically, it says they may or may not do something sometime. Not a surprise. So of course, we continue being annoying. We should also write to the French end.
I’m happy to forward it, but will need your email address. Cheers, Judy
Hi Judith (and all)
I realise this post is over a year old. Any further feedback?
My situation is different to many; while I am retired and an Aussie (hopefully moving to France in the near future) I am on a Military Pension which isn’t controlled (as such) by the government in the same vein as a normal retiree/old age pension. We bought a little place in Olonzac a couple of years ago - and keen to get back.
Regards
Andre
hI Andre,
things are much as they were. The ambassador was just about to sit down with the French when…Covid struck and everyone had to go home. In the meantime, DSS and DFAT keep shrugging. We might get some ABC press soon, however. Initially, the ALP’s shadow DSS person, Linda Burney was most sympathetic, so I was somewhat shattered when Labor lost the election.
We have a very long list of signatories for any correspondence we send out (which have been many, by email), however, which seems to get us at least a response. Which is an improvement, I guess.
We also have a dedicated Fb Group called Australian Pensions in France (this is also our campaigning group’s name), if you would like to join. It’s a closed group and there are some questions for those who want to be members, since we’ve had some strange applications from places like Nigeria or Melbourne, Florida lately. But would love to have you join, and add your name as signatory for correspondence, if you like. I’ll need your email address.
One day we’ll see success, I hope, and before we’ve all run through what’s left of our Super.
Cheers
Judy
I’ve probably only worked 8 years in Oz, I’ll have to sit down and work it out. I didn’t realised that this meant I’d receive nothing at all (not having met the 35 year thing or living in France). What an awful situation. I presumed I’d get a part pension (like my French MIL living in the UK gets for her 10 years working here). I’m only 44 so I have a long way to go but scary that I won’t meet French minimum trimestres either so I’m a bit stuffed! My super isn’t much so won’t go far! I’ll have to plan to go and spend some time in Oz when the time comes, will that then allow me to get a part pension if I do the 2 years back ‘home’?
I really don’t know ! You can ask around at our Fb group Australian Pensions In France, if you like. It’s a private group, and we ask some questions for anyone wanting to join, but once in you could ask those questions. Could also query at the embassy, I suppose. I do have a feeling it’s a minimum of 10 years working in Oz, but I couldn’t say for sure. 35 years is for a full pension. Not sure why you can build up so some French points though. The best of luck!
Thanks for your reply but I don’t / won’t use FB. A real shame when you guys are discussing such important things that it is a locked group where others can’t learn from as well. I’ll keep an eye on this thread for any updates. Thanks Judith, I’ll look into the 10 year thing.
I’ve submitted a join request 
Hi Judith, I am interested in your FB group, I am planning a move to France in a few years and am investigating the super/pension/France access Bermuda triangle, can you let me know what I need to join,
Thanks deanne
I saw ! And accepted you
Hi Judith,
I have been offline and have just seen your message, thanks for the sign up! I hope you are doing ok and keeping well, best wishes for the new year and a massive reduction in covid cases…and the vaccination!!
FYI my FB profile name ends in Fletcher, I have just completed the join request.
Excellent !
Hi Judith,
Although a kiwi & not australian, I worked 10 years in australia before moving to france and working 20 years here. As time for retirement is approaching it’s painful to realise there’s not an agreement between oz and france for pensions! So many other countries, but not france! It’s beyond belief.
If you can keep this thread updated now and again with results of your endeavors, it would be appreciated. I don’t have a FB account, so I’ll continue investigating. This subject is important enough to me, however, that I might just have to get a FB account, I’ll think about that.
It is so rotten isn’t it!!! I’ve still got 20 odd years until I retire so I’m hoping things will have changed by then!
Hi all, well we are all still plugging away. We’re called Australian Pensions in France, which is pretty self-explanatory, though really we are working on any issues that pertain to the future financial security of Australians in France. They crop up every now and then - such as Superannuation, which apparently the French government doesn’t understand and therefore tends to tax. We have been urging both countries to sit down and come up with a Social Security Agreement, which would make us eligible to apply for the pension. Otherwise we’d have to move to another country (21 in the EU) with an SSA or back to Oz (where you’d have to wait for 2 years and swear you won’t leave again.
We’ve made a few friends and supporters along the way, on both sides of the oceans and in both parties in Australia. Pensions, super and voting have made their way into the Labor Party platform (at least as broad mentions), and an influential Labor MP has said Labor would be in favour of negotiations if/when in government. Supposing the French were willing, of course.
The current federal Ministers are uninterested, still, unfortunately, though there are LNP members of the parliament and the party who are onside. However, it’s the French who have actually taken the trouble to write back at length when approached.
We are not at all sure where we are now, since the Submarine debacle, and are still feeling our way. We did recently receive a letter from an official of the French government, by way of circuitous response to a letter we sent to Macron & Castex in June, when they were meeting with Morrison. Our newest correspondence, however, was written a few days before the diplomatic debacle, however, so…
Anyway, Australians who want to or a living in France and think they should retain their right to whatever pension they are due are welcome to join us at the Fb page (private) for Australian Pensions in France.
Very much appreciate the update Judith, it sounds like things are slowly moving. Appreciate all the efforts you are making.
As I think I mentioned last time I won’t be joining your FB group as I’m radically anti FB but will love to hear any other major updates if you think of us on here!
Have a lovely rest of the weekend.
Trying to understand why the Australian Government isn’t willing to deposit any earned pension into an Oz bank account and let the person deal with it from there.
I don’t think they should be obliged to pay anything abroad and allowing credits against another country’s pension mutually would have to have a political reason for both (and I can’t see a close enough connection Aus-Fr even before the submarine thing).
Have I really understood Oz is actually refusing to pay pensions earned? Is no one suing them?
I don’t really understand it all but as I understand it there are a great number of countries where you can live and still claim your pension. France is not one of them! I haven’t probably got enough to worry about too much but as I won’t have a ‘full’ pension from here unless I work until I’m 80 or something I imagine every little bit will count!
It is my super I’m really confused about. I don’t understand why it should be taxed differently to other pensions, they have similar things here with private pensions in your own name you can pay into so surely it isn’t that difficult for the fisc to understand!.
Provided you’re not asking Oz to pay to your local country and take care of any transfer yourself, and not asking to be paid by your local country’s system, and not asking for your years contributing in Oz to count in your local country’s system, then I am mystified why Oz would have a problem.
But then Oz has just locked up their own citizens and refused to let them leave Australia (unless they were politicians, sportsmen or Nicole Kidman apparently) for the best part of two years now.