stan

[quote user="Sprogster"]It was be nice to have an update from French Fancy as to how they got on with their search for a French mortgage, as it is nearly 10 months since their post. In response to Stan, the credit market is a lot tighter than it was two years ago and most French lenders these days only lend to French residents, as foreign second home owners are seen as higher risk. There are I think some lenders still prepared to lend to foreign second home owners like GE Capital, but you pay a higher interest rate and have to take out life insurance with them, which can be problematical if you have a health condition or are over a certain age. [/quote] Thanks Sprogster, I did not realise the original post was 10 months old. I replied to it as it was on the current list of topics, however, I cannot see the post I replied to..it has disappeared ! I thought the lenders would have tightened their criteria in view of recent financial calamities, but was not sure. You are correct though, it would have been nice to have an update from French Fancy.

2 years ago, I obtained a French mortgage for my present property here in France, whilst resident in the UK. I only had to prove my income with my P60 and pension payment slips. French Fancy, I have Pm`d you some details of this, but cannot guarantee that things have changed, as per comments on this post, in the last 2 years since.

Mines is exactly the same as yours, so you are not wrong, obviously an issue at the tax office.

After doing a bit of digging of a quiet Sunday, I have just answered my own question. All yoghurt is "live", apart from those that are UHT or "long life". The thing that threw me at the supermarket was that all yoghurt I picked up was marked as pasteurised and I was thinking there would be no "liveness" in it if it were pasteurised, however I have found that "live" yoghurt is made with pasteurised dairy products, hence the labelling, and that the "bifidus" type bacteria strains are added to some products as an extra, like Activia to stimulate the friendly bacteria in the gut. So, thank you to all contributors, much obliged.

I cannot find anything other than creme fraiche in our local SuperU. Can anyone out there tell me what "live yaourt" is in French is and maybe a couple of brand names. I need it to marinade some chicken for a curry. Thanks in advance.

[quote user="sid"] I assume that you meant all 4 sets of pads, and not just 4 single pads? There are 2 pads to each wheel brake caliper, so that's 4 pairs.  [/quote] It was 4 pairs, pads for all 4 wheels. I don`t think they were budget ones either as it was just over 200€ to have all 4 pairs replaced. I did`nt see them do the work either as I left and collected the car when finished. I have checked for the receipt/guarantee and seems to have misplaced it, so stuffed anyway, however I will go back to the outlet that changed the pads and ask them to check, possibly asking for a duplicate "facture" as I know the exact date they were changed. Thanks to all who replied, much obliged.

5 months ago I had to replace all 4 brake pads on my 4x4, which I did at a known garage chain here in France. Today I had all 4 tyres replaced at another garage following an advisory during a recent CT. The tyre fitter today has issued another advisory saying that the rear brake pads are worn down and need replaced. He did not seems to believe that the pads were only 5 months old. I take it brake pads, as with most new car parts are subject to some guarantee? Or due to the high wear and tear, brake pads are not so guaranteed? I am just picking readers brains on this before I go back to the outlet to complain.

Thanks Quillan, just what I wanted, much obliged.

[quote user="John Shelton"]As I see it, if you want anything other than electric heaters in your rooms the options are radiators, which need pipework, fan-coils (heating and cooling) which need pipework and cables (which you already have), or an air system which doesn't need pipework or cables but does need ducting.  Maybe it's possible to run insulated pipes in your attic space and drop down into the corner of each room to feed a fan-coil or a radiator, but either way you will have some disruption.  You can go round and round in circles wondering what to do for the best, but I think it's worth your while contacting the people who supplied our system (they do ducted air systems too), since we found them very helpful when it came to discussing what we wanted and fit us up with the best arrangement.  At the very least it might help you to dispel some concerns and give you a clearer idea of what you do/don't want to do. [/quote] Thanks again John, I don`t have an attic, so dropping pipework down is not an option. The easiest way round this for me is to have an exterior fan system outside and to run the insulated pipework to feed the "inverteur" type heating/coolling units and electrical wiring, directly through the stonewalls and into the gap between the plasterboard, where I can sort out sockets etc, hence my queries about exterior cabling etc., but I will get in touch with the company whose details you kindly forwarded me. Thanks again.

Thanks to everyone who responded..your advice has been most helpful. Looking at this project logically, I now rather suspect that Geothermal heating in this way will not be possible. I am now looking into the possibility of still using "pompe chaleur" technology for heating the house, but using the air/air convertor systems. One problem I have is that the house has been renovated and re-wired by an artisan who did not think to tell me that all reniovated properties considering electric heating, must have dedicated circuits for each radiator/air fan (correct me if I am wrong re this please !) This being so, the only way to run new wiring around the house without the use of ugly trunking or ripping through plaster, is to run electric cables from the mains electric circuit box to ouside the house and back in via the stone walls (tuffeau built old farmhouse), which is possible physically, although I am not sure how regulations would dictate this. Any thoughts or advice kindly appreciated.

For the last couple of years we have heated the house here in France with a woodburning stove in the kitchen and portable electric heaters in the living room, bathroom and 3 bedrooms. The house is pretty well insulated and, apart from a winter burning wood bill of about 1000€ and 8 weekly electric bills of about 200€, the heating situation is not too bad considering the house is 160m2. During the winter when the air outside is below freezing, we can see quite a bit of steam blowing out of a disused well, about 40 feet from the house. The well is about 25m deep and the water below is about 1m deep in the winter, and about a foot deep in the summer (drained probably by the farmer next door). I am looking into the possiblity of a heat pump system for heating the house in winter and cooling in the summer, and thinking of the possiblity of "tapping" into this heat from the well. If possible it would simply be air fan heaters/coolers inside the house as I have already renovated and have no wish to rip things up to install pipes for hot water to radiators etc. Does anyone have an experience of this type of source energy for their heating?, or point me in the right direction for any advice. At the moment I do not want to contact any artisans for devis until I know that it is possible, or even allowed.

My sincere codolences to you and your family. It was only a couple of weeks ago that she answered a query for me on this forum. I did not know her, but am saddened none the less. Take care.

Thanks folks..I anticipate that I may have no tax to pay and receive a credit, so that probably explains how I may be one of the last in line to receive these documents.

[quote user="Suandpete"]We haven't had ours yet, although friends living nearby have. [/quote] Thanks for that. I was thinking that maybe they don`t process the online one as fast as the first declaration last year, which was handed directly into the tax office.

I was wondering if most resident readers here have received their avis for 2011 revenu yet. This is the 2nd year that I have submitted and the first year my declaration has been submitted online. Last year I had my Avis at the beginning of August with my credit d`impot cheque following a couple of weeks after. ( I should be due something this year too!) This year I have not had anything yet through the post. In my "personal space" on the French tax website, there is nothing either, other than last years avis on revenue, last years Tax d`habitation, and this years demand for the Tax Fonciere. We had a temporary postie in our area this year during the August holiday season and word was that he made major muck ups with the post. So, am I being impatient?..or have the majority of residents already had theirs?[8-)]

Thanks NormanH..I checked the bank statement and the difference from the mutuelle had been refunded. The mutuelle had sent an old statement in error. Sorry, my fault...mid life moment! We are both covered 100% with the top up (minus the 1€ forfait).

Along with myself, my wife went to the doctors for a consultation recently. This is the first time, with the exception of registration purposes that my wife has visited her "medecin traitant". We both have a top up mutuelle. When the statement of healthcare costs arrived from the mutuelle, I noticed that my 23€ fee was refuned 100%, whereas my wife`s 23€ fee was only refunded at 70%, meaning only 16€10c was refunded. Next to the 100% refund of mine was highlighted " PAS DE COMPLEMENT SOINS REMBOURSES 100% PAR L.A. SS", whereas my wife had highlighted next to her 70% refund "PRESTATION DEJA REGLEE" I have emailed in my best French, my mutuelle (Euroassurance) for them to explain this, or to point out a possible error, but they have not bother replying, hence my post here, hoping that someone will know what this means exactly in relation to these healthcare fees.

[quote user="cooperlola"]It is 8% of your RFR (income less allowances which is on your tax "avis") - plus you will be liable for 6% social charges on your total pension income (that amount maybe reduced if your income is low enough.) EDIT : I do not know if the injury pension income is taken into account - I assumed you'd declare it somewhere on your French return but perhaps not. Maybe somebody else knows?[/quote] Thanks for that Copperlola. No the injury pension is not declared, neither is the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. My RFR takes into account all our income (which is my pension only), but excluding the income in the previous paragraph. So, if the RFR is the total pension income, we would only pay 8% of this?...or is it 14% (ie 8% + 6%)?

Just a further thought (covering all the bases!). If it happened that my wife and I were allowed to join the healthcare system, is there a French website or calaculator to work out what sort of monthly charge would be applied to our income for healthcare? I am assuming that my works injury award pension part (which is not taxed in the UK and not declared here for tax purposes) would be taken into consideration in the calculation.

[quote user="cooperlola"]When we were lobbying for the healthcare rights of those pre-retired people already living here before the cut-off date, this was one of our concerns(ie what would happen if an ICB E121 (as opposed to the retirement version) were to be withdrawn for any reason?  To be honest with you, this aspect of things was left hanging somewhat since our little lobby group pretty much fell apart once the majority's problem was sorted.  However, the line from the French health minister then was certainly that the "accident de vie" provisions should cover such an eventuality (ie if you could not get private cover to the required standard because of your medical history)  even though we were vehement in our assertion that the provisions were not worded precisely enough to give the caisses involved the same message! I think that somewhere in  dusty file somewhere, I may have a copy of her letter, or that of the UK ambassador at the time.  I'll try to find some of it for you but I won't be back home now until September. With luck, it won't come to that anyway.  Let's hope so. [/quote] Thank you very much Cooperlola, that sounds promising. here`s hoping, as you say, that it does not come to that.

[quote user="cooperlola"]Theoretically, reading your post, you would not qualify as you were aware that you had your medical problems before you moved and that was after the cut-off date.  However, I reckon that you'd have a good case to apply under the accident de vie provisions, since you were not aware that your E121 would be withdrawn, and this all asssumes that it will be! [/quote] Just going back to the first reply from Cooperlola. I was thinking of the options should the healthcare be withdrawn, and whether the preovisions of the "accidente de vie" would apply on the basis that I would not be aware that the E121 would be withdrawn. Another reply suggested that the "accidente de vie" provisions would not be applicable in my case, however I was just thinking of an anomaly that may be to my benefit. The E121 (and subsequent healthcare) was issued on the basis that I have an underlying entitlement to Incapacity Benefit (although I do not receive any monetary benefit). This is because I am unable to work. The UK DWP are giving me a medical which may rule that I can work and so I lose my healthcare. My UK Govt pension is in 2 parts, my ill-health pension and an injury award, both of which equate to roughly the same amount, although the latter is not taxed. The pensions, as I have said, are governement ones, and therefore somewhere along the end of the line, must be administered by the DWP. When I was granted my injury pension, it came with (legal) certification that the level of pension reflected the fact that I was unable to work because of the effects of my injury. This cannot be changed and following a recent court case, is payable at that level until death. So the DWP are contradicting legislation and the opinions of their own doctors (the doctors who sign off and sanction elegibility for that particular govt pension) if, following a medical, another doctor ( arranged by the DWP via my CPAM) says that I am fit for work. Surely a good basis for appealing should this occur. Going back to the provision of the "accident de vie", surely in these circumstances, there is no way I could have forseen the DWP taking the course of action that may happen (ie I am found fit to work and lose healthcare), totally outwith my control and contradictory to what was decided 3 years ago when I was found unfit to work by the Govt sanctioned doctors. Anyway, all this worry and huffing n` puffing may just be for nothing. I will wait for my medical and see what happens. I would just like to thank everyone for their kind comments, support and advice and hope this may help others who may find them in the same situation as myself.

[quote user="cooperlola"]I believe that you are confused!  Stan is the disabled one, his wife is the carer. What would happen I wonder, Bettty, if one were put on ESA but earned too much to keep it once it wasmeans tested?  OK you might lose the money, but do you lose the S1 too?  One is a benefit and one is the right to healthcare (the EU equivalent of your getting free NHS treatment if you'd stayed in the UK) so they are quite different, imho.  Has anybody any more idea than I of how the EU would treat this?  I reckon you would have a very good discrimination case in the European courts although I'm sure you wouldn't want it to get that far, Stan. [/quote] No, Cooperlola, I would not want it to go that far, but would if there was a significant chance of winning! I just find it annoying that the question is over the right to healthcare, which would be free to us anyway in the UK, and it is the UK who pay for our healthcare here anyway via the E121!

[quote user="Grecian"] Can I ask you if you have an appointment for your medical yet, and if so how long did it take for CPAM to send you the appointment. My wife has been waiting 4 months since being informed by DWP that she will have to have a medical here in France. [/quote] I received a letter at the beginning of July from DWP stating that they had written to CPAM and to expect a date for a medical. If it is months down the line, that would be good as it would mean just a little less time to make up a 2 and a half year period up to the 5 years when we can subscribe on the basis of a French person. Thanks to Russethouse and all others for the info on the benefitsandwork website. I have been a member of this for about 5 years now and fully appreciate and understand the workings of the DWP and ATOS in relation to this cost cutting exercise. With the help of B&W, I have successfully claimed and received DLA Care and my wife, Carers Allowance. I also fully appreciate that it is meant to sift out the timewasters and malingerers, but as per the Panorama programme, it appears not to dustinguish much between these people and the genuinely disabled and incapacitated. For myself, I keep saying that I am simply trying to be prepared for the worst (ie losing healthcare here), but then again possibly I am underestimating my disablement, and all may be ok. In any case, from what I have read, the medical is probabaly better to be held here that in the UK.

[quote user="Grecian"] Can I ask you if you have an appointment for your medical yet, and if so how long did it take for CPAM to send you the appointment. My wife has been waiting 4 months since being informed by DWP that she will have to have a medical here in France. [/quote] I received a letter at the beginning of July from DWP stating that they had written to CPAM and to expect a date for a medical. If it is months down the line, that would be good as it would mean just a little less time to make up a 2 and a half year period up to the 5 years when we can subscribe on the basis of a French person. Thanks to Russethouse and all others for the info on the benefitsandwork website. I have been a member of this for about 5 years now and fully appreciate and understand the workings of the DWP and ATOS in relation to this cost cutting exercise. With the help of B&W, I have successfully claimed and received DLA Care and my wife, Carers Allowance. I also fully appreciate that it is meant to sift out the timewasters and malingerers, but as per the Panorama programme, it appears not to dustinguish much between these people and the genuinely disabled and incapacitated. For myself, I keep saying that I am simply trying to be prepared for the worst (ie losing healthcare here), but then again possibly I am underestimating my disablement, and all may be ok. In any case, from what I have read, the medical is probabaly better to be held here that in the UK.

[quote user="Debra"]Stan - is your injury covered 100% by the UK government when you live abroad?  I know that injuries caused by service in the armed forces, for instance, are covered in this way - you apply to the consulate for reimbursement of charges if the medical care received is for that injury.  If this is the case, you could still be covered 100% by a combination of private healthcare with that injury excluded by the policy but covered by the consulate.  In which case you wouldn't be able to access the CMU like cooperlola suggests (by reason of being unable to be covered fully otherwise) and then it's the expense that is the problem rather than actually being able to be fully covered. Is the this case for you; that it's the expense that would force you to move rather than being unable to be fully covered for healthcare? [/quote] The injury has been deemed an "ALD" here in France if that is what you mean. Unfortunately my injury is such that I generally need no treatment other than prescription pain relief  for which I receive my "ordonnance" every 3 months, other than that I receive daily medication for a related medical condition which is not classed as an ALD here. My wife has not visited the doctor at all other than first registration since we got here. Prior to my medical retirement, I was in receipt of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, but due to the legislation of the pension scheme, the amount I receive for that (£180 per month) is incorporated in the injury pension award, the downside of this is that I would have been entitled to 2 years healthcare in France for that injury via the IIDB route. As it is, I was advised (by the DWP) to claim an underlying entitlement to Incapacity Benefit which gives myself and my wife the healthcare in France via the E121. Now the big hand of the DWP may taketh that away!! Cooperlola suggested a small business set-up. We have a cottage on our land which was formerly a gite, which we could probably do up in the event we lose our healthcare, and maybe get back into the healthcare system that way if feasible. As I have said though, it is possible that I may retain the healthcare following my medical, but it is good to be prepared if it all goes t*ts up.