ali-cat
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Posts posted by ali-cat
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What really peeves me off is that until mid July there will be no European Minister in the Government. Why? ..... so Glenys can collect her full MEP pension. If she left now it would knock an estimated £200-£300 off her pension a year. What a farce.
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I must say that I do prefer the soja pieces for cooking, as I find them more versatile and absorb flavours better. Another reason being, Quorn always seemed to give me really bad heartburn!! [:P]
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There are lots of “Biocoop” shops around which sell “Grillon d'Or” Protéines de Soja, petit & gros. The little ones are brilliant in chilli & spaghetti bolognese etc & the large for curries & bourguignon etc. They also do every bean & pulse you can imagine & I now make my own bean burgers, for next to nothing. Quorn I've never seen – but haven't missed it since I found the Bio Shop in Cognac!! [:D]
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Thank you Tony for your elegant words of congratulations! [:D]
I just want remind you of the dates involved in my case as I'm not sure they do overlap the ECJ ruling. My DLA was stopped on 02.08.06 on the grounds of having left the UK and I didn't appeal until 14.03.07 – well beyond the one month time period allowed. My appeal was accepted as my argument at the time was “I now understand that a legal case is being taken against the UK Government concerning the legality of refusing DLA to UK citizens who have moved abroad. This being the case I now consider your decision to be incorrect and that the explanation given prevented me from appealing the decision within the required period”. The ECJ ruling was not decided until 18th October 2007, so my appeal was literally “keep on hold” until the DLA branch evidently received instruction, which resulted in my letter today.
Don't know if that's of any help or consequence – but I hope it may help someone.
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Sam, as far as I can remember there are at least two test cases dealing with the exportability of the mobility component going through the Upper Tribunal at present. Since the ruling of the ECJ case C-299/05 I think it is being argued that mobility component should be regarded as a sickness benefit, as the care component now is. Depending on when you left Northern Ireland & if, like me your case/appeal was never closed regarding the care component, it may become an exportable benefit. I will PM you shortly with my letter.
Puzzled. I am in receipt of Long Term Incapacity Benefit – it's why I typed out the full paragraph as it struck me as a possible sticking point for others. I hope it's not another spanner the department is hoping to throw into the works.
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I received a letter this morning from the Disabilities & Carers Service, Belfast, informing me that:-
“From & including 02.08.06 – You remain entitled to the same rate of the care component. This is because your Disability Living allowance (care component) can continue to be paid whilst you are living in another EEA state or Switzerland. This is because you are in receipt of a state pension, Long-term Incapacity Benefit or Bereavement Benefit from Northern Ireland & because you are not entitled to any other benefits from abroad & you are not working abroad.”
I am, of course, still not entitled to receive the mobility component but can appeal that decision within a month, which I intend to do as it is now being discussed in Europe.
When I saw the envelope I automatically presumed it was yet another date for my tribunal – so if anyone wants a copy of the letter I sent to the Appeals Service, which the DLA branch could evidentially not argue against, please let me know & I'll send you a copy.
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[quote user="Poolguy"]
Mark
You have a Pentair (replica) pump
[/quote]
I do? Good grief!
Anyway - thanks Andrew you're a top guy. I'm reassured now, plus Mrs Cat has checked the life insurance policy and is keen that I get on with it[:D]
Mr Cat
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I've been meaning to clean the leaf basket in the pump pre filter for quite some time but haven't managed to remove the lid using hand pressure and didn't want to force and break it or use any tools.
Anyway, it can't be avoided any longer and looking at it logically all that seemed to be required is to close the skimmer and bottom drain inlet valves and set the muti-setting pump valve to total fermature, screw off the top, clean and reassemble. Just to be sure I googled a few sites, including the manufacturer's handbook for a similar pump, and was confronted with dire warnings of pressures sufficient to lift a small car, risk of decapitation and to move at least 10 feet away before switching the pump back on (difficult in a 6 foot square bunker and with normal length arms).
I have to admit that I had wondered about the system being pressurised and hadn't thought of using the pressure release valve to remove any residual pressure. Perhaps that's why I (luckily) hadn't been able to remove the lid previously. Now I'm a little daunted to say the least. Perhaps the dire warnings are the usual manufacturers' disclaimers and I'm just being a wuss?[8-)]
Mr Cat
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[quote user="Russethouse"]she'll light up puff all over me and tell me that smoking has never done her any harm.....[:@][/quote]
Flippin' heck! If I can get about as much, when I'm 89, I'll say the same. [:)] Oh, and all our walls are gleaming white, as we only smoke outside. [:D]
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[quote user="Cendrillon"][quote user="Clair"]Smoking is allowed on the terraces of bars, cafés and restaurants, when the terraces are not covered or when the cover is open.
[/quote]
Yes, same thing happens in the U.K. too. Just as you decide it is a nice day and it would be great to sit outside for your meal you then find you are surrounded by the smokers. [:(][:@] grrrrr!
[/quote]I don't want to sound to blunt – but tough!
I would imagine you sit, during the winter months laughing & sniggering at smokers that are forced to go outside to have a cigarette because of the new smoking laws, but now the summer months are here it's not quite so funny.
I wonder if the polls to ban smoking had been held in the summer would they have given the same results. Just goes to show you should be careful what you wish for.
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Hi Grecian.
I can't guarantee that this is the correct procedure but :
When we first moved over our IB was taxed in the UK. Rather than taxed directly the UK revenue reduced our tax free allowance which meant more income tax paid on occupational pensions.
We subsequently applied to have IB not taxed in the UK on the assumption that the French tax system is more progressive which is even more likely now that the UK 10% rate has been abolished. IB is entered against Pensions, retraites, rentes on form 2047K and carried over to box AS on form 2042K. Only our civil service pensions are exempted from French tax under the double taxation treaty.
You are correct that possession of an E121 exempts you from (the minimal) social charges. The form of words we use is : "Titulaire de formulaire E121, donc je ne suis pas a la charge de l'assurance maladie".
More than happy to be corrected.
Mr Cat
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How about an “I'm the son of a Tory Counsellor Police Association” as I'm sure they would be in a minority & would get a pretty rough time out there.
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My tribunal on 29th May has been postponed ..... yet again. Apparently they were all ready to proceed, next Friday, until I sent a letter to the Appeals Service detailing all the latest developments & Interim Decisions etc.
If my health wasn't so bad at the moment I would have considered returning to Northern Ireland, to attend in person, as I had been informed that it was definitely going ahead. That would have been 4 flights, accommodation & car hire paid for – for nothing.
I guess I just sit back & wait ..... yet again.
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[quote user="cooperlola2"]When black people - and women of any race - have REAL equality in the workplace and elsewhere, we white males may have something to grumble about. Until then, guys.....[/quote]
Sorry, I completely disagree. There are enough organisations to deal with inequality without starting up groups which will only lead, by their names, to more distrust & suspicion among it's members. It was said earlier that the support offered to Dizaei is probably racist – of course it is, just like some will say the charges against him are racist. If it was being looked into by a totally independent organisation I would have a lot more faith in their comments.
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This is something I have wondered myself .... & not only about the Police Force. The same argument could be applied to many things, including the MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin Awards) - is there an award ceremony for Music of White Origin ..... that would be described, by many, as racist without a moments hesitation.
I used to work in the Training Branch, where courses were run for women only, to help them progress up the corporate ladder – why? I always felt it was totally sexist & if a course had been run specifically for men there would have been an absolute outcry.
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I don't know for sure (I imagine someone else will! [:)]) but it could be looked upon as dangerous, as they would not be reflective & therefore possibly illegal.
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[quote user="PaysansG"]ali-cat - have sent you a pm [:)][/quote]
Thank you! By chance do you have an English translation of the interim decision!! [blink] Think I'd better print it & try reading it again!!
I had just PM'd DR before I saw your post & have sent him my details.
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Is it possible to give me the gist of the relevant information? My appeal is on 29th May & as I can not attend I am sending a letter for consideration by the tribunal. I haven't had to make a fresh claim for my DLA & my case seems to have always been handled differently from all others on the forum, but I would like to have as much information as possible.
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Just a quick update – for those who may be interested!!
Tried it in our bedroom, on the wooden veneer floor - & it's gleaming!! Absolutely chuffed!! [:D]
I then (even though it had been turning off for 5 mins) used the remaining steam along the bottom of the kitchen cupboard doors (you know the carved bits, which always looks dusty & grimy – well, they do in our house because I can't bend down to clean them!!) & they are now spotless!!
Only problems – I keep spotting things, around the house, I want to steam & the bits I don't do look even worse ..... & after 15 minutes or so, with all the steam, I really do end up looking like Dougal!! [:-))]
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We have a combination of monthly and annual interest Sterling income to declare. Looking at the site for monthy rates posted by Coops, using the 'official' rate of 1.04 or 1.10 provided by the French tax authorities would be very advantageous to us.
Still seems morally dubious to me though even if it is within the rules![;-)]
Perhaps the French authorities are throwing us Brits a lifeline?
MR Cat
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You definitely have to hoover first. It basically is a hoover (the word 'mop' is rather misleading) which rather than sucks, blows out hot steam. Mine came with a washable mat, which you attach to the “hoover head” & picks up all the loosened dirt on the way (that makes it sound as if my house was pigging!!) but an old dish cloth etc. would do the same thing. For really bad marks on the floor you just remove the mat & use the hoover head brush directly. I haven't tried most of the attachments yet – but there are ones for curtains & deep crevices etc.
One word of warning – due to the nature of them, they always squirt a lot of hot water out at the start (even if you leave it for a few minutes – to change plug sockets or refill etc.) - I have found sticking it out the window, until it starts steaming, works better than their recommendation of having an old cloth ready for that purpose. I also (usually) check that Mr Cat isn't on the other side of the window first!! [Www]
It can be used on laminate, but I'm not sure about a solid pine floor. To be honest I can't see why not. It is 'drier' than mopping so won't soak the wood – but I have, so far, only used it on tiles. We have veneer flooring in the bedrooms, so I will report back when I've moved upstairs to clean!!
It is also, from what I've read, a God send when it comes to defrosting the freezer!! [:D]
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Oh!!!! I've just looked yours up on goggle!!
My 11th commandment ..... “Thou must not covet other forum members steam mops”!! [:D] It looks fantastic!!
Isn't "mop jealousy" a terrible thing!!
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[quote user="puzzled"]
Have you or rather did you have ingrained dirt ? [:$] My tiles are light coloured and no amount of mopping with any type of cleaner (and I've tried them all!) gets into all the nobbly bits.
I have been researching this [geek] and I think a 4 bar cleaner will do the trick . I have seen the one I want but it's a little more pricey than some of the steam mops I have seen, do you think yours would do the trick?
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Sorry for only replying now but I decided to try out the other attachments on the worst part of the hall floor, this morning, to check for you!! Our tiles are a terracotta type style with little 'pits' - & the ingrained dirt is unfortunately still there. But I can honestly say that after doing the lounge, hall, utility room & entrance porch it did remove marks that mopping never would have. The Polti Vaporetto Pocket is very small, with 3 bars pressure, so I think anything larger would do a fantastic job as far as I'm concerned!!
Under normal circumstances, because of my back, I have to mop one room at a time & leave a few days in-between doing each – I've never done so much with so little effort.
But one more major disadvantage I discovered today ...... it didn't half make my hair go curly!! [:-))]
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Well, it's official!!
I now have the cleanest kitchen floor in France ..... well, in Charente Maritime ..... well, in the street - & there are only are 2 occupied houses here. [Www]
I picked up my steam mop, from Super U yesterday & did the floor this morning. It has a fantastic hoover like brush head, which when used with the cleaning cloth leaves the tiles sparkling. It is so clean it actually squeaks when you walk on it! It was really easy to use & put very little pressure on my already defunct back - & the floor was dry in minutes.
The only problem was that when Mr Cat & Ellie came in from the veggie patch, their mucky foot & paw prints were even more noticeable!!
DLA some movement
in Health
Posted
[quote user="dragonrouge"]NI do things somewhat differently to the mainland. Lots of things are devolved to NI including DLA and the like. Obviously I am Welsh and certain things are devolved to Wales but not DLA. I am not sure but is DLA and the like devolved to Scotland and is there evidence from Scotland on the same point? Obviously this information from NI is very useful in any Tribunal on the mainland for whilst it is not as easy 'They have it in NI why cannot I have it here in England' but it can be used simply that NI have interpreted the law differently so are Blackpool at fault in their interpretation? Or are things that different in NI? The law is the law wherever it falls.[/quote]
Since receiving my letter last week I can't help but wonder could there is any difference between Northern Ireland & the Mainland. Northern Ireland still falls under the UK Government Benefit guidelines and therefore all legislation should be the same.
That aside – I've also spent most of the weekend mulling over the working in my letter with reference to the wording that you must be receiving IB or a state pension (& not receiving any French benefits or working). It's not a stipulation if you live in the UK so could it be to do with NI contributions? In the UK you can receive DLA if you are working or on benefits – so you are either paying NI contributions or receiving credits for it. I fear that this could be another hurdle for anyone who is not receiving IB etc. and is appealing their decision. I really hope it isn't going to be another problem, but it may be something to watch out for.