Grecian

Help! Having been very patient, my wife finally telephoned HMRC this morning enquiring as to when she is likely to have all her UK income tax rebated, we left the UK in September 2008, only to be informed that HMRC have not received her FD5.   We handed our completed FD5 forms into our local Impots office along with our first French tax declaration last May. I received my UK income tax rebate and new code about 3 months ago, so obviously my FD5 found its way through.   Her FD5 form has been lost by either the French or UK authorities, my money is on the UK end, which leaves us with the problem as to what to do now. I assume the first step is to contact our local Impots office again, (oh no another telephone call in French), [8-)] but what response can I expect? Will it be the case of completing another FD5 handing it into our local office, and then saying ‘bon voyage’ to that one, or can we take a copy of the original and get them to stamp it, and we sent it back to HMRC ourselves?   Any help on the above will be most appreciated, still a bit early to try and speak to Mrs Grecian, as she is still in the throwing objects around the room mode at the moment. [:-))]

dmackay41 I don't want to muddy your already very murky waters, and sincerely hope you are able to obtain an E121 either via IB or DLA. If you are able to obtain an E121 via IB are you aware that the new Welfare Reform Bill is now law, and within the bill it states that all existing IB claimants will be migrated onto ESA within three years. Basically the new ESA benefit is split into three different groups for claimants who are tested under the new medical test. You either fail the medical completely and are deemed fit for work, and placed on JSA which isn't exportable to France, placed in the limited capability for work group, or the support group. I really do not know what will happen to somebody living in France on IB at the moment if they are re-tested and placed in the limited capability for work group. Obviously the government will expect you to try and find a job, but as you will be living in France I don't see how that would work. I think about a third of the weekly payment in the limited capability for work group is based on the claimant looking for work, the other two thirds are paid as IB is now. So it could be the case that you may receive the two thirds of the benefit that is not linked to finding a job, but this could also mean that the all important E121 is taken away, and thus your healthcare cover. So if you are able to obtain an E121 via DLA, I think this would be a more secure method of obtaining healthcare cover in France, as the government has just recently backed down from taking DLA away from the under 65's in the recent green paper on social care. The conservatives supposedly opposed the abolition of AA and DLA, so however forms the next government DLA and CA should be safe for the foreseeable future. Once again I wish you luck in trying to obtain your all important E121, and hope soon you and your wife will be able to move to France.

DLA saved for the under 65's Link: http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=view&catid=13&id=12207 Unfortunately the statement still leaves the possibility that AA will be replaced, and existing claimants do not seem to have any transitional protection. We can only hope that The Tories will also leave DLA alone if/when they are elected next year.  

There is now an E petition set up on the Downing Street website for people to register their vote against the abolition of DLA and AA. Link: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/AttendanceA/

I feel very let down now Bugbear, there I was building myself up for massive downpour, and what did we get this morning, a 15 minute thunderstorm, better than nothing some might say, but it only managed to fill the water butts about a quarter of an inch. Still best not to complain, so I guess it's back to the hosepipe, and watch the water meter start to whizz around again. [+o(]

Now don't get me wrong, having spent the last 12 months in the UK before me moved to France living in West Yorkshire very close to The Pennines, where it never seemed to stop raining, I am more than happy to see the sunshine. But as it has probably only rained about twice in the last two months in Deux Sevres, the weather is causing severe problems trying to keep things alive in the garden, with no well, and empty water butts. [:(] I have to ask the question is this normal for France this time of year, or do we have to blame all les vaches, and their windy tummies causing the planet to warm up, thus making life really difficult keeping my veggies alive!    

Thanks Les, I have read the replies on the link you provided, and have decided to go with the RAC, sorry only joking. I will store my pdt in my cave without the powder this year, and see what happens.  

You could say it is 'only' a green paper at the moment, but with this weasel government in power, and probably a more rabid form to follow next May, I think people on DLA and AA should certainly sit up and take notice of what is being proposed, if as it states in the link there is very little public outcry at the proposals, then I guess it will become law. With the ongoing campaign being fought with DWP by members of this forum for the reinstatement of DLA, CA and AA, if victory is indeed won it could turn out to be a very shallow victory, if the benefits are taken away at a future date. I think signing the petition to keep the payments of DLA and AA as they are at the moment, would do the ongoing campaign no harm at all. http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1091-100-days-to-save-dla-a-aa-from-the-axe  

Hello plod, thanks for your reply. Yes, the greenery has has died back, and yes I have way overestimated the amount of seed potatoes I planted, so storage will be an issue. I didn't realise we are already into August now, so I suppose digging a month earlier than I would have in the UK would not be unusual, as we now live some 350 miles further south than we were in the UK, the last time I grew potatoes. If anyone has any tips on storage, I would be most interested to hear them.

Having not grown potatoes in England for a few years, I am a bit rusty how you look after them. I always thought the main crop potatoes were dug up in September, (that is what my gardening book says anyway), if you want to store them. I was informed by my French neighbour that the French dig their potatoes now, and put them in their caves for storage. So to all you ex-pat spud growers out there when do you dig yours? Now or September? Also I think I have read somewhere that you sprinkle a magic power on the potatoes, to stop them sprouting, can anybody tell me what this powder is called please. Now it is back to the garden to do battle with all those pesky mauvaises herbes.  

Well I am now in a position to answer my own question, and if my wife checked her e-mails on a daily basis I would not have had to ask the question in the first place. [Www] After reading her e-mail from CPAM, it explained that as we are due to travel outside France in less than a month's time, they have issued us with paper certificates that are valid in Europe for 3 months, we will be issued with our cards within the next 30 days, which will be valid for 12 months from the date the certificates were issued. The moral of this story is, if your wife applies for CEAM cards get her to check her e-mails on a daily basis. [I] Thank you to everybody who tried to unravel our mystery.

Hello Tony, Thanks for your comprehensive reply listing the various options available. I must say I am surprised to read that you have a devis for nearly 10,000 euros for a new oil boiler and hot water tank, I don't know what I would expect to pay for the above mentioned, but I wasn't visualizing that sort of figure. I will have to get a few devis (not sure what the plural for devis is), for a new oil boiler and take things from there. I will let you know what we decide to do, when we finally make our mind up.

Hello t.d, I would assume you could do a same day settlement if using the CHAPS transfer, as obviously your money would be received by 4X the same day. I personally paid for mine via a BACS transfer which took 3 days for the euros to land in my French bank account. Regarding the spreads, as it stands at this moment in time, if converting £10,000 into euros they are offering a rate 1.145, which is only 1 cent below the commercial mid-rate. If converting £20,000 into euros, a rate of 1.15 is on offer. Obviously the more or less you convert the rate will go up or down accordingly.

After reading this thread, I understand why this morning we received two CEAM certificates through the post as opposed to EHIC cards, but I am still confused regarding the status of the certificates. We have been issued paper certificates, can we expect CEAM cards to follow, or are they only issued in paper form? Also on the certificates under the Informations relatives à la carte section the expiry date reads 06/07/10, which would be 12 months from the issue date, but under the section Péiode de validité du certificat is states Du: 07/07/09 Au: 06/10/09, only giving us three months cover. Confused[8-)]

Having recently just used them, it's got to be 4X Currency Corporation for me, the whole operation is internet based, although their support team are very helpful on the telephone. You just sit there watching the rate fluctuate up and down, and hit the button when you are happy with the rate. Transactions upto £10,000 can be paid for via BACS transfer, anything above has to be a CHAPS transfer. Very tight spreads compared to telephone based operations. You have the option to spot or forward fix, the same as a telephone based company. The only drawback, and I guess it is the same with all other FX companies, if you do not open an account before leaving the UK, you have to send them a certified passport to set up your account.

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] Condensing boiler = chaudière à condensation. [/quote] Thanks SD, now why can't all French words be that easy?    

Having investigated our various options, we are considering possibly going down the solar panel route, and have got one devis for this option so far. If we were to go for a new condensing oil boiler, can somebody tell me what the French for condensing oil boiler is please, we asked our French teacher but she did not know. Once I have a few devis for this option, then it will be easier to make our decision as to what method of heating to go for. Any feedback much appreciated.

After 5 e-mails, two of them threatening BFD with everything I could think of, the package finally arrived today, 5 weeks after placing my order, and true to form moonraker, 10 of the 11 cans were dented, again not due to the way they were packed. Not only that, one of the items ordered was not in the box, even though it had been crossed off on the check list. I only received a reply to the last e-mail I sent them, informing them that I intended to telephone Bristol Trading Standards within the next 24 hours. This did provoke a response, and I was fed the excuse that my original package had been damaged and so they were sending a replacement. Quite funny that as the status showing on their website for my order, still showed processing right up until my last e-mail. To my mind this is a very poorly run company, that are not interested in repeat orders, only trying to rip people off in any way that they can. I would again advise anybody thinking of placing an order with British Food Direct to treat this company with extreme caution.

Thank you all very much for your replies, a lot of useful information within them. Chrissie if we go down the condensing boiler route, I hope we are intelligent enough to master using it! powerdesal/hillfarmer thanks for pointing out the possible pitfalls of a CB. Le Plombier once again thanks for your input, you have laid out our options very clearly. Just one dimmy question, is a heat pump the same as a geothermie?

I certainly do not want to kick anybody when they are down so to speak, but I think a read of the link I have provided from the yourable website makes for depressing reading. It would seem that even if anybody is sucessful in having their benefits reinstaed, they may well have them taken away in the future, from this oh so caring 'socialist' govenment we now have in power, and I guess by a future Tory govenment. Very interesting read as to how the Irish care for their sick, and a complete contrast from the continual attack on the disabled, pursued by the British govenment. Link: http://www.youreable.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=68627&tstart=0

First question does such an animal exist in France? We have taken the decision to replace our ancient oil burning boiler, hopefully with a new condensing boiler, or if an oil condensing boiler does not exist in France, then a brand new oil burning boiler, which hopefully should be more efficient than our existing 30 year old boiler, which I think will have used approximately 2000 litres of oil in a 12 month period. We have considered installing a dual oil/wood burning system, but not sure if the extra cost of installation would bring much in running cost savings. Or maybe splitting the hot water and heating into two separate entities, and using an electric chauffe eau for the hot water. I think the heat pump option would be too expensive upfront, and I am really not sure how the pipes could be laid under our existing stone tiles anyway. Again I think the LPG route would costly upfront as we would need to have a new holding tank and pipe work into the house. Solar panels I have no idea about cost and efficiency. So can anybody out there advise if condensing oil burning boilers exist in France, and if so any recommendations. All feedback gratefully received.

Thanks Le Plombier for all your advice, the drip is containable if I put a container under the valve, and empty the container regularly, so we are going to limp on with the boiler, and investigate our options for a new boiler of some description as soon as possible.

Your wish is my command Le Plombier, below is a view of the other gauge, and rear view of the already flagged up gauge. I am really trying to ascertain if the problem I have could be quite expensive to put right, and if it is the case I will limp on with it dripping, until I can be brave and make that phone call to a French plumber to give me a devis for a new boiler. At the moment my French is really only up to face to face conversations with an element of pointing, and use of a dictionary, but I guess I will have to be brave and try and splutter my way through on the telephone if needs be. [IMG]http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/Pauline7/Boiler2.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks Tandem_Pilot, I have slapped myself on the wrist for not reading the link before posting, although I did read the one about copyright before posting. Anyway I have now mastered how to use Photobucket, and have proudly posted my image on the forum. Thanks once again.

Well it has taken me nearly all morning to work out how to post an image within this forum, and after asking for assistance from other forum members, I have finally managed to post an image of the offending 'leaky' part. As I mentioned the water is dripping out of the big brass bit on the left of the photo, does this make sense to anybody out there? [IMG]http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/Pauline7/Boiler1-1.jpg[/IMG]