tinabee

I would double check again (specifically with Xafinity Paymaster) whether your pension is Government or not. I am pretty sure that Xafinity paymaster pay Government pensions on behalf of local authorities for other services. AFAIK, Xafinity Paymaster is not the same as the Paymaster General's Office.

[quote user="Catalpa"]Coops, try the "wayback machine" - just enter the website address of FHI. It's surprising what is archived and still available. [/quote] It works! [:D]  

Our postie did ours with what looks like a Dymo type product. It's been there over 5 years now and no sign of fading. Maybe they have a special machine [:)]

It certainly was an excellent site and I have referred many people to it over the last few years. Thanks again to all who contributed, especially Cooperlola for untiring perseverance.  

[quote user="Diane"]Hi After living in France for 8 years I've recently become divorced (in France), previously myself and our  two children were entitled to French Health Care under the E106 in conjunction with my ex-husbands status.   My ex-husband is no longer living in France, does anyone have any experience of a similar situation or advice about my entitlements for health care post divorce.  [/quote] Since you have been living in France more than 5 years, then you are treated in the same way as any French person. There is info here on the AMELI website about healthcare after divorce http://www.ameli.fr/assures/droits-et-demarches/vous-changez-de-situation/votre-situation-personnelle-change/en-cas-de-separation-ou-de-divorce.php I would also recommend that you go to see your assistante sociale to see if there are any other procedures you need to follow to get support

If anyone wants to check whether they are receiving the correct age related allowance, I have created a small spreadsheet to help. NOTE this is just for people who are between 65 and 74, who are in receipt of a UK state pension AND have UK taxable income, e.g. a Government service pension. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am2vUo1_NQtkdHVVY1J3bjZPMG9BZ0hVMFJsOW0yd3c The situation of someone who starts to receive their state pension this year is as follows: Initially the tax code will go DOWN (even with the addition of age related allowance) since the state pension is using up some of the personal allowance. Once the France Individual form is processed and state pension is not assessed for tax in the UK, then the age related allowance will apply in full (if applicable) The spreadsheet shows the 2 different tax codes that could result. NB I am not an expert and cannot guarantee that these calculations are correct in all cases, but they have worked in our case. Hope this makes sense to those people in this situation

[quote user="tinabee"] Another form to fill in for the UK tax authorities is the P161 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensioners/approaching-why.htm This is to allow HMRC to calculate whether you are entitled to an additional "age related" allowance against UK tax. Details here: http://www.which.co.uk/money/tax/guides/tax-and-allowances-for-older-people/age-related-tax-allowances/ Once you have completed this form, they will completely ignore everything you put on it and send you a basic allowance tax code and invite you to contact them to tell them it is wrong - [:@] I will let you all know the outcome of attempting to recitfy said error as the saga unfolds.   [/quote] Update:  rang the tax office this morning on +44 135 535 9022 and after much discussion they agreed that they had provided an incorrect tax code and they will amend the code to include the appropriate age-related allowance.

Try contacing the local Trading Standards office for advice - the person(s) may be known to them.

Another form to fill in for the UK tax authorities is the P161 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensioners/approaching-why.htm This is to allow HMRC to calculate whether you are entitled to an additional "age related" allowance against UK tax. Details here: http://www.which.co.uk/money/tax/guides/tax-and-allowances-for-older-people/age-related-tax-allowances/ Once you have completed this form, they will completely ignore everything you put on it and send you a basic allowance tax code and invite you to contact them to tell them it is wrong - [:@] I will let you all know the outcome of attempting to recitfy said error as the saga unfolds.  

Keep an eye on your tax code for the UK. In any case, fill in the "France Individual" form and submit it with your next French tax return http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/france-individual.pdf That way, both tax offices know officially that you are French resident, and any tax that may have been taken at source in the UK can be reclaimed.  

[quote user="woolybanana"]Thank you guys for your suggestions and Norman for the detailed reply. I'll start hunying this weekend and see what I turn up. Trouble is the weather is too good![/quote] Have a look on http://www.assurland.com/assurance-sante.html - it will give you an idea of cover / prices / etc. Second the feedback on MAAF - but (fingers crossed) never had to test the service in anger, just regular, GP-type stuff.

[quote user="idun"]Haven't you missed a 0 off that price per m².[/quote] Possibly not?  Building land around here ranges from 5 to 35 euros per sq metre

[quote user="Rivington"]  The land is about 3,000 sq m and can be built on, as it once had a little house on it, although it is landlocked and surrounded on 3 sides by fields. Is there a generally accepted price for such land? [/quote] It is worth a trip to the Mairie to check the local land plan. Just because a parcel of land once had a property on it does not necessarily mean that the land is still classed the same way. The Mairie should have either a Plan Local d’Urbanisme (PLU) or a Carte Communale, showing the different zones in the commune, i.e. which is building land, agricultural, protected, etc. This info will at least give you a better idea of the value of the land.

[:-))][:-))][:-))]

By far the cheapest way to get French healthcare cover is to work. This is not as onerous as it seems for the early retired. To qualify you need to earn 60 * SMIC (9euros an hour) within one month, or 120 * SMIC within 3 months. This will qualify you for healthcare for 1 year. So if you can find temporary, full or part-time employment which pays 540 euros for work carried out within one month then you are covered for the next 12. There are often very short, interim  or seasonal contracts on the Pole Emploi website that may suit English-speaking community . . Just a thought . . .[I]

The only other deduction I can think of is the "CSG deductible" from a previous year . . .

Has your girlfriend claimed actual expenses for work travel etc, rather than the standard 10% reduction?

[quote user="idun"] Were there any foreign inactifs in France pre 1999 and what happened to them? Didn't they just pay for their health care as the poor of France had to? And they were the people that the CMU was brought in for, the poor of France. [/quote] I would imagine so, but of course now inactifs must have comprehensive health insurance to have the status of being legally resident.

[quote user="Keni"]As some of you know, we are described as 'inactif' - our friends might not agree with that, looking after the bees and allotment, however we are due to lose our S1/E106 entitlement in December. Even though we are on low income, we would happily pay a contribution to CPAM/CMU for our healthcare in France, same as we did in UK. We are, at present healthy, but if we could, say pay a contribution per month for the two of us of 50 euros, and we kept our mutuelle going, that would be no problem. I think that would also be good for the French economy - us paying them not an insurance company. I think it would also sit well with others in this position. Though I realise there will always be those trying to 'break' the system.[/quote] According to the new rules you should be able to join CMU. The process used to be to get a letter from the UK saying you are no longer entitled to an S1/E106, then apply for CMU. If it was me, I would also take along a copy of the French circular which explains the latest ruling. Good luck - there are people who have been allowed back in, so keep trying.

Hi This will only apply if you are planning a trip to the UK (or having visitors come by car) before the end of the year. Superdrug have many products on offer for half price (plus lots of other offers) on their website http://www.superdrug.com/12-price-on-selected-skincare/icat/hpskincare_2011e11/ and there is free delivery in the UK up to the end of the year. Just stocked up on toiletries for the coming year and made quite a substantial saving [:)]

This may also help - it's English, but as with most things to do with French bureaucracy, not simple! http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/inheritance/  

[quote user="Daft Doctor"]I'm looking into the concept of buying a LHD car in the UK (CofC notwithstanding of course) ahead of our move to France, as it might save quite a bit buying in the UK if the right car was available. The problem is disposing of my current vehicle other than by auction, private sale or that web-based company which has had bad press recently. All the LHD dealership websites I've looked at talk only of taking LHD cars in pt-ex, but I wonder if anyone who has bought a LHD car in the UK from a dealership was able to pt-ex their RHD vehicle? I guess ebay or gumtree might be other options, any experiences? Thanks as usual for any insight.[/quote] Yes, the Left Hand Drive Place in Basingstoke. I traded in an old, practically worthless RHD Xantia, and got a few hundred for it. http://www.lhdplace.co.uk/ They also helped sort out French insurance - probably not the cheapest, but quick, easy and English-speaking. The CofC wasn't a problem either, since the car I bought was already French registered.[:)]

[quote user="meiklejohn"]What’s people's experience? For example TdF is 500 Euro. Will my TdH be roughly the same?[/quote]   ours are close if you exclude the TV licence fee from the tax d'hab bill

You could check out some prices online at this price comparison website http://www.assurland.com/ There are also some good guides on the site (what's included, how to cancel, etc) http://www.assurland.com/assurance-blog.html I do have a recollection that it can be more expensive to take out insurance with a new insurer the older you get, so do check carefully. I am sure GAN will have options to adjust your cover (and cost), especially if they know you are considering changing supplier.

Agree with the "no shampoo" posters. Also, I have had success with this product http://www.hairsupermarket.com/p/4631