S1 from France to UK

[Cathar Tours]

I was dealing with my fathers tax during which somebody told me to mark a box for my father having an S1 from the UK and it got me thinking. Seeing as my father lived in France paying all his taxes and social payments for the last 19 years and being now 65 but being repatriated back to the UK due to ill health will he be able to claim an S1 from France to give to the UK? If so who do you ask, how to apply and who to give it to in the UK?

[NormanH]

I thought that if he was a British citizen he had the automatic right to free treatment by the NHS, even if he has returned from abroad, so would not need an S1.

I presume he has an NHS number and a UK NI number.

[idun]

Oh it isn't as simple as that.

If your father worked in France, had a business or was an employee, then until his UK state pension kicks in, he would need a french S1.

If that is not the case, then no, he wouldn't. That was how it was when we returned to the UK.

We had a french S1 for 5 years or was it 8 years, cannot remember, as our case was complicated, but once the UK pension kicked in, then we stopped paying social security payments on the french pension and no longer needed a french S1.

And I shall add that the french were very slow in issuing it and Newcastle were chasing us for it...... what a job it was, as if chasing paperwork is not always a BIG JOB!

[Cathar Tours]

He recently drew his UK state pension and automatically received a UK S1 in France.

So what your saying is that because he already receives a UK state pension, does not pay NI in the UK and has not done so for the last 19 years it does not matter his healthcare is covered in the UK?

Does seem a bit crazy but then on the plus side I guess if the UK leaves the EU he/I won't about any S1 being cancelled or invalid.

[NormanH]

This may help:

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs25_returning_from_abroad_fcs.pdf

It covers a lot of things which are likely to be of use to your father.

There is a section on Doctors Dentists and Hospital treatment:

In the UK, NHS emergency care and primary care (deliveredby GPs, dentists, pharmacists, optometrist,111 telephone helplineand NHS Direct Wales)is free for all. The UK has a residency based systemfor secondary care. This means provision of freeNHS non-emergency hospital treatment is based on being ‘ordinarily resident’in the UK, not on your nationality, payment of UK taxes or national insurance contributions, owning a property, being registered with a GP or having an NHS number. If you area British citizen, you have automatic right of abode in the UK. If you have been living abroad, you pass the ordinarily residence test on resuming settled residence here and are immediately entitled to free NHS non-emergency hospital care. If you take regular prescription medication, bring sufficient supplies to last until you can register with a GP in the UK.It is helpful to bring a copy of your current medical records (translated as necessary) with you. If that is not possible, your doctor abroad may be willing to prepare a summary including key facts about your medical history, e.g.significant surgery, current medical conditions and medication, and allergies/adverse reactions to medicines or procedures such as fitting a pacemaker.

[Cathar Tours]

Thank you, another thing I/he does not have to worry about.

[NormanH]

It is really worth reading and downloading that link as contains pages of useful information on all sorts of things plus telephone numbers etc.

[Cathar Tours]

Actually I have done just that. If there is any problem I can wave it in front of them.

Just as a point of interest if he is no longer resident in France what does he do with his CDS? Would he get a receipt if he sends it to them to say he is no longer a resident? I was thinking along the lines of proof i.e. I used to be a French resident but I no longer am and here is a letter to prove it.

[EuroTrash]

I'm not sure it would make any difference. A cds doesn't prove you are a French reisdent and it doesn't oblige you to live in France, it simply proves you have acquired the right to live in France which is not the same thing.Your father acquired the right to live in France by exercising FoM in accordance with the EU FoM Directive. I believe the right lapses automatically after he spends 2 years living outside of France but until then he has the right to return and resume living there if he chooses to do so. I don't think France can take that right away from him even if he asks them to. Keep it as a souvenir or destroy it.

[idun]

Right, so there is no problem, he receives a british pension and lives in the UK....... so that means that he simply has a right to be in the NHS, just like we do now, being eligible for a UK pension and living in the UK.

The reason we did not have that 'automatic' right, was because we were in receipt of a french pension and paying stoppages on that pension in France, and therefore France was obliged to issue an S1. (Said french stoppages stopped once the UK pension started).

And I was not kidding about the hassle I had from Newcastle overseas dept about getting the S1, and they insisted that as soon as I received it, that I faxed it over to them immediately.

NH, if I haven't misremembered haven't you got a french pension, and there fore cannot have an S1 from the UK???? Have I misremembered?

And british people who work in France and get enough trimestres for a pension, will surely be in the same situation, paying all the stoppages that french pensioners have to pay and no S1 if they remain in France.The thing would be getting enough trimestres for a french pension.

All this can be complicated, but not in this case.

[idun]

And a footnote. We had actually considered moving to Ireland at one point, and I called the correct officials there and was told that if we moved there, we would have to have a french S1, not a british one. Ofcourse the french stoppages would have started again[Www] and we decided against it, then, but who knows what the future will hold!

[Cathar Tours]

I thought it said somewhere, the back of the CDS perhaps, that if you move you need to tell them and get a new one. The fact he is now resident in the UK means they will (or should not) issue him with one.

Anyway all that hustle to get one (CDS), the worry about Brexit etc. and it was all rather pointless in the end. That's life I guess, you never know what the future holds.

[idun]

Just keep the card, along with, hopefully you still have it, his ferry/tunnel/plane ticket of the day he moved back. Then you are covered.

What initially surprised me was that your Dad is my age, and made me think, as to how we all differ. When my mother was this age, everything had to be done for her, literally. And I still sort everything out for us, sometimes friends and for my kids. Makes me thankful for my own half decent health.

[Cathar Tours]

Well the thing is your pretty lucky but my father had three strokes in the course of a day and was left on the floor of his home on his own for two days before anyone got to him coated in his own urine and faeces. Being incredibly independent and doing all the things he did he probably thought himself tough as old boots and to be honest so did I. Mentally he suffered a lot during those two days.

When he didn't reply to an email and the following day did not answer his landline or mobile I phoned the nearest police station to him that sent somebody round and found him.

He is lucky, very lucky perhaps even incredibly lucky. One thing about being ex military they do look after their own. He is now in a home supported by the RAFBF who not only found him a place but transported him there from France (so no tickets I am afraid but there are documents) and when fit enough I have found him a place at RMBI sheltered accommodation just outside Croydon because he has a brother and sister in the area and it is easy for me to fly to Gatwick and drive round to Croydon to visit. When I saw him the first time it was a massive shock, he was very different to the previous time I saw him.

Still as destressing to him my mother dying was he did get off his bottom and move on and certainly seized life and was able to do several things he was unable to do before because my mother didn't like them. Like he said, live for today because you don't know what tomorrow brings.