E 109 and taking a part time job

[Hereford]

A friend (yes - really), is living here in France but her husband works still in the UK so her healthcare is covered by an E 109  (if that is the wrong number then I apologise).  She is under UK pension age.

She would like to work for a few hours a week (if she can find a job) but is concerned that her health cover will be withdrawn.  Does anyone know, or have experience of talking a part time job in these circumstances please?  If she just worked 4 or 5 hours a week that would not get her into the French system I assume so does that mean she could take on that many hours?

Thanks a lot

Mrs H

[Will]

No doubt some people have tried it and got away with it, but the reciprocal healthcare system clearly states that if your situation dictates that you should join, and contribute to, the French health and social security system, you must do so and not rely on E Forms.

That reflects our own current situation. I pay tax and NI in Britain. Mrs W is salaried, on a part time basis, in France so she and her employer pay into the French system. She also has an autoentrepreneur business, which complicates things slightly, but is irrelevant to this situation.

If you do insufficient hours to be accepted into the French system (I believe it is equivalent to around 16 hours per week at the minimum wage) then presumably you could carry on with the E109 cover, but you would have to check that with whoever issued the E109.

[Tony F Dordogne]

Your friends really needs to check this out with Newcastle.

If she pays into the French system and qualifies for French benefits in any way or form, it is likely that France becomes her competant state and as such, her entitlement to cover from HMG could and should cease.

However, as Will has intimated, people can and do circumvent the system but if she gets caught - and the current information from HMG and claimants/recipients on E forms is increasingly difficult - both her and her nusband as the insured person, could find themselves in the mire.  It's not only a case of her losing her cover, her husband is required to inform the issuing authority of any changes that may effect his dependants.

[Hereford]

Thanks to you both, Will and Tony.  I will tell her to telephone Newcastle.  She only wants to do up to 6 hours a week but still needs to get the position clear.

Mrs H

[Sunday Driver]

I'm not sure how the OP's friend could circumvent the system.

If she gets a job, then her employer will pay her social security contributions directly to URSSAF.  URSSAF will notify CPAM and if the level of her contributions entitles her to health cover under the criteria of employment, then CPAM will amend her record accordingly and cease claiming E109 payments from the UK.  If her contributions are insufficient to qualify, then her health cover will remain under her E109.