BBC One Show - 9 Jan

[Will]

Did I hear right?

As from 6 January British people in France will no longer be entitled to the two and a half year period of free health care - at least not until they reach retirement age. Apart from the other errors, it's that word 'free' again.

It was on a piece about people taking early retirement to Spain, where they apparently get free Spanish cover for 2.5 years, and then find themselves without health cover, having expected to be covered until they draw their state pensions. Unless they take on private health insurance. Apparently Valencia does give them heathcare, but no other region does.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/theoneshow/article/2008/01/jr_paininspain.shtml

[Ninthace]

Another lobbying opportunity - already sent in my tenpennorth with links to http://www.french-property.com/newsletter/2007/1/9/ and FHI

[Benjamin]

It's difficult to see why they bother paying researchers who keep coming up with these inaccuracies when there is so much correct information to be had for free (oops sorry Will ).

[cooperlola]

Ah the media, don't you just love 'em?  Never spoil a good story for the sake of the truth....

[Will]

One of the early Spanish retired featured on the prgramme was forced to go back to Britain and work one day a week. That way he and his wife could get free treatment on the NHS in Spain, this was necessary because his wife had developed a health condition and they found, to their shock, that their period of free Spanish health cover had run out.

Why is it not that simple in France? [6]

[cooperlola]

And why isn't PHI as cheap in France? (Don't bother to reply, I know the answer!)

[Sunday Driver]

What about this BBC article linked from that site - [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2258477.stm]Anger at expat heating cash[/url].

No wonder we don't get much sympathy from the home country.....

 

[Deimos]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

What about this BBC article linked from that site - [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2258477.stm]Anger at expat heating cash[/url].

No wonder we don't get much sympathy from the home country.....

 

[/quote]

Maybe somebody should point out to the

guy how much the NHS is paying to treat French people resident in the

UK - whilst those Brits in France have to pay (or be paid for).

Ian

[Jo]

There is an article in the Telegraph Sat Jan 5th, which seems to imply that those of us who had been planning to move later this year, and had taken on board that, as early retirees, we would need to get health insurance to cover us after our E106 had run out, will now not even be entitled to the two years cover offered by the E106. I quote: "Thousands of Britons living in France will lose access to state health care when new regulations come into force tomorrow........The deadline also marks the end of many Briton's right to state health cover which is paid for by the British Government for up to 30 months after they move abroad."

Does anyone know if this is indeed the case, do we need to arrange private cover from day one?

[BJSLIV]

No you are reading it incorrectly.

Virtually all E106s expire on the same date , 6th January . What it is saying is that this date marks the end of healthcover for the many Brits whose E106s expired on that particular day. 

Another batch will see their cover end next 6th January and so on.

[makfai]

[quote user="BJSLIV"]

No you are reading it incorrectly.

Virtually all E106s expire on the same date , 6th January . What it is saying is that this date marks the end of healthcover for the many Brits whose E106s expired on that particular day. 

Another batch will see their cover end next 6th January and so on.

[/quote]

January is significant because 'Benefit Years start on the first Sunday in January - this year (2008) that was 6 January...next year it is the 4 January 2009 BUT not all E106s expire at the end of the Benefit Year and all holders should check their own documentation.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Jo"]There is an article in the Telegraph Sat Jan 5th, which seems to imply that those of us who had been planning to move later this year, and had taken on board that, as early retirees, we would need to get health insurance to cover us after our E106 had run out, will now not even be entitled to the two years cover offered by the E106. I quote: "Thousands of Britons living in France will lose access to state health care when new regulations come into force tomorrow........The deadline also marks the end of many Briton's right to state health cover which is paid for by the British Government for up to 30 months after they move abroad."
Does anyone know if this is indeed the case, do we need to arrange private cover from day one?
[/quote]Mea Culpa, Jo, because I did check that section of the Telegraph piece myself.  Sorry if the wording caused you and others to panic.  It applies to those whose E106s ran out in Jan, and as you say, could be interpreted otherwise.  Profuse appoligies - but there is no sign of an end to the E106 cover for UK citizens.

"How they work :
> Form E106 is issued where a non-employed person transfers their  
> residence to another EC country, but has 'residual' entitlement to  
> Incapacity Benefit - Short Term (IBST). 'Residual' entitlement means 
>  that the contributions conditions governing the award of Incapacity 
>  Benefit are satisfied and if the customer had remained in the UK 
> and  claimed benefit that benefit would be payable. The duration of 
> E106  cover equates to the duration of IBST had the person claimed 
> the  benefit.
>
> E106 entitlement is awarded in line with 'Benefit Years' which run  
> from the first Sunday of January to the Saturday prior to the first  
> Sunday of January the following year.  We investigate the National  
> Insurance (NI) contributions record of the 3 complete tax years  
> prior to the Benefit Year in which a person leaves the UK. If those  
> tax years show sufficient NI contributions E106 entitlement is given 
>  to the end of the Benefit Year in which the person leaves the UK.   
> When entitlement is established this way we would look to extend  
> this by considering contributions paid in later tax years.  I have  
> set out below an example to illustrate this.
>
> A person leaves the UK on 1 July 2007 to reside in another EC  
> country.  The person worked for an employer paying earnings related  
> Class 1 NI contributions and ceased working on 30 June 2007. The 3  
> complete tax years prior to the current Benefit Year are those  
> running from 6 April 2003 to 5 April 2006. Sufficient NI  
> contributions were paid in those tax years giving initial  
> entitlement to 5 January 2008 (end of the current Benefit Year).  
> Sufficient NI contributions have also been paid in the 2006/2007 tax 
>  year to extend the E106 cover to the end of the next Benefit Year  
> which is 3 January 2009.  If, in addition, the person had earned  
> enough (approximately £4,350) to pay sufficient NI contributions  
> from 6 April 2007 to finishing work on 30 June 2007 the E106 cover  
> would extend to 2 January 2010. This would give total entitlement  
> from 1 July 2007 to 2 January 2010.  It would not be possible to  
> extend the cover beyond this point as NI contributions would need to 
>  be paid in the next tax year, which would not be possible as the  
> person would by then have finished working and would have left the UK.
>
> Forms E106 are issued under Article 19.1(a) of EC Regulation 1408/71."

[Jo]

Am I also right in assuming that when we have been resident here 5 years we are able to join the French system? Not a problem for my husband who will be in receipt of his pension and eligible for form E121, but should he pass away before I reach retirement age, I have been informed I would receive widow's benefit for a year then nothing until I reach retirement age, ie 65. So I am thinking no pension, no form E121, no health cover? We are more than happy with health insurance to cover us until he reaches 65, but given our age difference I could be left with having to fund myself for as much as 12 years, just something I would like to be aware of, if indeed, it is the case. Hubby is delighted, sees it as some sort of guarentee that he will be well cared for.... waited on hand and foot..... every whim catered for...... just so he lasts till I am 65[:D]

[cooperlola]

Jo there are two scenarios where you would be covered.  1.  If you have lived here 5 years and 2. If you suffer an "accident de vie" - the death of a spouse is considered to be such.  In  both cases you have CMU eligibility (whether it's de base or complementaire would depend upon your income).  Your UK state retirement age will also be lower if you were born before April 1955, so you could qualify for your own E121 at an earlier date than your o/h.

[Joshua]

Can I just add to that,

If you are a lady, and you are born between 1950 and 55 you can find out when you retire

The DWP website has a facility where you put in your date of birth and your gender and it gives you the actual date of retirement and the point when you should get your retirement pack.etc.

Joshua[:D]

[Tony F Dordogne]

What happens if you're not a lady but are 'just' a woman?

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Tony F Dordogne"]What happens if you're not a lady but are 'just' a woman?[/quote][:D]Good point, Tony.  Especially as nobody who has ever met me ever describes me as a lady!

Anyway, the age moves by a year, from 1950 onwards but roughtly, for those born in 1950 or before retirement age is 60; '51-61;'52-62;'53-63;'54-64 and '55 at 65.  Plus very recently of course it's gone up again but I doubt if that will be relevant to too many of us....[Www]

[ams]

I guess the possibility the elderly people might just need the allowance for air conditioning during the summer heat waves may have just escaped their collective notice. i guess the thousands of elederly people that died in france not so long ago is a rather distant memory.

 

ams

[Jo]

Thanks for that cooperlola, hubby's not smiling so widely now![:P] I was born '58 so I'm assuming my retirement age is still 65.[:(]