Problems

[idun]

Does anyone else ever have what feels like never ending problems with things french, in our case at the moment, the pension service.

Menaces that it would be stopped because we had not returned forms that they had not sent in the first place.

And then trying to get in touch with someone or log on.

Ofcourse they have changed things..... simplifiee... they say, but in fact when you no longer live in France and no longer have certain things french, you cannot log on. Sometimes not at all, or in some cases with  very limited access so you cannot actually do anything on your account you need to!

I have spent at least six hours trying to sort things out. Between phone numbers simply not working from the UK, or when you say who you want to talk to, it then says you have dialled the wrong number and there is no access to this number from the UK.

No email access either.

So we have had threats and systems put into place that will not give us proper access to do anything, ALONG with few proper telephone numbers and some staff who didn't know what I was talking about, fortunately not all.

There are many reasons why this is really terrible, one being that the clue is in the name, it is the pensions service, and we are old folk now. We do need things simplifiee, not made a LOT harder. And nigh on impossible to sort out.

Isn't as if this is the first time I have spent hours and hours trying to sort things out. Happened too often when we were in France too.

[NormanH]

I know what you mean about telephone numbers. I had the same with the UK last Autumn when I was buying a replacement for my mobility scooter and the only number given was an 0800 one.

In the end I had to ask someone in the UK to phone them and get a number I could call.

I have 3 TINY French pensions (one so small it is only paid once a year) but for each one I had  the same rigmarole.

I have actually found that things have improved though. I have had quick replies from les Impôts for example by using their internal secure email.

Even  the potential nightmare of the Naturalisation process went smoothly though very slowly.

The only major unresolved difficulty I have had across the two countries is with Santander bank in the UK who took over my Abbey National accounts with admittedly only small balances; closed them and although I can answer all the security questions over the phone they refuse to hand over the money unless I go into a branch in person in  the UK

[idun]

You NH will be able to access France Connect, we cannot, at all, so have this to contend with:-

La connexion sans FranceConnect ne vous donne pas accès à tous les services, mais à une offre limitée.

And this for people who are not in France, so much for 'Simplifiez-vous la vie'. And they know that this is no good for people who are not in France.

Phone numbers can be a nightmare.

What you can do about Santander, I do not know. I might ask when I go in with my friend later this week, we meet up for a coffee and then brownse the shops and she always calls into the Santander branch.

[NormanH]

Is there anything I can do from France Connect to ask for telephone numbers that someone abroad can access? There are plenty of French retirees living in Portugal and Morocco who must need to call..

[idun]

 Thanks for that.

The difference is that we are now completely under the UK system. Whereas french people living in other countries are probably still paying into the french system, which we were doing until the UK pensions kicked in and we no longer needed an S1.

And that is the thing, no more taxes in France either.

We are now, apart from the pensions independent of France. So the suggestions of Impots.gouv, Ameli.fr and l'identite numerique from La Poste do not apply to us.

I am pretty sure that we had problems with internet access when we were still paying french income tax, so doubt that even digging out old impot forms would work. Last time I tried doing anything with regards to the impots, it wanted a number from the last declaration, and ofcourse we didn't have a recent one.

However, with people moving about, we cannot be the only ones in this situation either. As a very helpful lady said today, they have changed the system and it has been very problematique! [Www] And no one knows when it will be sorted out.

Incidentally, she gave me a number that would not work and in theory it should have done, it was the only one she had.

[pomme]

I'm not sure if it what you want, but this page https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vos-questions/centres-contact gives the contact numbers of many of the services.

As an example, the Impôts Service entry states Depuis l'étranger : + 33 (0)8 10 46 76 87 (si votre opérateur autorise les appels vers des numéros spéciaux français)

and Assurance retraite gives 39 60 (ou 09 71 10 39 60 depuis un mobile, une box ou l'étranger)

[cajal]

[quote user="NormanH"]

I know what you mean about telephone numbers. I had the same with the UK last Autumn when I was buying a replacement for my mobility scooter and the only number given was an 0800 one.

In the end I had to ask someone in the UK to phone them and get a number I couldcall.[/quote]

If required to call an 08.......number in the UK I always check This site for a geographical number first.  Just click on the 'search to find an alternative number' (near to top left under 'Home') link, enter the company/organisation name in the box and I'd be suprised if you aren't successful. It hasn't let me down yet.

[idun]

Thanks pomme, good old l'assurance retraite have always had an easy number to find, and to use too. Helas their system is changing too, so I dread what will happen next with them.

ie today, I called and as etrangers, we need to use the post code 76000, but this is going to change. As until now Rouen has dealt with us, but everything is moving to Tours.

The impots do answer their phones, but we are no longer on their books, so they would not be able to do anything for me.

Sadly neither Info Retraite or France Connect are  on that list either, and re-inspired.............I have now ploughed through the internet have found a couple of numbers which I shall try tomorrow.

[NormanH]

1)

Thanks cajal you are mine of useful information [B]

2) idun

76000 as étranger is a new one! I have always had to use 99

[mint]

I use the same site as Cajal and find it works well.

[idun]

Cajal I use that site a lot for UK numbers and usually it is very good.

NH, once our application was made for a french pension and we were living abroad, the whole dossier was moved to Rouen ie 76000. For better or worse, they sort everything out.  And until now they have dealt with the it all.

No one made it clear and took quite some time before someone explained this to me SO on the top of some of my paper work, I have written in big block captials, USE 76000  AS POST CODE. A reminder for myself so that I do not inadvertantly tap in my old proper post code.

No idea what will happen in the future. Not good for us when we cannot contact people or get on line to do things.

This is not  as if we have not had major administrative problems in France. I am quite an old hand at sorting things out. Just galling that they oser dire........ simplifiee la vie[:@]

[pomme]

I got to that list through France Connect. As I understand it, France Connect is only a portal to access the various services without the need for a lot of specific accounts rather than a specific service itself.

Couldn't try the Assurance Retraite number I gave and ask them about Info Retraite?

[idun]

Thanks for looking.

l'assurance retraite gave me a number for Agirc Arrco and it will not work from the UK. Apparently I should speak to them, as there does not appear to be a number easily available for Info Retraite.

I found a new number last night, but won't hold my breath as to whether it will work.

When I said I had spent about six hours on this, well, we are now up to about 8 - 9 hours in total.

I dare not even try and work out how much of my life has been wasted sorting the paperasse out. [blink] As my best french friend says 'qu'est que tu veux!'.

[pomme]

Agirc Arrco give 0 820 200 189 as a contact number which is a premium number.

If you can, it might be worth getting a 2€/month Free SIM (or similar) for a mobile phone. I think you could then call any French number from the UK.

I assume you have have seen the answer in this web page https://lesexpertsretraite.agirc-arrco.fr/questions/1770851-appeler-etranger