Jump to content

Request for confirmation that we're still alive


minnie
 Share

Recommended Posts

The State Pension folk have sent us a form which we have to sign to confirm that we're still alive. Much of the form needs to be completed by a competent witness. Our french friends said to go to the Mairie and they'll do the confirmation. However, I can't imagine that anyone there is able to read english let alone fill in a form. I reckon that we'd probably need a proper translation for them. Anyone done this before. If so who did you use, and did they charge?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did this last wednesday and the secretary signed, added the address and officially stamped it. They know us, small village, but if you don't know them you should take ID i.e. passport. We started to explain but surprise, surprise, we were not the first and they knew exactly what it was and what it was for. So you shouldn't have any problem.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

PS. Send it back registered post signed for just to be on the safe side. If it does not get back or does not get back on time they put your pension on hold and it has hapened to a few people (in the UK, it's not just for us living abroad) because they have simply ignored the form or ahve been late getting it back.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Total confirmation of Quillan's post.

We've just had the same forms & it was done and dusted at the Mairie in minutes. No charge - it's quite normal.

BTW, the Secretary or Adjointe's sign off is perfectly acceptable to Newcastle - I rang to check.

It would appear that these forms are going out en masse. Good thing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since OH received his first form 3 or 4 years ago, they have certainly lengthened the list of who can sign it.

Then, there were only 3 possibilities; a consular official, a notary public and a Head of Police.

I see now from my own form that a whole host of bods can sign, including minister of religion, care home manager, dentist, pharmacist etc etc

Must have had protests from people that they couldn't just drive off on a half-day trip to their consular office or didn't want to pay for a swearer of oaths and so on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="woolybanana"]Maybe they have decided to stop squandering money on such things.[/quote]

Isn't like that and I cannot cut and paste things off it, it is just like quite a few french forms I have had dealings with since I left.

It is one form, quite simple just one language after the other ie             

Demeurante - Whose address is - Wohnhaft in - Con domicillio en - Residente - Morada - Adressi

and then the lines to fill in. Easy peasy.

The form from our car insurers was just the same format when we left France.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mother is in a Maison de Retraite and quite unable to understand or even sign anything. When she received a "proof of life" form a year or so ago the MdeR gave us a "certificate of presence" which is apparently what they issue (constantly...) for the French old dears.  Newcastle were quite happy with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I currently get 4 of these per year.

I take them into the local CA bank and they sign and stamp them for me. No charge either.

Oddly enough, I actually signed two for some friends last week as one of my old professions is acceptable to Newcastle.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The deed is done. Thanks everyone for your advice. Once we went in and said that we had some Government forms the secretary finished the sentence by saying "to show that you're alive". It was done and signed by the Maire in a few minutes.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rang to ask Newcastle whether they had the form in French and they said yes!  They were happy to email the form to me and did it immediately, and that's the one I took to the Mairie. The Maire's secretary was very pleased to see the form in her native tongue and all was signed, stamped and returned.  So I now have definitive French proof that I still do exist.  It might come in handy again...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose when you think about it they have to send it out in English because then they at least know that everybody will be able to read it.

Automatically sending them out in two languages would be wasteful and not an efficient use of taxpayers money.

Shame you didn't scan and post them for others [blink]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I said previously, the french send this form out in six languages all on one form, next time we get one, I'll copy it and post it.

Doesn't cost the tax payers anything extra, because it is done really really simply and intelligently......... well done french fonctionnaires! And well done french insurers for doing the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems not to be a problem at Mairies. The secretary does not speak English but if the layout of the form is always the same whatever the language then they know what to sign and what to look at. Even our French neighbours do it with their french forms and she said that they get people living locally from any number of EU countries coming in for this. You live and learn!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
OMG

This is not how France is supposed to operate - several languages???

The OH has a small NHS pension and the managing company for the NHS (which we are often informed has translations of its documents into 50+ languages) said categorically the proof of life document was available in 2 versions - English or not at all.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really do wish I could get a pdf file to copy onto here. And I really do agree, France is and should be a one language country, however, they want this information from other countries and so have a very neat way of doing their forms.

I have no idea how my local job centre would cope with filling in a french form in french, daresay they would not want to touch it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...