Re: Pension Verification Form

[Gardian]

Being the joyous recipient of four occupational pensions (three of them are piddly, so I'm not wealthy!) I regularly receive these forms. For those not familiar with them, they basically ask whether you're still alive and for someone else to corroborate it. All totally necessary & appropriate.

Got one the other day. It's a new Pensions Administrator and he's obviously struggling with the right form of words.

"We need to hear from you within eight weeks with satisfactory proof of identity" ........... = "Are you still with us?"

""It is important that we continue to pay pensions to the right people" ............... = "Not if you've snuffed it".

Best bit was the witness section though. This one wants somebody of 'good standing'. That rules out my French neighbour Michel, I haven't seen the Priest for ages, and I don't want to sit in the doc's surgery for ages. I rang to ask if a retired Brit ex-head teacher would do? With some obvious reluctance, it was agreed. Clearly too, some disquiet that a potentially dead pensioner should ring with a question.

I should have given them a French friend who has a Provençal accent that you could cut with a knife. If they were ever to ring him to check out my continued survival, I'd love to be a fly on the wall as they tried understand each other!

[idun]

We get these every year, proof of life. Job Centre does it in England, and in France I'd go to the Mairie........ and I'd go as it may not be much, but these things always pay for something.

[AnOther]

Got a couple here too, must be the time of year.

The best one is from one of my pension providers who by 'due diligence' have helpfully 'noticed' that my passport is due to expire in March 2015 and want me to send them a certified copy of my new one.

Considering that it's not obligatory to hold a passport I wonder what their reaction would be if I told them that I wasn't bothering renewing ?

I also got a letter from a company I worked for for all of 6 months back in the late 80's asking for certified ID but after 6 months the stamp probably cost more than the pension they may owe me and certainly wouldn't cover the cost of having a document certified so I think I'll let them sweat on that one.

[andyh4]

But the dilemma for us is, would the maire or her/his assistant sign a form written only in English? WE have asked the insurance manager if they can provide the form in French - answer no - even though their customer (the company for whom they manage the pensions) provides their information in many languages.

[Chrissie]

I scan these into the computer and then add French translations of the various lines.  If I was better organised I suppose I would have it saved permanently but then I suppose they would be sneaky and change the form.  Our notaire signs these happily (if he is not in the office the secretary says "Wait a moment" and then comes back from round the corner with it mysteriously signed and stamped.)  There is no charge!!!  Vive  la France.

Chrissie (81)

[mint]

[quote user="idun"]We get these every year, proof of life. Job Centre does it in England, and in France I'd go to the Mairie........ and I'd go as it may not be much, but these things always pay for something.

[/quote]

Id, I think I have mentioned this before on here.  OH's form says specifically that only THREE persons would be acceptable to them.  A consular bod, a notary public and the police.

We take it to the gendarmerie.  I explained to them what the purpose of the signature was for and, after the first year, they have always signed and tamponné it without so much as a second glance.

We do take in his passport and a justificatif.

[Chancer]

That is very timely, I have a statutory demand to recover a portion of a rent security deposit held by the Deposit Protection Scheme, my signature must be witnessed by a solicitor, a commissioner for oaths or a magistrate, I was going to use the Mairie but they would likely freak out and the DPS werent happy about it, I hadnt thought of the gendarmerie, I am well known there so am off now to give them a try!

[tinabee]

[quote user="mint"][quote user="idun"]We get these every year, proof of life. Job Centre does it in England, and in France I'd go to the Mairie........ and I'd go as it may not be much, but these things always pay for something.
[/quote]

Id, I think I have mentioned this before on here.  OH's form says specifically that only THREE persons would be acceptable to them.  A consular bod, a notary public and the police.

We take it to the gendarmerie.  I explained to them what the purpose of the signature was for and, after the first year, they have always signed and tamponné it without so much as a second glance.

We do take in his passport and a justificatif.
[/quote]

The Maire is both an officer of the state and an officer of the police judiciaire so can legally sign these documents. I have in the past phoned the relevant UK company to explain the powers of the Maire so that they will accept the signature and stamp.

[Chancer]

I should have known better, the default position of all the fermé people around here to anything new be it an idea a suggestion or a request is "Non!" Followed by the gallic equivalent of putting of fingers in ears, shaking of head, chanting "la la la I cant hear you" etc.

They kept telling me that a hussier or avocate had to sign such a document in France and couldnt get their head around the requirements being different in another country, when I asked them if they would accept a document witnessed by a commissioner of oaths they were completely perplexed, it got kicked up to his Superior who I know very well and he was scared stiff of putting his signature to anything civile, not military or penal.

The secretary at the Mairie said yes but I know when I get to see the Maire he will kack his-self and refuse being the most fermé person that I know.

My last resort will be to see the deputé of the region who I know well and wont be as silly but what a waste of his time.

[mint]

[quote user="tinabee"]

The Maire is both an officer of the state and an officer of the police judiciaire so can legally sign these documents. I have in the past phoned the relevant UK company to explain the powers of the Maire so that they will accept the signature and stamp.

[/quote]

Tinabee, thank you for explaining the maire's position.

I did contact the UK people who have requested the signature and they said specifically that the maire's signature would NOT be acceptable.  Not only that, they made me feel very stupid and definitely patronised by pointing out that acceptable signatories were mentioned on the form[+o(]

Chance I apologise for your wasted trip.  I have done this with OH 3 years running and we have not had a problem with our request.  They sign it and put their stamp on it and the gendarme on "desk duty" always take it to some back room and then return it to us en souriant.

[Patf]

I had one of those forms, I think it was for my state pension. I did a rough translation into french of the questions, then took it to the Mairie.

The Maire signed it, added his official stamp,  and it was accepted.

He also thanked me for the translation!

[Pommier]

I've also had one of these forms (first time after drawing the company pension for over 9 years). Our town is quite big, so officials wouldn't know us (and would probably be wary of signing something in English) so I'm going to ask a retired policeman friend, which will hopefully be accepted.

[Kong]

I didn't make the mistake of asking the pension company who's signature might be acceptable. I just asked my neighbour to witness who described herself as 'farmer' (in French). I still get my pension...

[mint]

We always say that things vary from place to place in France, don't we?

Seems like we could say the same about the UK [:P]

[Chancer]

The problem around here as well as the majorité being fermé is that people judge others by their own moral standards and assume that everyone is trying to have them over, a good French friend once told me that as soon as you walk into a shop or business it is assumed that you are there to rob them, there was a time when I would take what he said with a pinch of salt, not any more.

I will be pleasantly surprised if the Maire or premier adjoint will witness my signature, tyet he latter is a very close friend.

[AnOther]

[quote user="mint"]We always say that things vary from place to place in France, don't we?

Seems like we could say the same about the UK [:P]

[/quote]Not in the same way, in UK most things are black and white not shades of grey determined by local council/NHS/tax offices and subject to individual freestyling with government blessing.

Translations and that perennial chestnut of exchange rates for tax being two obvious examples.

[Judith]

Happily, one of my very good French friends is a notaire, and we meet regularly at our Rotary club, so no problem.  We have also used one of our "temporarily resident" English neighbours, when it specifies someone on the electoral roll.

Happily, also, the last one of these I got, only wanted me to sign and return.  Then I got a chaser, they had not received it.  I scanned it the second  time and sent it by email which they accepted.

Plus ça change - it seems!