brucampbell Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 My English next door neighbour in his late seventies,is returning to live in the UK after ten years of living in France. I asked him 'why'?It seems it is all to do with his finances. He has been living on income from state and private pensions and interest on some stocks and shares. Under the present financial conditions caused by the weak pound, he can no longer make both ends meet in France.He has managed to sell his house, taking a hugh drop in price and in the process and has now only £115k in the bank. He has managed to find a nice Park Home on a over 50's residential site in England for £90k.He says he will be better off in the UK, as he can get extra money with Penson Credit;,Attendence Allowance and his wife will be able to get obtain Carers Allowance as he is not 100% fit. When he has less than £15000 in his bank, the council will pay his rates and ground rent. On top of that he is entitled to heating allowance and cold weather money. If his boiler is out of date and failing, the council will install a new energy efficient one, free of charge. He can join the local library free and also get cheap meals at the pensioners day centres.He will no longer be liable for monthly top-up health charges of Euros130.It doesn't take a financial wizard to work out th advantages of his move. Or could he be he looking through rose coloured glasses? Wait a minute!..........When's the next boat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 With the £ under further pressure against the euro over the last two days, he maybe making a sensible choice before his buying power deteriorates even further. Either way, at least he has made a decsion and does not have the ongoing worry about matters getting worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Well he's been in France long enough to know what he's leaving, with the medical and social benefits he may be right, I can't imagine spending 90k on a 'Park Home' is a good decision now or in a few years time, or in fact, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Âme Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 The neighbour's reasoning implies that there is no assistance for low-income and/or infirm pensioners in France. Are the social services in France and the UK really all that different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philouis Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I've been in France for five years now. It is said that it is not the best place to get old in or to die in! A funeral in France is very expensive; up to E3000.In the UK, I understand the government give you a grant of £2000 towards the costs if you have not much savings! Maybe he has got something right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 [quote user="Sprogster"]With the £ under further pressure against the euro over the last two days, he maybe making a sensible choice before his buying power deteriorates even further. [/quote]Probably a result of the latest cut in the BoE interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 [quote user="Philouis"]A funeral in France is very expensive; up to E3000. In the UK, I understand the government give you a grant of £2000 towards the costs if you have not much savings![/quote]There is financial help available in France too if the deceased has left no money of even if the relatives cannot afford the cost of the funeral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 brucampbellYour neighbour and his wife will also be entitled to a free bus pass which is available to all over 60s and entitles them to free travel countrywide on local buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 To me, it seems that he is leaving for exactly the same reasons they arrived - quality of life, etc. It all comes down to the exchange rate and there is nothing any of us can do about that. There are plenty who cannot afford to return to the UK, so I suppose that they are lucky - even if a park home would not be my first choice. There are plenty of places in the UK where 115K will buy a decent house - not all of them rough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 If I were in my late seventies and returning to the UK with £115,000 I would not be buying a house, with that sort of money in the bank they wouldn't have to live in a park home, they could rent something quite suitable, never have money problems ever again, even pay for private nursing if the need be.To me why have you money in a home at a time when you need it in your pocket, s*d the children's inheritance!But of course why live off your own savings when the government will look after you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maude Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I understand the dilemma.We are in the same position really but more from the psychologica side.in other words it is much easier knowing the system,in the eventuallity of one death, to be able to cope more satisfactorily etc.coupled with easy access to libraries,bus passes and in most case transport of some form-not available in rural France.Even the health service whilst not being comparabe,is at least free.a major illness or injury here will deplete already depleted income.I wouldnt even go into residential care scenarios.We are currently in this quandry ourselves.Qualityof life here is not what we expected unless drink is a major contribution or partaking of playing some form of games insomeone elses home.not what we came for.The peace and quiet expected is not even forthcoming due to the large numbers of mainly tethered dogs,chainsaws mutilating every tree to make them all look like lepers hands,and cockerells everywhere-why I cannot father as they are in the main non productive.Will hopefully return to Uk suberbia- much quieter,and more facilities.Even the uk council taxes are not all that far ahead of the ever increasing French local taxes,and here there are no facilities generally.just hope to get a reasonable offer onour house to allow an early return back.Not looking for profit just a swap for what we have wasted coming here 6 years ago. C,est la vie. Maude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Where on earth are you in the Vendée, Maude, as my version is so different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britgirl Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Maude,It's better to have given the 'dream' a go rather than live with 'if only'. I was widowed some 14 months ago at the age of 53 (my husband was 55), and because we had foolishly not discussed what would happen if one of us died I had to go with my gut instinct. ( The care he got in France was superb, and nothing was ever too much trouble. Even I got nagged by the nursing staff if I didn't eat properly. Does that happen in the U.K?) Having sold my house in Brittany last year I am now back in the U.K. I am making the best of a bad situation.Like you I felt that the cost of living between the U.K. and France is not as great as it used to be, which was one of the main reasons for me returning. At least I thought I might be able to get a job, to supplement my income---obviously wishful thinking. However I do not feel that the time we spent in France was wasted. I never, ever wanted to be 60 and say if only............The grass can be greener on the other side, but you must be realistic about the shade of green!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Maude, I would have thought and hoped that 6 years was long enough to find out how things work in France but perhaps your last sentence about what you have "wasted coming here 6 years ago" speaks volumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Great Bobo on a stick, France is surely better than Weymouth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Not really Ernie, the reasons for coming and going are so complex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Quite wooly but Maude seems to have set out her stall quite specifically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Well, she seems to have succumbed to the bottle or depression or both as I don't recognize her description og the Vendée and I've been here since Bobo created the Earth.Though there are some Brits who live in places I wouldn't 've put my dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Is my eyesight going ? ....... yes[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I thought she said 'wasted' too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimg Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 this thread has quite depressed me, im off for a beerkim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Nah, I wouldn't be kimg; there will always be coming and going. It is healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abertawe Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Well we've decided not to stay.We were entitled to claim French social security, but the paperwork became a nightmare we could not handle. To be fair the UK paperwork was just as bad - but at least we could cope with the language when the inevitable problems arose. Anything other than a 'normal' claim seemed to throw a real spanner in the works.As with many others our company pension had shrunk quite a bit, booking were zero on our little Gite, and our small business just frazzled. Both a nudge above 60, we are now in receipt of pension credit here in the UK - but this took quite some time to sort out. Anybody thinking of doing the same needs to be prepared for at leat 3 months wait if not more as the system here overheats with demand.We also had a nice 'welcome home' present from those nice tax people - 5 returns to complete. Arghhh.Hope that's cheered you all up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote user="Abertawe"] Hope that's cheered you all up. [/quote]I wouldn't say cheered us up , it is sad to read about people`s dreams coming to an end . Good luck to you for the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maude Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Wooly Banana, Methinks you are on the wrong track, Maude may be depressed but doesn't drink, too many Brits seeing France through the bottom of a glass/bottle of cheap booze, well a little less cheap now with the pound so low!!!!!... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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