Proof of 5 years residency for health cover

[Antonia]

When hubby & I

went for our interviews for our CdS in December, proving I had been

here 5 years was a bit of a problem. My name wasn’t on any utility

bill and they wouldn’t accept receipts for purchases, by me,

delivered to our address. The only thing that sufficed was an

d'attestation d'hébergement signed by his nibs stating that I had

lived with him for the last 5 years.

Fast forward to

today and my CdS application is on hold while they review my file in

the light of his death. In the meantime my healthcare rights have

been suspended following the cancelling of the S1 by the UK and my

application to apply to join the French system has hit a bump as

they’re saying I’ve been here less than 5 years. ( I’ve lived

in France since 2003 ).

Any ideas as to what

I could use to prove 5yr residency, UK bank accounts for instance?

Letter from the Mayor? I’m worried that if I have to reapply for

the CdS I won’t get it as I no longer have health insurance.

[Patf]

The Mairie has a special form, to be signed by the Maire, confirming your residence from such and  such a date.

[Loiseau]

Oh gosh, Antonia, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your husband.

In addition to Patf's suggestion of getting the Maire to issue a statement that you had lived in France for x years,

I wonder if your name figures on the deeds of the house? Would they accept that as proof? (Though I concede that owning a house doesn't actually guarantee that you lived full-time in it.) Or a joint bank account, showing your French address? Driving licence?

[idun]

What about your french tax forms, until this year, when things have changed somewhat, spouses declared income  on the same form,  and even if you didn't have any, you would still be mentioned.

[Patf]

Antonia - sorry my post was so brief, I hadn't read yours thoroughly.

You must be overwhelmed by all the paperwork following the death of your husband. I had a friend when we were in France whose husband had recently died, and she had similar problems. As well as feeling the grief of bereavement.

Take your time. I'm sure the french authorities will help you as much as possible when they understand your problems.

[Antonia]

Yes I’ve got all

our tax returns which, as you say, have both our names on them. I’m

also going to see the secretary at the marie. She’s definitely fly

when it comes to matters like this.. It was a bit of a shock when my

carte vital was rejected after being told by the cpam helpline that

there was a grace period. And now having re-applied and been rejected

it all just too much. Thank you for all the suggestions, I’m going

to try to hold it together at the meeting with the notaire tomorrow

then tackle it again on Friday.

[NormanH]

Have you got anything like bank statements or the monthly  Ameli ones you get about health care spending?

I know it's scratching around ..

[idun]

And sadly this illustrates why it is still important to keep every last scrap of official type paperwork in France.

Good luck with everything.

[EmilyA]

My sympathies, Antonia, how difficult for you.

Do you not have a Carte Vitale and / or an attestation for your own health cover from 2003? Even as an ayant droit on your late husband's health cover, you would normally have these.

Apologies if I have misunderstood your situation.

[Antonia]

Thank you for all

your suggestions. Yes I have the carte vitale and all the old

attestations ( I’m a bit of a hoarder ) but, as the CPAM helpline

said yesterday, just because I had the rights as an ayant droit,

doesn’t mean to say I was actually in the country at the time. Same

goes for the joint bank account. I’ve tried to print off my

reimbursements from the Ameli site but my access is now blocked. I

think I might have to just take every ordinance and xRay along to the

head office. Maybe an attestation from my doctor and physiotherapist

might help.

[Chancer]

Dragging together all these other hoped for proofs that you have lived here is just going to complicate matters and give the distinct impression that the opposite may be true and you are trying to make out otherwise.

 

You need one thing and one thing only, a signed attestation de domicile from the Mairie, it will be accepted.

[idun]

 You are not a hoarder, you are simply keeping paperwork in France, as I would suggest that everyone does and for years.

These days they seem to say that it is possible to keep paperwork for shorter periods than in the past, but I would always keep things for a long long time. One never knows.

Back again to the tax forms, they are now very important. Get them all out, and in fact, your taxe d'habitation will also have mention of you in the code they use.

As you said, get everything out, every last bit of paperwork. 

[NormanH]

https://www.linternaute.fr/actualite/guide-vie-quotidienne/1413800-justificatif-de-domicile-la-liste-des-documents-acceptes/

[Patf]

As Chancer says, they should accept the atestation of domicile.

We had a similar problem when husband's CV was blocked because they said he didn't live in France. Some confusion over his UK tax return.

Our french neighbour was the deputy Maire and she got this attestation for us and it worked.

[woolybanana]

Attestation de domicile should work for both CPAM and C de S.

I assume the conditions of residence are the same for both so maybe your pursuit of the C de S again will open doors to CPAM, if it is granted.

Are the people who issue these things becoming stricter all of a sudden particularly with Brits and Brexit looming?

Why was your S1 taken away as surely it is yours by right?

[idun]

Things have changed with regards to married couples in the UK. In my opinion, mysogyny came into play in the name of equality,  but the only things that were addressed was making many women worse off and even empoverished.

If the OP was not eligible for an S1 in their own right, then depending on when they were born, this likely would not transfer.

[suein56]

Antonia wrote : In the meantime my healthcare rights have been suspended following the cancelling of the S1 by the UK ..

You say 'the S1' .. does that mean your personal S1 ?

[Antonia]

I was covered by an S1 because my husband was of pensionable age and had paid enough contributions. I am under UK states pension age so can not get an S1 in my own right.When he died my S1 was cancelled by the UK Govt. immediately along with his.

When we applied for the CdS in December we supplied them with attestations d'hébergement from the Mairie but these only said we were currently living at our address, not how long we'd been there. It wasn't a problem for his nibs as all the utility bills were in his name, but for me the only thing that would do was an attestation sur honneur, signed by him to say I'd lived with him for the last 5 years.

I'm told another letter from CPAM is on it's way so I'll wait and see what it says then probably take it down to the Mairie and ask for help. On top of all this I only have another couple of weeks before the récépissé expires on my CdS application which will mean another trip to the Prefecture.

[suein56]

Antonia wrote : I'm told another letter from CPAM is on it's way ..

When my OH and I arrived in France some years ago we had no S1s as we weren't old enough.

We did not intend to work.

To qualify for healthcover here we had to prove stability .. you seem to be dealing with that side already.

But also solvency .. which was done by filling in an annual form declaring our financial health. Plus including a copy of our 'avis d'impôts' .. we were then charged a quarterly fee relative to our income, after allowances.

Although PUMA has changed some things it has not changed the need to pay a (small) charge to cover health. It can be a somewhat lengthy process to set up but it works and it provides you with exactly the same cover as you have had up to now.

Hang in there and it should all come right.

[NormanH]

I'm not certain whether you live in a small village or a town, but in Béziers where I live the "Aide sociale" would help you out. I have just been in a meeting between an English chap here and  one of them about something rather similar (I was there as interpreter not to give advice). English people tend to see social workers in a certain way when here they  also have a function a little bit like Citizen's Advice for those who need a hand.

[Patf]

I didn't realise you were under UK pensionable age and so aren't entitled to an SI yet.

If you do have to have medical treatment keep the brown forms and claim back later.

As Sue says, you should be able to join PUMA, but it might take some time, and might cost a small amount. I think you  will need your tax forms for that application.

[Antonia]

I'm not sure we've got an aide sociale, it's a small village. Something else to ask the secretary. Suein56, yes that's exactly how we were in the system from when we arrived in 2003 until his nibs got his pension 7 years ago. I remember having to send off the cheques every quarter to URSSAF.

[suein56]

If you kept the paperwork from URSSAF then it should be a lot easier .. (imagine smiley face here)

Even if you didn't then URSSAF should still be able to find you .. and that should help with your residence process too !

As an aside : Norman's comment about 'Aide Sociale' is just perfect .. you will have one somewhere, fairly close at hand if not in your village. Again ask at the Mairie.

Good Luck.

[Antonia]

Just a quick update.

Received another letter from CPAM this morning which said that they had been informed of my change of circumstances and were now ready to create my new account. It said, to do this, my carte vitale needed to be reactivated so I drove in straight away and came back with a functioning card and a new attestation in my name only which I can now show my mutuelle.

I'll take the attestation with me if I have to go to the Prefecture to find out what the state of play is with my CdS at the end of the month. Thanks to everybody for all your kind words and suggestions. As least that's now one thing less to worry about.

[Patf]

Very good news Antonia - thanks for telling us [:)]