Scruples

[hester]

As a couple who will not be in a position to afford private health care should the events that are being discussed here come into play I wonder which way you might go given the following:

After a long love affair with all things French we had long since decided to retire here and were both learning French at evening college. 

Inspired by our enthusiasm not to mention media hype our family with grandchildren came out here, they have now moved further afield. As such we did our sums and brought forward our move.  My husband took his occupational pension early at a reduced rate, I was not able.

Like many we have ploughed most of our money into our house, but we could still have made it until August 2009 when I get my pensions - until this.

The scruples bit?  For the last ten months or so we have been in a position to apply for subsidised top-up as our last twelve months income of occupational pension and interest on the small amount of savings left has been below the threshold.  We have not done so because whilst we have money in the bank we would prefer to pay our way as far as we can.  Also as we have the respect of the community and we regularly help out and take part in events I can't help but think that our personal affairs would no doubt get back to everyone.

Again the Scruples bit.  Reading the form for application for CMU top-up it states that anyone in receipt of CMU complemenary insurance or RMI can automatically enter the CMU base. Our E106 runs out in January next year and I am trying to decide whether to complete the application for CMU complemtaire in the hope that it might help us, or not.  Could be seen that we cannot keep ourselves and could go against us. Many of you might see us as contributing to the present events, others will perhaps be more charitable.  Hester.

 

[Gardian]

Hester ...........

Without understanding the detail of your situation, my instinct is that your ethics are laudable, but your practicality is amiss.

It seems to me that you should apply for CMU cover and await the result.  Obviously things are decidedly in the air just now, but you have to take matters in to your own hands and make legitimate and truthful applications. This drama will stabilise (I think!)

I cannot believe that your personal financial affairs would become public unless you chose to make them so.  They're a matter for you & OH + whichever Govt Dept you happen to be dealing with.  Frankly, nobody else is interested.  

Bon courage.   

[Iceni]

Scruples will not feed you nor will they keep you warm and dry. That warm inner glow brought on by "standing on your own 4 feet" won't help much when the temp drops to -17.

I have no idea which people were intended to be helped by CMU but if you qualify, legitimately, for such help you would be unwise or worse not to claim.

John

not

[cooperlola]

Hester, your ability to get into the CMU de base, will be assessed by the appropriate authorities.  Social security systems are set up precisely so that the richer and more fortunate members of society can help those less fortunate.  If the system of the country in which you live believes you are one of the latter, then claim what you are entitled to.  That is not immoral, that is the way it works.  There but for the grace of whomever, go all of us...

[londoneye]

Exactly.   My grandparents had your kind of scruples (not being rude), and rather than take up the extra government heating allowance for the over 80's (not sure what age it is now), they sat and worried about their heating bills and were just, well - cold frankly.   Having both worked all their lives and brought up children, it seemed totally insane to me.

As everyone else has said, if you are entitled to something and you need it, then you should not feel guilty about taking it.   I am sure you can both look back at your lives and find instances where you have either personally helped out people in trouble, or encouraged others to take the benefit of what they needed and were entitled to.    Bet you didn't think they were taking advantage did you ??

[hester]

Many thanks for your heartwarming replies.  I was really a bit concerned about posting not wanting to be seen as one of the "scroungers".  So far we have not had to use the health service here other than my OH having a tooth filled so it's possible that we could get by for the last year and a half without cover. 

Just as another thought, do you think that it would be worthwhile moving our top-up from the french mutuelle that we are with to an English insurance company so that we might get a better quote for private insurance should it be a possibility (we could maybe use a credit card/loan to see us through until the pension kicks in ?). Thanks, Hester.

[cooperlola]

It is never daft to compare the market, whatever you're buying.  It's easy enough to get internet quotes from companies which provide top-up cover, and you don't get irritating people phoning you up all the time as a result.  Try other French mutuelles for a quote too, why not?

Although, obviously, you need to have a good look at your current contract, to see what the "get out" conditions are.