minnie Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 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 More sharing options...
Quillan Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 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 More sharing options...
Quillan Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 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 More sharing options...
idun Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 The form the french send out is in 6 languages, how odd not to send it out in several languages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Maybe they have decided to stop squandering money on such things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 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 More sharing options...
mint Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 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 etcMust 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 More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I don't mind getting it done. It acts as a check that I am in fact still alive. Though some mornings I do wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 [quote user="woolybanana"]I don't mind getting it done. It acts as a check that I am in fact still alive. Though some mornings I do wonder.[/quote]The aches and pains I feel every morning let me know I am still alive[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 [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 - Adressiand 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 More sharing options...
PaulT Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 When you do eventually shuffle off of this mortal coil do not forget to write and tell them :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereford Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 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 More sharing options...
vette Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 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 More sharing options...
AnOther Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Doctor signed OH's with a sigh and a mutter of "ah, another one" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Thanks everyone for your contributions. I'll update you when the deed is done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 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 More sharing options...
Coquelicot Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 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 More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 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 More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 [quote user="AnOther"]Shame you didn't scan and post them for others [blink][/quote]What an excellent idea, that would be really helpful. Doc signed mine, didn't even read them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 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 More sharing options...
Quillan Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Nice to see the English are cutting down on these thing. Our local council used to send out the council tax forms in 20 odd different languages and dialects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 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 More sharing options...
idun Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 tried to copy and paste the proof of life that arrived from France today, which is very good and in several languages, but couldn't. Will try later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 OMGThis 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 More sharing options...
idun Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 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 More sharing options...
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