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UK State Pension

Wilko

By Wilko
in French Finance

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Wilko Newbie

Wilko

Posted
Posted
Am closing fast on 65 years and received stuff in the post from the UK pension service. I have been paying cotisations in France since 2004. Having read the stuff from the UK am i right in thinking that I must claim my Uk pension via the French system which in my case will be through RSI, who are a singularly nightmare to deal with, only time that can get anything together is if your quarterly payment is late.

Be obliged if anyone else has been through this and any advice they can offer.

Thanks Wilko
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5-element Newbie

5-element

Posted
Posted

I nearly answered on your other thread Norman - then realised that I was in the inverse situation to you (and Wilko, it seems).

My first jobs were in France, for a very short while - the rest of my professional life happened in the UK until I stopped.

By then, I was back in France. Somehow (can't remember the sequence of events) I applied via CNAV  - I think I'd contacted them to find out if I would be entitled to any part-pension for the short time I'd worked here in France. They wanted to find out all about each contribution I had ever made in the UK (!!!!quite a headache, that, and I had to cut corners for the complete story). Then CNAV offered to give me an absolute minute amount if I started my retirement at 60. There was a deal whereby if I deferred it to 65, it would be slightly more. I said I'd wait until I was 65.

By then, I was able to start getting my UK state pension (or rather, part of) when I became 60. So the two were kept separately, although each (UK and France) knew exactly what the other one was doing.

Not sure that it helps anyone, though. At times, I wonder: if I had applied to CNAV for BOTH pensions, would my income be greater, or not? I have no idea - but somehow, my case doesn't seem to be what I sometimes read - which is you apply to just ONE country, and they add the contributions made in both countries to calculate the global amount you are entitled to. It just didn't happen like that.[:(]

Good luck to you both! I was quite impressed by the efficiency of CNAV, although it required immense amounts of paperwork (what a surprise!) and a number of  visits and waitings in queues (what a surprise too) whereas my dealing with Newcastle were always smooth by phone and letters. Still, at the end of the day, I have a sizeably reduced UK pension because of not enough contributions (29 years, I think) and a minute French pension because of very short contribution time. I'd rather have a full UK state pension, or a full French state pension, but at no time it was suggested to me that it would be a possibility.

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NormanH Proficient

NormanH

Posted
Posted
[quote user="5-element"]

I nearly answered on your other thread Norman - then realised that I was in the inverse situation to you (and Wilko, it seems).

My first jobs were in France, for a very short while - the rest of my professional life happened in the UK until I stopped.

By then, I was back in France. Somehow (can't remember the sequence of events) I applied via CNAV  - I think I'd contacted them to find out if I would be entitled to any part-pension for the short time I'd worked here in France. They wanted to find out all about each contribution I had ever made in the UK (!!!!quite a headache, that, and I had to cut corners for the complete story). Then CNAV offered to give me an absolute minute amount if I started my retirement at 60. There was a deal whereby if I deferred it to 65, it would be slightly more. I said I'd wait until I was 65.

By then, I was able to start getting my UK state pension (or rather, part of) when I became 60. So the two were kept separately, although each (UK and France) knew exactly what the other one was doing.

Not sure that it helps anyone, though. At times, I wonder: if I had applied to CNAV for BOTH pensions, would my income be greater, or not? I have no idea - but somehow, my case doesn't seem to be what I sometimes read - which is you apply to just ONE country, and they add the contributions made in both countries to calculate the global amount you are entitled to. It just didn't happen like that.[:(]

Good luck to you both! I was quite impressed by the efficiency of CNAV, although it required immense amounts of paperwork (what a surprise!) and a number of  visits and waitings in queues (what a surprise too) whereas my dealing with Newcastle were always smooth by phone and letters. Still, at the end of the day, I have a sizeably reduced UK pension because of not enough contributions (29 years, I think) and a minute French pension because of very short contribution time. I'd rather have a full UK state pension, or a full French state pension, but at no time it was suggested to me that it would be a possibility.

[/quote]

My situation is also complicated 5e because at 63 I applied for my

miniscule French pension( which I now receive). Like you I wasn't given

any  option of adding my UK pension, but then I wasnt over 65

Now I want to add my Uk OAP.

I

By the way you only need 30 years for a full  UK OAP so at 29 years you shouldn't be far below the maximum

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EmilyA Newbie

EmilyA

Posted
Posted
I claimed my UK state pension via RSI and actually found their pension department quite efficient. I had to fill in a long French form and give it to RSI to make the claim to the UK for me. I had worked 30 years in the UK and 3 in France so UK is my competent state and I got an S1 for health cover. I also got a small one-off French pension payment from RSI. I have my UK pension paid into my UK bank account, though it can be paid in France. It took about four months to sort out the UK pension and a bit longer for the French payment to come through.
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KathyF Newbie

KathyF

Posted
Posted

[quote user="NormanH"] By the way you only need 30 years for a full  UK OAP so at 29 years you shouldn't be far below the maximum
[/quote]

I'm afraid that's true only for people who reached state pension age after April 2010 and I don't think 5-E is one of these (nor am I [:(])

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NormanH Proficient

NormanH

Posted
Posted
[quote user="EmilyA"]I claimed my UK state pension via RSI and actually found their pension department quite efficient. I had to fill in a long French form and give it to RSI to make the claim to the UK for me. I had worked 30 years in the UK and 3 in France so UK is my competent state and I got an S1 for health cover. I also got a small one-off French pension payment from RSI. I have my UK pension paid into my UK bank account, though it can be paid in France. It took about four months to sort out the UK pension and a bit longer for the French payment to come through.[/quote]

That is even more confusing, since it is the CNAV which deals with pensions in France if you have been salaried.

I have already dealt with them for the French pensions (I have three).

It is very irritating dealing with a second thread when there is already a valid one with several useful posts still 'live'.

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EmilyA Newbie

EmilyA

Posted
Posted
If you have been running a small business then RSI is your caisse and the place where you claim, Norman. I also had a small number of contributions to CRAM (as it was) and RSI got that bit added to my pension. The OP is also with RSI.

I gave the S1 form to RSI and they can claim under the reciprocal health agreement from Newcastle. It makes no difference to me, I still get health cover via RSI / Adrea, but it should make me exempt from CSG / CRDS (I haven't got that far yet!).
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