Hilary I'm sure l read you stating that you were done with this thread and that you would leave it to other SFN members as you had more 'pressing' things to do. So pleased you're back as we all need a good laugh now and again. The 'better in 10 to 15 year's ' was priceless as is your view of the French Govt continuing to give me free healthcare when the UK finally exit.
My point was principally that by moving back to the UK the problem of the exchange-rate would be eliminated.
I was referring to pensioners, for whom unfortunately it wouldn't be a choice, rather an obligation, a last resort.
I should hope that most of those who are still professionally-active will be paid in âŹuro, so the exchange-rate won't be a problem, and so Brexit will affect them less.
Stay in France with no healthcare or try and sell your house in France and live in a terraced house, not in Westminster!
I'm interested to read Hilary's views as perhaps she'll raise something or spot something in the media etc that I'll find reassuring.
I am though still waiting for John to clarify what rights I'm trying to preserve from those I'd have if I was living in the UK pre/post Brexit (he didn't say which) as I did query it yesterday but perhaps he's off doing something else.
If Sterling plummets surely it would still be preferable for pensioners to avoid being subjected to the exchange-rate by being in the UK.
If you consider that 15 years have passed since 2008 you should re-calculate or refrain from misinterpreting, if that's within your capabilities.
Was that comment directed at me, John? Because just to be clear, I'm not talking about or comparing the effects of the 2008 crash with the present situation at all. I am talking specifically about the likely impact of measures taken in the UK to avoid spending of public money on EU citizens and what repercussions that may have on UK citizens resident in the EU and in receipt of EU benefits. Individual income thresholds for acquisition of the right to remain are fairly likely and from what I see of people living around here they are unlikely to be met, which means that many of those people who are already in a precarious position will be much much worse off and confronted with choices they never expected to have to make, often at an age where they aren't really in a position to turn their situation around. I don't think that there will be any significant effect on my banker/lawyer/etc friends in London or Paris but they aren't in receipt of benefits or reliant on pensions or public health care so I'm not taking them into account.
Saying that 10 or 15 years will sort everything out is probably fairly accurate, but many of the people I'm thinking of probably won't be alive in 15 years' time partly because of present negative repercussions on their standard of living, and even if they are, it means that the last 15 or 20 years of their life will be stressful and grim and not something I'd wish on anyone. Jam tomorrow doesn't make up for no bread today.
How, if they can't afford to move back? If they came here and, for example, have since been widowed but have made good friends locally the 'easy' solution would be to move back (if they even can) and live in comparative isolation? It's a situation that in some instances is being forced upon people but we're not to question the fallout because we need to give it time as it will all become pink and fluffy after a while.
ps a little nudge on clarification of which rights I'm trying to cherry pick from those I'd have if I still lived in the UK.
All right.
I don't think the negative repercussions of Brexit will take that long to surmount.
The GBP has been devalued on numerous occasions in periods before the UK's entry into the Common Market and has always bounced back. Blaming everything on Brexit just doesn't cut any ice.
Please see image which is aimed at those who seem to wish that the âŹuro will plummet so that the GBP will benefit
@ John please consider your tone more carefully - hardly dinner party standards. Thanks.
People can 'hope' all they like that all French residents get all of their income in euros so that a weak pound is no problem. The reality is that many, many SFN readers receive some if not all of their income in pounds. We are lucky that we have some euro income but enough of it is in sterling for us to already be feeling the squeeze.
And no, I can't just move back. And this is probably true for many, many SFN members too. We have three kids in the education system here for starters!
The statistics on the successive devaluations of the Pound Sterling are true.
Is telling the truth politically-incorrect?
I suppose it is in this corrupt world.
All the same the true facts should silence members of idiot-groups such as the BNP. The picture has that purpose, but also shows that Brexit isn't an exception in the context of the GBP's sorry record of being devalued.
I'm not actually thinking specifically of the exchange-rate as a long-term problem even though the impact on residents with with income in sterling and outgoings in euros will be hard and many of them may well have to go 'home' because they won't meet income thresholds for residence; I am thinking of people who CAN stay, even if things are a bit tight, but will be scuppered by things like healthcare, no longer having access to the services which mean being able to stay in your own home because you have state-funded people coming in to help you wash or cook or get dressed, do your shopping when you can no longer drive, getting a physio at home, getting your teeth/eyes/hips fixed etc etc etc. This is the norm for French old people, who also generally have family around to help out on top. I think that for many old British or other foreign non-EU people here those are likely to be real concerns, they may well be required to take out private health insurance or just pay for all their treatment or help and I think there are a lot of people about who won't be able to afford it. And it is likely that even if they are reimbursed via their health insurance they will have to pay up front and then wait for repayment which means they may not be able to afford it at all.
1. The French government is pushing to make the 'tiers payant généralisé' law
2. Probably someone has already posted this, but here goes :
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F12859
Si vous ĂȘtes retraitĂ© d'un autre pays europĂ©en et que vous venez vivre votre retraite en France, vous pouvez y transfĂ©rer vos droits Ă l'assurance maladie.
Pour ce faire, vous devez demander à la caisse du pays débitrice de votre pension le document S1 (inscription en vue de bénéficier de la couverture d'assurance maladie). Cette caisse doit ensuite l'adresser à votre caisse d'assurance maladie en France.
Ce document permet votre rattachement au régime français de sécurité sociale.
Les membres de votre famille, qui vous accompagnent en France, doivent aussi demander le document S1 précité.
John, I think Catharine was referring to comments such as " refrain from misinterpreting if that's within your capabilities", not your post about the pound.
I don't recollect having dined here.
Quite!
That won't apply after brexit. Let's hope they agree a similar, reciprocal agreement.
I think the key phrase here is *pays européen* !! Which is why the vast majority of SFN readers are less than chuffed with the idea of leaving the EU.
Given the immense number of people from EU Member States working in the UK it would be common sense to work out some mutual solution.
With something like 300,000 French nationals in the UK and some 162,000 from the four UK countries in France, the French would be wise to negotiate. That should be possible unless the Brussels Diktat puts a spoke in the wheel.