This “person” can give all sorts of useful advice to folk who find themselves in difficulties… from finances, care in the home, respite care… etc etc…
Often a Mairie will have the necessary contact details plastered on a notice board…
anyone with problems of any sort… I’d advise a quick word at the Mairie, to ask who/where might be able to help…
Whilst we personally are not in need of assistance, I thank both @Stella and @graham for the information provided. It’s useful to be aware of such things should the need ever arise, if only to point others in that direction.
My point mainly was that if I’d never heard of it then it’s certainly possible that others haven’t either, some of those likely being ones refused CSS. Out of interest, I looked at the site and did a quick run-through using their simulator and one of the aides proposed was, coincidently, CSS! I saw a kind of ‘hole in my bucket’ thing! 
Stay on the forum a bit longer and you’ll possibly become fed up with me constantly advising folk to talk to the Mairie, Assistante Sociale, Tax Folk etc etc… I know I do go on a bit… 
1 Like
Oh I doubt that I’m very much of the belief that there’s no such thing as ‘too much information’ One can always learn, and I for instance have learned of the existence of the Assistance Sociale. I might not need it today, nor hopefully ever, but it’s something to file away.
I have to remind myself that when I get frustrated by my time spent on Duolingo! It’s so easy to get frustrated and say ‘yes, yes, I know that’… only to be caught out and be reminded that, well, actually, you didn’t know, or perhaps fully appreciate, something.
So, please, keep on keeping on! 
It probably also needs to be appreciated though that assistants sociaux tend to be very busy people with potentially a heavy caseload. The situation varies area to area of course, but you can’t necessarily count on contacting them one day and getting an appointent the next.
Did you arrive with good/fluent French? Like you we have never had problems with bureaucracy, but put it down to good/fluent French. (I am good, OH is fluent)
No, no way! But we did have a paid helper. I thought it too important to risk misinterpretation etc.
The less said about my French the better, even still. I’m confident when I speak (which helps loads) and I don’t panic when spoken to (which helps even more) but I can word myself up cul-de-sacs when searching for ways to say something. ‘I get by’ covers it without delving too deep into what getting by entails!
Indeed, do I recall correctly there is something in the WA treaty on the principle of non-discrimination, or in one of the EU treaties?
I am French, and I have an S1.
This latest debacle only applies to non-Europeans, like British people. Even if they are naturalised - but given that the financial thresholds for naturalisation are higher than for a CDS if would only be naturalised people who have fallen on very hard times.
1 Like
No, French natives, naturalised French residents, and non-European French residents must be treated the same. The WARP agreement should mean that British people here with protected status should fall into this group. But as we know with driving licences a lot was left out!
Will never get fed up with you 
Andy
I think also a lot of people’s income may have dropped seriously for the years being taken into account for eligibility due to Covid. So perhaps they’ve had a flood of applications while the economy picks up again and people find their feet again.
2 Likes
People who are working in France would not be on S1s though would they. I am sure you are correct but I have not heard it suggested that economically active people on low earnings are being refused, after all even on low earnings they are still paying cotisations.
1 Like
Frontaliers living in France and working in UK are on S1’s not just UK pensioners
You would have to be working for less than SMIC to be eligible for CSS, so can’t see that will apply to many? The threshold is very low!
That is why I specifically said “people working in France would not be on S1s”.
I know workers S1s are a thing but do not really understand how they work with social security. I believe frontaliers working in the UK pay NICs so for instance if you are off sick, do you get your sick pay from France or the UK? How is the responsibility shared between UK and France? Although I do not suppose it is relevant to this thread, just idle curiosity…
Would that not depend on the employer’s responsibilities according to the jurisdiction?
I’m still waiting for some feedback from those who have been “refused”… but details are not available… not yet. Presumably/perhaps the applicants have fallen on hard times… who knows.
Meanwhile, it’s interesting to note that National Front, in both UK and France, are of similar mindsets… re Foreigners “daring” to ask for help…
Well I guess I am asking what the jurisdiction is. Would you get statutory sick pay or indemnités journalières? Logically I would expect SSP since you are working under UK labour lax (is there such a thing???) but curious to know if the S1 is to do with other social security mechanisms apart from healthcare.
We’re not French, we have French nationality
or as my OH put it “ne dis jamais “je suis français”, tu passeras pour un con/prétentieux, t’as la nationalité, tu dis que t’es naturalisé ou que t’as la nationalité française, c’est tout !”
In the same way as my kids are half English but are 100% French and wouldn’t say they’re English (especially as they can’t really speak English anyway!)
4 Likes