Hey Everyone. Sorry this is long, but I need some help. I am having serious difficulties trying to navigate my way between France Travail and CARSAT (pensions). I’ve been in France 12 years and spent 10 of them working as an English teacher: first as a supply teacher in schools, then for seven years at the University of Nantes, the last five of which were on a renewable CDD contract. This year my contract, along with many others, was cut. So I went to France Travail and I’m entitled to 822 days of benefits, but they will only pay me for 84 because after that I will reach the minimum pension age of 62 years and 9 months. In order to extend my benefits to the full amount, I have to get a form from CARSAT telling them that my pension will not be enough to retire on (200 a month ffs). CARSAT tells me that the process will take four months and I will only have benefits for two months. I have no savings and I’m too soft for living on the streets. Can anyone offer any advice?
Maybe try and find another job so your pension quota will increase a bit more. I presume you will also be entitled to a UK state pension if you were working there previously but again, not until you reach 66/67 years old. You could try and apply for the RSA but there is a cut off age there unless you are completely without a job and pension and it is extended but its pretty hard to obtain these days and then it has to go before a board to be approved. Sorry but that is all I can advise and you may have a problem renewing your CDS too without sufficient income to support you without the state being involved. Maybe find work in shops or restos however much you don’t want to but you cannot survive on that amount at all and I know as I spent ten years surviving on €550/month before I got my pensions and it was hard but luckily I owned my home, everything was paid for and the property taxes were tiny compared to this region.
Book an appointment with your assistante social and with France Services. If you have run out of unemployment benefits you could be entitled to RSA, or ASS or L’Aspa. There are also aides for housing, health and food.
Unfortunately you will have to be proactive about it.
You could also apply to the British Charitable Trust who can give small garnts to tide people over.
Shouldn’t be a problem as OP has been in France for 12 years ans so should have a 10 year/permanent CdS
Please let us know how you get on.
You do seem unusual amongst quite a few posters here who wanted to teach in France. Many could not meet the requirements but you have. And you have a cv of a number of years experience teaching to prove it.
Can you investigate part time or temporary fill-in teaching opportunities that might come up through the year? @toryroo is in a different area of France but might be able to tell you what sort of organisation you could register with / how to find such opportunities or put yourself in a position to find out when they arise.
Normally but the goalposts keep being moved and with a new president coming, who knows what will be next. Look how they have stopped us brits who rely on UK pensions from applying for citizenship now.
Do you think the measure was particularly directed at Brits Shiba?
Or was it deliberately to deflect anyone not of working age.
I don’t know but there have been people on SF who were told that because they only had their main income come via the UK pension, they could not apply for citizenship here. Probably so that younger people can apply who work here rather than oldies who will need probably to use medical services and don’t speak the language well enough either.
That May 25 policy change wasn’t directed at elderly British people, but a wider move to tighten access to French residence and nationality. It follows a circular in January 2025 that stopped people who were in France without a valid residence permit and wanted to regularise their status on the basis of their employment, family circumstances or integration into French society (which was previously possible).
And this policy to require majority french sources income was already in existence, but generally ignored. It may well be more about young students who come to France funded by family elsewhere and hope to get citizenship after 2 years of study.