Is it always necessary to give your S1 form to CPAM?

My husband and I have been in the French health system nearly 12 years, sans problème. Now that he has reached UK state retirment age, he has been sent an S1 form. Is there any real need to hand it into the CPAM office? Or should we just carry on as we are?

I worked in France and had a CV when I retired many years ago the local CPAM office sent for me and told me to get the S1 from the UK and take it to them I think they then changed my Carte Vital. But that is nearly 20 years ago.
Do you know there is an English speaking number for CPAM? I have just used it to solve an internet log in problem. The lady was very good I would suggest you try it. 0974753646.

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By handing in your S1s the UK will take over responsibility for your social contributions. This can be financially beneficial as you should no longer pay the full contributions on your pension, just the prélèvements sociaux. And should you have a second home to sell it will minimise the taxes on any capital gains.

The downside is that you will no longer be eligible for the CSS - the free/low cost mutuelle for low income people. However I have read that whether you apply for an S1 or not the French will automatically refuse people with UK state pensions (or pensions/s1’s from other EU countries).

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When it comes time to complete your tax return, you need to be aware of the need to check certain boxes in the submission…
This is from last years tax help guide posted on SF

Registering it with CPAM might help if the Fisc cross reference it when checking the detail of your return.
Really, I can’t see a reason not to register it.

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Just an aside - when you give the S1 to CPAM, please make sure you keep a copy. Ideally, scan it and save the image too.

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Yes you need to hand it to CPAM and make sure it gets sent to Newcastle to be registered. Otherwise you are still in the French system and liable for CSG/ CRDS as you are à la charge. There is a box on your tax form to tick once you are registered.

Sorry Graham just seen your tax form piccie!

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Is it always necessary to give your S1 form to CPAM?

Yes, otherwise how else will they be able to lose it! :slight_smile:

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That made my day! :grinning::smiley::grin:

This from Connexion 9 December 2021

By Liv Rowland

Reader question: What happens if you are in the French health system by residency, under Puma, and you reach state retirement age and get an S1 from the UK?

Once you have reached state retirement age and obtained the S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services, you can register it with your local caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (keep a copy).

As you are already in the system, the changeover should be simple. Your social security number will not change and your mutuelleshould not be affected – because your state reimbursements will not change.

However, Rachel Thomas-Bonnet, of Perfide Albion, who helps Britons in France with paperwork, said that she has sometimes known the caisse to send out a new carte Vitale.

She said the changeover is usually “relatively simple” if you present a copy of your S1, passport, proof of address and, preferably, a recent attestation de droits which can help officials identify you in the system. If you have an account at ameli.fr, you can download an attestation from your personal space under Mes démarches. You can also obtain them from machines at Cpam offices or request one on 3636.

Ms Thomas-Bonnet said, in her experience, there should be no disruption to your rights, depending on the efficiency of the officials in your local office.

If you were to experience temporary issues with your carte Vitale, however, you can ask doctors and pharmacists for paper feuilles de soins to apply for reimbursements from Cpam afterwards if you have to pay upfront.

In future, you should request a British Ehic (European Health Insurance Card) to use for health cover when visiting other parts of the EU (though not the UK).

Thank you Liv, that is useful information. Also wondering if we should submit me as an application, on the back of my husband’s S1 or whether I should just wait until I get my own S1 later in August this year. When we first came to France, and initially started off our first two years with an S1, they were willing to add me, but in more recent years, I know the CPAM prefer to handle everyone’s health care on an individual basis.

Given that your S1 could kick in in August, I think in your place I’d wait for that as moving from being on the back of a partner’s S1 to then having your own can be quite a messy/time consuming process. My partner is a lot younger than me so we still have that particular joy to come!

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Thanks, good advice I think!

An EHIC if you are here with Withdrawal Agreement rights. Otherwise you request a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card).

And a few weeks after submitting “mettre à jour” one’s CV.

Looks like FionaT is already enrolled

Same position as the Connexion reader

What happens if you are in the French health system by residency, under Puma, and you reach state retirement age and get an S1 from the UK?

So, the Connexion advice to apply for a UK Ehic in this case seems fine once the S1 is registered.

Presumably, the GHIC would apply if Fiona decided not to register the S1 with CPAM?

I think that’s the issue…can you chose not to? From France’s perspective they want all theseOAPs (and frontaliers) to use their S1s to save the French health budget. But is it obligatory?

I agree with you about this.

Seems fair for France to be repaid for UK OAPs if offered. But as hard as I have tried to find where it states it is obligatory to turn in an S1, I have failed to find the confirmatory proof.

Something that does concern me a bit, and this may be unnecessarily alarmist. Will it be possible to re enter the France system using PUMA if, and it may never happen, but if the NHS chooses to end payment cover for OAP permanent residents abroad? For some, any minor tax advantage in the short term may not be worth this risk.

Yes, PUMA is a right for all residents

I think it was in the Withdrawal Agreement to keep this… though I’m not sure why that’s my recollection.

I got both EHIC and GHIC, though must renew as both have lapsed

Are these cards issued from the same country???
I had thought it was an “either or” situation… but I’ve quite possibly got the wrong end of the stick… (so much going on these days, my head’s in a whirl…)

I’m now wondering… should I be applying for both cards??? (Our UK issued EHIC date expires in 2025 but we’ve no GHIC)