Time to bring in the conciliatory council or mediator I think! So have a read of this. There are some model letters to use.
https://www.ameli.fr/assure/droits-demarches/reclamation-mediation-voies-de-recours/saisir-mediateur
As for the TdS have you tried an attestation sur l’honner?
@JaneJones I think you are right. Thank you for the link, I will take a look and see what to do and say. I have offered the Interior Ministry an attestation sur l’honneur but have not had a reply back as yet. I will let you know. It is terribly frustrating (and worrying). Thanks for your help 
Well, what a shock today when I was told that my carte vitale would not happen even though I had received attestation de droits. Apparently it is because on my birth certificate I am J***** M****** but on my passport I am M****** J***** and they cannot reconcile this. Even though all paperwork has been through visa process via French embassy, notaires for house purchase, had previous social security numbers from living in France during 1999 to 2012, etc… I did tell CPAM that I thought this was wrong but they would not agree as head office did not. Oh… back to the drawing board again
Seriously need to complain to everyone! Appalling!
Can you give us a hint as to which département this is? just so anyone can beware?
@JaneJones You are absolutely right. I have contacted the British Consulate in Bordeaux. Sent a message from my Ameli account for ‘reclamation’. Made an appointment with the Prefecture to see if we can prolong our visas as we have such a short time left to sort this out. Resent OH birth cert yet again with a message. Booked an appointment with France Services to see how they can help and sent long email with dateline and what has happened. I cannot think of anything else I can do at this stage… but if anybody has any thoughts as to what more can be done, please please do send them
@KarenLot The department doesn’t help at all in this instance as all decisions are made by a central body, so nothing at local level is decision making. It is a pity as this makes things even harder to resolve.
Other options:
Or the dreadful Connexion magazine!
I am not sure I am going Connexion (yet) but I do think Solvit is a good possibility. I had some friends in another country (ex Soviet Union place) who had to use them as they were being bribed to get a driving licence !!! And it worked out well, thanks for the mention about them as I had not even thought. Defenseur des droits won’t even entertain us until we have been through a reclamation and then the mediator on CPAM. Do not have enough time. I cannot believe I have been worrying about this since the end of February. Found last five nights waking up about this… illegal immigrants, deportation, police on the doorstep, and so on
Just checked SOLVIT, seems like they are only EU citizens?
Sleepless nights are seriously not good. Maybe talking to @fabien about the costs of private health insurance that can be cancelled once this whole sorry mess has been sorted?
You will not be deported!
If they do decide not to give you your TdS, then first off isn’t your visa still valid so you have time to battle on? I may be wrong as not something I have experience of but I don’t think they can do much while you still have a valid visa? And even if they do it would be odd to proceed immediately to next steps when it is clear you are trying not to be an irregular. It can take a very long time to issue an OQTF (order to quit territory france) so is not something done on a whim. and then there’s the appeal process that takes quite a while too.
Would it not be worth taking out a private healthcare policy, a) to get your CdS processed and b) in case you need treatment? I know it should not be necessary but sometimes taking the easy way out saves so much stress.
This is a good point however I’ve got a feeling that an insurance policy generally in France would have to be held (ie paid) for a minimum of 12 months before it can be terminated and OP has said they would struggle with this.
If anyone has policies that can avoid this problem, if a policy needs to be taken in the interim just to try to get things sorted out till a suitable ongoing solution can be brought into operation it would be Fabien who is known to many of us.
I believe (don’t know for sure) that fabien has policies that can be swapped to a mutuelle.
I think these are great points and thank you.
My difficulty is my name as CPAM decided to take it from my birth certificate but I have always been known by the forenames swapped around as hated my first name but loved my second forename Thus what CPAM have on file and my ID (passport) - indeed all my ID all my life - do not match, so unable to get Carte Vitale.
OH problem is different, just French admin being very very very slow as they keep losing the birth certificate so cannot get an Attestation de Droits.
We cannot afford private health care even if we could transfer it to a mutuelle. Certainly have to have 12 months cover to get a TdeS.
I have looked at the pricing both here and with fab but it is a no go.
It is all just really difficult and completely unreasonable especially given all paperwork was signed off by French Embassy to get our visas. Plus our local France Services has said today that CPAM are refusing to answer any of their requests and when the lady from CPAM comes in she refuses any new dossiers or to reply to queries on old ones. Go figure that one ?!?!?!?
On the bright side the weather has turned a corner and we have an appointment at the Prefecture on Monday afternoon to see what can be sorted.
So the UK will issue a passoort that does not match the person’s birth certificate? I find that very odd.
(Must have lived in France too long…)
You explain to them it is your prénom d’usage. Lots of people have this problem, my mother is known by the 4th of her first names. Sometimes you have it underlined.
Agreed. OH has an unpronounceable first name and second name is George. Half the paperwork we have uses George, the other half his first name. I use my maiden name, on my passport, my bank a/cs. I always sign using my maiden name. Half my paperwork is in my maiden name, the other half my married name. Bureaucracy seems to cope just fine.
@Sandcastle Oh yes, simple forename change is acceptable. There is no requirement in the UK to have a deed poll to do it. That is as long as you are not trying to defraud or deceive. I just wanted the two forenames switched around and they were happy with that with no paperwork needed.
@vero I have done this twice, once in person and the second time from my Ameli account but so far no joy. I shall persevere nicely as it seems the only way. I have found in the past with the French administration that if you just keep going on politely at them they usually come round (unless it is something really serious like ‘blanchissement’
@SuePJ That is interesting and gives me hope that CPAM may cave in in the end.
Meanwhile, I have found a deed poll service and despite the cost asked for a deed poll to change the two forenames round. I can attach it to my birth certificate and it declares that the change was because of normal usage dating from 1958. Better belt and braces in case CPAM won’t play ball.
Made a decision a couple of days ago to take this back to basics and list every step in order of priority, Until one was done I would not go on to the rest. French administration seems to appreciate things in ‘small bites’
Have had some success as called CPAM for days (have been on hold a total of 9 hours) but worth it. I discovered that if you say your question is regarding ‘carte vitale’ you get cut off but if you say anything else you are put on hold and you hold and hold and hold but then a real person picks up and you can speak and explain.
Had a result. OH has attestation de droits.
Same with Prefecture for TdeS. Mine is now waiting to be picked up. Awaiting confirmation of date to do so. OH still waiting but know it will be here within a week
Perseverance has paid off and I will continue to do so. Anybody on here who is having difficulty please keep trying as you will get there in the end.
I have another question regarding Attestion de Droits for those who have an S1 and another half piggy backing on this. I will put up another thread
Thanks everyone for offering support and help; it made me keep going!
SF folks are very good at moral support and practical advice (lots of previous travels and pre-purchased T-shirts ) … glad to hear you are making progress!