This is my first post on SFN, though have been watching it for a few weeks! We arrived six weeks ago in France and now working on the paperwork. The local CPAM has just asked for traductions assermentées of the entire family's birth certificates. Expensive and not really something I can afford until the salary and child benefit kicks in. Can I get away with translating them myself...I'm not quite fluent but almost, or do they insist on the traducteur assermenté? Any advice or experience of this which might help me? By the way we're mum and dad and two small children and we live in Aude, came from Scotland.
but you can't get unemployment benefit for example, even if you've paid a fortune into the system as an indépendant!!!
and yes, back in 2005 when I got my carte vitale with cpam (now rsi) I had to prove the number of hours I was working per month, provide teaching contracts etc. They even phoned the school and CCI where I was teaching to check. Same thing back in 2001 when I needed a carte de sejour - the mairie asked for proof from the school where I was teaching, payslips etc before issuing the carte :-O
Since the requirement for Carte de Sejour for EU Nationals ceased, the other authorities are being more exacting about anyone's right to stay/live in France and sign into the system.
Anecdotal, not fact.
As we all know, what happens in legislation isn't necessarily etched in stone and conveyed to the random "fonctionnaire" you might encounter.
Yes, I'm sorry - I noticed only after I posted that I was replying and reacting to an old post.
Thank you for endorsing the 3-month thing, and minimum hours' requirement.
Not sure about child benefit, to be honest, because I have only a single child, so not eligible anyway. I did get benefit for a couple of years because her father died so she was a mi-orpheline, until she became "emancipee". Note: she got no financial recognition for that, even tho' she was 16 at the time - we had to weigh up the difference between her being out on her own (ha-ha, as if...) and her still being part of my household; it was overall more favourable for her to be independent.
Hmmm not necessarily
Hi Hilary,
My original post was way back in September last year. The discussion has kicked off again today after Chloe's request to me for the outcome of the situation back then. You're right though - three months is the minimum and we had to produce hubby's first three payslips before we could go any further. We've had to produce further payslips since, presumably to show we're still earning and 'paying in'. And you have to have done a minimum of 120 hours work in every three month period (same for French nationals) i.e. 40 hours per month average to be entitled to these things. We didn't have to provide a 'droit de séjour', but we came with a work contract in place so I imagine that proves our ability to support ourselves.
In Britain, as I imagine in France, everyone gets child benefit, but you have to have contributed National Insurance to get things like unemployment benefit and, in France, health care rights.
Exactly right.
And surely * even French Nationals get nothing unless they have paid into the system * this is only referring to some benefits - e.g you can be a French national (or any other) and have paid nothing in and still get allocations famililiales?
When did *you have to prove your "droit de sejour"* this start then? Info please - wouldbe good to share?
Sorry but NO! "Paying in" is paramount! - & even if/when you do, the benefits are iffy at best - see my posts re Hunger in France!
But you're right - within the EU, everyone-EU within each country gets treated equally - France seems more adept than most other EU countries in doing so - whether you're French or not, you are entitled to benefits according to what you have paid in!
If you don't pay in, you don't get out - it's as simple as that & the UK is implementing the same - allegedly. The fact you're an EU citizen confers no more rights than those of any other EU country's nationals - so when they're in the sh*t, you're equally in the sh*t, and the rules that apply them apply equally to you - &, quite frankly, why shouldn't they?
Be aware that even French Nationals get nothing unless they have paid into the system, or time-limited benefits according to what they have paid in (my daughter is a case in point in point; if you want to know the details message me.). How much more clear can I make this?
For EU Nationals, you have to prove your "droit de sejour", which means you can provide for yourself and family for the foreseeable, if you want to claim at the CAF, CPAM or Pole Emploi, ie that you haven't come to France to milk the system. For non-EU Nationals, it is even more stringent.
End of!
As far as I understand it - "paying in" is neither here nor there - everyone is entitled to be treated equally within EU states - non?
Am interested to know how you qualify for all these benefits; normally, you get nothing until you've paid into the French system for at least 3 months & you said you arrived 6 weeks ago. How d'you manage it?
Thanks for your reply.. very informative and useful to know. We are going to be in quite a quiet rural part of Burgundy so hopefully we shall have small and friendly ones too... (offices not people). I must admit that I am dreading all of the paperwork etc but I shall sit down with the husband and he can translate while I complete!
Hi Chloe,
I sent them copies of our birth certificates with my own translation of the critical fields scribbled in the margin and a nice friendly letter explaining that it would cost 160€ for translations which I couldn't afford at that time. I said I'd be happy to pay if it was really necessary but in the meantime I offered the home-made translations in the margin. They haven't asked for the translations again to date. I have received our CPAM number and an 'Attestation des Droits' (certificate of right to receive the standard medical care reimbursement) valid for 6 months. I haven't yet received the Carte Vitalité but that can apparently take a while. I have also received reimbursements for all doctors visits and hospital visits which the entire family have had to have to date. So, I'm happy so far! I am now applying for the CMUC (the extra 30% from the CPAM for those on low income) and await the result of that application.
As for child benefit (Allocations Familiales), they haven't asked for translations of birth certificates and I've so far received one lump sum payment to cover November to January. Not sure what happens next, but I'm not in receipt of regular monthly payments yet. No translations required though. I'm in Aude and my CPAM and CAF offices are small and friendly. Maybe city or departmental capital ones will be more officious.
Hi Alison, may I ask what happened with this? Did you get the documents translated or hold firm and refuse! I am going to try and refuse if they ask us...
Ben has just about answered it. The EU regulations got rid of the need for translations ages ago. We did not need them, have never done them and wonder what is going on. Mind you, looking back over how many people have raised the same question on several occasions over the last year or so, Aude seems to stand out in my mind as having a set of 'rules' all of its own. Translating the lot is incredibly expensive for something that is not necessary. If you wait until child benefit kicks in, then long wait I suspect because you'll need all the paperwork done before they give you a singe cent!
No, you can't do it yourselves. But normally birth certificates are a standardized (EU-)form. Normally all the details needed are provided under headings that each one is described in different languages. If your document is like that then the "stamp-and-seal" from the UK registry-office should do the trick. Ask your Scottish town hall to provide one, you might even be able to do that on-line....