Yes Jane I am afraid that is true. There are very strong undercurrents in a variety of areas. I am obviously of a certain age and I can tell you that I am afraid to say that I have a strong feeling that many people I know in the UK from the same age and social group seem hell bent on an exit. I lived and worked most of my life in fairly affluent areas and most people had good jobs, nice houses, often second homes, expensive holidays, privately educated their children, and often worked in the city of London or similar. I was always a Tory, although quite to the centre even left of that party, member of the Bow group, pro Europe (worked on getting us in!!!!) and met and knew people like Heath and Major. I was on their candidates list for a while, but never actually stood for parliament. I was though heavily involved in the party for many years at local level and to an extent higher as I was for a very long time a member of the Carlton Club. There were always a few far right types in the party but they have increased in number and certainly in clamour. When IDS came in I was introduced to him but felt an instant dislike to his rather preremptory and bullying style. I really got rather out of touch, especially after I permanently moved to France. I have never met any of the current politicians. Cameron's secretary is my son's Godmother. To an extent the influence of the further right people has become more but many have always been there and they are by and large people who make more noise any way. Since I left the UK a couple of people I know have been drawn into the Ukip. They are not very sophisticated people and seem to be stuck in a time warp, a sort of Britain with Biggles. Maybe those were the only books they read at prep school. I do know that in conversation with some of the many people I know in England there seem to be many that will be voting for a Brexit. A lot of this seems to be on the basis of a nostalgia for something that will never exist again. It's certain that people like this care nothing for Brits living abroad, even if they know them quite well. However I do firmly believe that while they may be making lots of noise they will not be in the majority PROVIDED that as many of the younger people can be got out to vote. It has not at all been demonstrated what will happen if there is a Brexit, but there is no getting away from the fact that this is perhaps the most dangerous time for Britain since the second world war. Do you want an exited Britain run by the likes of the Brexiters including Farage? It's too appalling to contemplate.
I agree with your last paragraph, but still feel it unlikely that residence rights will be affected for those already living in France.
If you start with the proposition that there are a substantial number of EU citizens living in the UK (more than UK citizens living in other EU states) then, post a Brexit vote, the UK government would need to take one of two negotiating positions - either to preserve existing rights of residence or to revoke them. If the former, one could reasonable assume that the same would apply in reverse.
If the latter, then they would be faced with three substantial, possibly insoluble, problems. The first would be that such an approach would pretty much kill off any attempt to preserve open trade with the EU (a key assumption of the Brexiters); the second would be that administratively there are no resources in the Border agency or elsewhere to enforce such a change - they can't even deal with those who have failed to achieve asylum; the third would be that there would be no one to do the work currently done by EU residents, whether it be in finance in the City, in the hospitality industry throughout the UK, or in the poorly paid parts of the food/agriculture industry.
Also, as your post makes clear, the existence of the British ex-pat community is almost certainly beneficial for the French rural economy in many parts of the country.
We also need to remember that even if there is a pro Brexit vote, the actual negotiations will be carried out by officials and the existing government would still be in place, even if inevitably the pro-Brexit cabinet members would be bound to have more influence. However, these ministers (unlike the Kippers) will have to base their arguments on economic rather than xenophobic grounds.
David, I heard ths morning that a Tory minster was urging the Labour Party to get their members out to vote.
All thus mess has been caused by Little Englanders, who do not care how much damage they are inflicting on the UK and ex-pats like ourselves.
See the Times survey today. This issue now seems to be coming to the fore and as usual there are no answers. It's an outrage that many who do need or will need the care are denied the vote as they have been away more than 15 years. As I had my bath this morning I wondered what the effect of a Brexit might be on my small village in Brittany, or on people like us.
The inward investor property market is already at less than a standstill. Some people who have sold have made very substantial losses (especially after doing improvements). French buyers generally prefer to build new houses (to the norms) and avoid buying old houses. They generally don't care for the shabby chic romantic look that so many Brits love.
Our village school currently has 5 Brit pupils out of 55. If 50 or under the school would lose a teaching post.
French selling older houses would get even less than they do now. There are already many empty houses. There are very few jobs and those are jealously guarded by the village Mafia. My wife has to drive 40k to work, one week in two at 0430 hours through isolated and wild countryside.
In the last three years the village has lost a butcher and an epicerie. The pharmacie is rumoured to be closing and the hairdressers is up for sale. There is one French and one English bar.
The population is just over 800 and in the commune overall there are about 140 British owned homes of which about half are second homes. There are a few abandoned British owned homes.
In my own case since arrival in France I have experienced my late wife being cared for but dying of cancer, I have had two vein operations, three DVTs, two cateract ops, one hernie op, one broken achilles tendon, one ruptured planter's tendon, one spinal blocking and various other stuff, a baby born, my daughter so far educated for five years in the village school. Could I get equal medical attention in the UK?
As my wife is non EU we would have to first sell our house to have enough cash to deposit for her to be even considered for UK entry. We could not afford to buy a house of equal size in any remotely similar part of the UK so would be forced to rent after of course finding any school that was in any way acceptable.
Frankly I loathe with a passion the Kippers and the far right groups that are screaming like demented stuck pigs "We want our country back". They have not proposed nor can they propose any policies that might actually happen to the many thousand British people in Europe. All they can say in Europe needs us but we don't want to be part of Europe. For me they have no credibility or honesty. You won't be able to convince them, but we do need to mobilise the young, the modern, progressive thinkers.
You could be just like me, a Canadian. I pay income tax in Canada and income tax on the same Canadian earnings in France. Based on the income tax charged in France I pay URSSAF for Health Care coverage (2000 euros per year) and then pay 1500 euros per year for the TOP UP. To make matters worse I have to a sensitivity to dairy products I cannot even benefit from the 100s of different cheeses and my favourite beer is not available in France. On the positive side you really do not have to worry about a Brexit. Not even you Brits are that naive (always have trouble with that word).
Thanks Pauline I will investigate, its the first I've heard of it.
Have you thought about taking out a mutuelle?
In fact if your income is very slightly over the level for CMU-C you should be entitled to ACS, which provides help towards paying for a mutuelle, on a sliding scale - or are you saying that your income is also above the level for ACS?
Yes I can go that route but there is a considerable waiting list -its regarded as non essential -
I had the operation on one of my hands years ago and waited 9 months, also when the appointments come and there would be at least 3, I have to fly back for each one when they call me, which maybe not at the cheapest time to buy flights.
But I might have face this because, slightly unusually, two of my fingers/thumb are being forced sideways back against the normal "hinge" of the knuckle - and that hurts quite a lot somedays.
John, you are now entitled to receive treatment in the UK from the NHS on the same basis as any other pensioner resident in UK. I am not sure how advanced they are in treating DT syndrome by injection, but you would not have to pay any extra for your treatment in France. There is a level of income in France whereby you do not have to pay the extra 30 per cent.
I also have this syndrome but it is responding to Reiki which I give to myself.
Hi -yes got the S1 submitted got my Carte Vitale and I've been in the French healthcare system for a couple of years, seen my Doc got a referral to hand specialist--------- but I will only get around 70% of the cost back and if it's thousands of euros -like at 4300 per injection, I don't have the other 30% so I'm sort of stuck, oh and yes its is Dupuys Trens syndrome.
According to the CMU-C web site I an entitled to assistance but they keep telling over 3 separate applications that I don't, because unless one of more my children are living with me full time my state pension is just about, depending on the exchange rate, 50/100 euros per year too much. If we elect to have let's say my son living here permanently, my ex-wife loses all her assistance from the MAS -her partner is a "agricultural worker". It's this problem of a 50/50 cohabitation which buggers things up- you can't split the entitlement to benefits/assistance.
Now one option is to lie on your tax forms about your income by just enough, but I'm not going down that route with my luck I'd get caught and deported. And also I'm aware that every euro spent on my health care is refunded back from the UK where I was more than fully paid up on my national insurance, so I feel a tad aggrieved that I can't get these problem solved here. Sorry if I'm coming over as too much of a moaner.....
John if you are in receipt of a UK state pension you are entitled to a form S1 from the Department of Pensions in Newcastle which would guarantee you entry into the French health system.
Do you mean that you have Dupuys Trens syndrome, in which case there is already a post on here dealing with this problem.
You should be able to get the help to which you are entitled.
John, do you mean that you have Dupuys Trens Syndrome, contracture of the tendons in the hands?
Also if you are in receipt of a UK state pension you should have a form S1 from the overseas office of the pensions team in Newcastle in UK. This would guarantee you entry into the French health system and a Carte Vitale.
I cannot understand why you should have to pay upfront for the total cost of these injections. The Carte Vitale gives you an automtic repayment of 70 per cent of the cost.
You can massage various creams and oils into your hands but they are of limited facility, the choices are surgery, expensive injections or in extreme cases, a category which one of my fingers may fall, amputation.
I make all sorts of things in wood -repairing old furniture, I did a hexagonal gazebo roof last year, fancy rabbit hutches, trying to made a range of rather up-market tool boxes, I've got quite a large and well equipped but extremely untidy workshop near Limoux. sounds impressive but it's ready just me pottering with mild intent. People come to me for all sorts of odd things mostly by word of mouth.
Hi John.....sorry to read of your problem with your hands.Does exercise and massage not help? We tend to take our hands for granted in terms of exercise,but with a craft such as yours they need to be cherished.What kind of woodwork do you do?
Hi my children are considered dependants but you have to elect for them to be attached to one household for social help/ benifits etc so even if there is a 50/50 split, they don't allow for this when they look at my case.
And I do have an 'assistante sociale' very nice lady who is an enormous help and she battles against the arbitrary decisions made by others in the system but so far to no avail...... the GP route is fine but this is all about me paying upfront payments which I may get some of which back, problem is that the injections I need for my (dupray syndrome) hands (which would cure the problem) are running at about 4300 euros a shot and I need at least 3 maybe five.
Well Mr Silcox I am mostly in fact quite inexplicably happy, mostly because I live here and everything around me seems so beautiful. And then there's the peace and tranquility. Yes I do get down sometimes but that doesn't last that long really and I've got a small group of friends....
There was a time when I had lots of money but can't remember that making me really happy
So my problems with the french system are, in my rose coloured mind, minor irritations but there is a vague fear that the problem will get worst.
@ John - at that age your children should be treated as being dependent. Have you spoken to an 'assistante sociale' - they are normally very good at helping people to get the CAF payments they are entitled to.
Also, if you need the operation, the hospital should have someone who can guide you through the 'who is going to pay for it' process - I would start with your GP.
But I do agree with the get a dog comment! x
"All choices now happily left behind". You certainly do not sound happy. Forget the wife of any kind, not worth the pain. Rather than eating the dog get another one so that you can walk them both.
My problem, which is relatively minor compared to most, is my inability to get on to the CMU-C scheme, my UK state pension which at around 700 euros per month apparently is too high. Even though I have children 16 and 18 who cohabit more than 50% of the time -they ignore that and treat me as though as was single. I've applied a few times and they sometimes send a cheque 500euro towards top insurance (because of being so close to the limit) but because of my age 69 this is nowhere near the amount required and also if I was to go down that route would preclude me from applying again.
I do get a contribution from the CAF towards my rent of about 180.
I make a little doing boot sales and the odd bit of furniture restoration.
I did have a very substantial pension due of circ £45,000pa but found 9 years ago when I tried to take it up - that the fund had been wiped out completely and there was no chance of recovery or redress.
So life is simple now, and delightfully unencumbered by choices, my sort of pressing issue is that I need an operation on both my hands which are to a degree starting to affect my ability to work.
And I do in fact wonder if my private pension, if I had recieved it, might have just presented more difficult problems, like which new Mercedes to buy, will I be able to get my size at Amareni, or choosing a shiny new trophy wife and having to go to financial seminars. All choices now happily left behind.
If I can't continue to make some small monies from my woodworking in the future, then life goes from being a struggle to a super struggle, which means at some point having to consider eating my dog.... Does anyone have experience of dealing with the CMU-C system?
I don't