At last - the warm weather has arrived in our region. This last winter was much colder than usual. But the last few days have been gloriously warm and we have been sitting out on our terrace to enjoy lunch.
However, my relaxation was spoiled by two events - the dentist and the tax man - surely the two most dreaded things in anyone's life. The first was much soothed, though, by a wonderful woman dentist in nearby Cordes. Her name is Dr. Julie Bacque and she is so so gentle. Although I needed root-canal work + crown on one tooth - because my old UK filling was more than 30 years old - the only pain I felt was via my wallet! The cost was high - 400 euros - but this was tempered by a reimbursement of 230 euros by CPAM (the French health service) and 70 euros by our top-up health insurance. (I do like the top-up health insurance system because you don't ever need to claim - it's done automatically by CPAM). So, not too bad. The second - the dreaded taxman - was necessary because I had misunderstood the complicated French tax rules. (I never had to complete a tax return in the UK). I had 'foolishly' thought that because the interest paid on my one English bank account was paid 'net', I didn't need to declare it on my French return. Wrong! So, now I need to pay the UK tax for the last few years again and hope to get reimbursed sometime in the future via the double-tax treaty. Let's hope all this is in my lifetime.....life's too short.
But at least I can now relax again in this glorious sunshine - at least until the next unknown French problem hits......
8th March 2009
A British couple from Pas de Calais are threatening legal action against the UK government if certain benefits (e.g. DLA, attendance allowance, carer's allowance) are not restored to expats in France. All this raises the much wider question of all British rights available to expats. The whole thing is an unknown zone, pushed under the carpet by the UK in the hope it will go away. It won't.
I, myself, paid N.I. contributions for over 30 years, but it goes to fund payments for the present population. This is clearly unfair. What you don't need is for someone to deny one's hoped-for security blanket in old age just when you need it - simply because the current economic climate can't afford it. There are hundreds of expats in the former Commonwealth countries who don't receive the annual State pension increase in April, whereas those in Europe or the U.S.(!) do. Additionally, all expats (including me) are denied the extra benefits that are available to UK pensioners, e.g. top-up pension credit, winter fuel allowance etc. - for WFA, you had to have applied whilst still in the UK.
There seems no logic to any of it. UK pensioners who have paid into the system all their working lives, should receive the benefits no matter what.
I say: change the system in a graduated way so that NI contributions go into a guaranteed 'insurance' pot for when an individual reaches retirement age - whatever the future national economical situation might be.
I, myself, paid N.I. contributions for over 30 years, but it goes to fund payments for the present population. This is clearly unfair. What you don't need is for someone to deny one's hoped-for security blanket in old age just when you need it - simply because the current economic climate can't afford it. There are hundreds of expats in the former Commonwealth countries who don't receive the annual State pension increase in April, whereas those in Europe or the U.S.(!) do. Additionally, all expats (including me) are denied the extra benefits that are available to UK pensioners, e.g. top-up pension credit, winter fuel allowance etc. - for WFA, you had to have applied whilst still in the UK.
There seems no logic to any of it. UK pensioners who have paid into the system all their working lives, should receive the benefits no matter what.
I say: change the system in a graduated way so that NI contributions go into a guaranteed 'insurance' pot for when an individual reaches retirement age - whatever the future national economical situation might be.
1st March 2009
There are some Brits here for whom, economically, times are really hard. They are the ones who relied on either working (even the French can't find work) or living off interest savings (which have plummeted to zero). When things get really desperate and the outgoings exceed the income - like Mr. Micawber in Dickens - there are basically two options. You can either go back home to the UK and stay with a relative whilst looking for a regular (all-year) tenant for your French property, or consider downsizing in France.
For the latter, you can usually get a French bridging loan for 70% of the value of the existing property, which you can use to buy a pretty village home in France - there are loads of cheap properties available all over the country. These loans are normally granted for a period of up to two years which can be extended in some cases, but you don't need to pay it back until your original house is sold. In the meantime, you put your original property on the market at a realistic price and when it eventually sells, you pay off the loan and bank a large cheque.
Of course, you need to take account of all those extras, like estate agents' and notaires' fees. There is no standard agent's percentage - you need to check out the rates in their window. Certainly avoid those who charge more than 8%. A cheaper way of selling is to do it via a notaire. They are required by law to stick to a standard fee, which is always cheaper than an agent's fee: 5% of the selling price up to 45,735 euros and then 2.5% thereafter plus tax. Details of properties on sale via notaires can be found at http://www.immobilier.notaires.fr/.
The rule remains the same here: secure a regular income (it doesn't have to be large - we've found that you can live quite well on 1000 euros a month). The sun is shining, the air is clear and life is good.
For the latter, you can usually get a French bridging loan for 70% of the value of the existing property, which you can use to buy a pretty village home in France - there are loads of cheap properties available all over the country. These loans are normally granted for a period of up to two years which can be extended in some cases, but you don't need to pay it back until your original house is sold. In the meantime, you put your original property on the market at a realistic price and when it eventually sells, you pay off the loan and bank a large cheque.
Of course, you need to take account of all those extras, like estate agents' and notaires' fees. There is no standard agent's percentage - you need to check out the rates in their window. Certainly avoid those who charge more than 8%. A cheaper way of selling is to do it via a notaire. They are required by law to stick to a standard fee, which is always cheaper than an agent's fee: 5% of the selling price up to 45,735 euros and then 2.5% thereafter plus tax. Details of properties on sale via notaires can be found at http://www.immobilier.notaires.fr/.
The rule remains the same here: secure a regular income (it doesn't have to be large - we've found that you can live quite well on 1000 euros a month). The sun is shining, the air is clear and life is good.
22nd February 2009
When we first moved to France in 2005, £1 was equal to 1.50 euros. That was before the big nose-dive. I've just looked to see if there's been any improvement: nope, it's still only 1.1 euros. But then I thought, it's not long 'til April when I should get an increase in my British State pension. I walked down to the postbox and, lo-and-behold there was a letter from Gordon Brown telling me that in April I would get the princely sum of £88.88 per week! But, before you start passing the hat around, I do get a small occupational pension - though I'm constantly worried that the small pension-provider involved might go bust.
So, things needed to be done to boost our income, but what? A little lateral thinking was required. Recently, I've been successful in bidding for projects on the excellent Peopleperhour.com site (PPH). This matches creative-writing providers like me with suppliers. In order to get chosen, though, you have to bid low. It doesn't make you a millionaire - well, not yet anyway - but it has helped to bridge that gap between the current low exchange rate. And, what I like about it is that I can work from the comfort of chez-nous, and my employer doesn't need to know my age nor how presentable I look!!
Well, a few days ago PPH asked me whether they could profile me and pass it on to the media. The story was that it isn't always necessary for the thousands of British people living in France, for example, to return home when times are tough and their French isn't good enough to get a job in France. IT is always there to gain access to funding opportunities. Lulu.com, the organisation that has published my 4 books, are also interested in profiling me. So, all is not yet lost. Maybe I can turn it into a publicity campaign for my writing career. I'll then be able to change my slogan of 'I'm NOT a celebrity - get me published' to 'I AM a celebrity......'
We'll have to see.
So, things needed to be done to boost our income, but what? A little lateral thinking was required. Recently, I've been successful in bidding for projects on the excellent Peopleperhour.com site (PPH). This matches creative-writing providers like me with suppliers. In order to get chosen, though, you have to bid low. It doesn't make you a millionaire - well, not yet anyway - but it has helped to bridge that gap between the current low exchange rate. And, what I like about it is that I can work from the comfort of chez-nous, and my employer doesn't need to know my age nor how presentable I look!!
Well, a few days ago PPH asked me whether they could profile me and pass it on to the media. The story was that it isn't always necessary for the thousands of British people living in France, for example, to return home when times are tough and their French isn't good enough to get a job in France. IT is always there to gain access to funding opportunities. Lulu.com, the organisation that has published my 4 books, are also interested in profiling me. So, all is not yet lost. Maybe I can turn it into a publicity campaign for my writing career. I'll then be able to change my slogan of 'I'm NOT a celebrity - get me published' to 'I AM a celebrity......'
We'll have to see.
15th February 2009
There was thick frost last night in the Tarn et Garonne, but this morning the sky is blue and the quality of light is breath-taking. It lifts the spirits and reminds us why we moved here. We're also nicely placed for visiting either Biarritz, 2 hours due west, or the Cote d'Azur, a couple of hours south-east.
There's an amazing carnival which takes place in Nice this month. It's the biggest in Europe, reminding me of that other parade which dances down Main Street in Florida. The Nice Deputy Mayor Rudy Salles stressed that he wants the carnival to have a truly international dimension and see its reputation and influence grow throughout the world. Certainly the links are there. A spokesman for the world's carnival capital in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil recently said that 2009 is officially 'the year of France' in Brazil and extra special efforts have been made to ensure the Nice carnival will be represented in Rio.
This year's theme in Nice is Roi des Mascarades (King of Masquerades), which is all about transforming yourself. Looking at all the cartoons in Europe's financial papers, there is plenty of transformation going on. The fall in the pound has incurred the wrath of Mr Darling's continental counterparts, with French finance minister Christine Lagarde urging the bank to intervene in foreign exchange markets and the Germans pledging to put the issue of currencies high on the agenda. I've also seen spectacular caricatures of Carla and Nicolas Sarkozy doing a Punch-and-Judy-like spat over who should get all the media attention.
Wish I could make one of the floats at this month's carnival in Nice! There's no lack of puppets on the world stage - wonder if I could make one of Tony Blair?
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There's an amazing carnival which takes place in Nice this month. It's the biggest in Europe, reminding me of that other parade which dances down Main Street in Florida. The Nice Deputy Mayor Rudy Salles stressed that he wants the carnival to have a truly international dimension and see its reputation and influence grow throughout the world. Certainly the links are there. A spokesman for the world's carnival capital in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil recently said that 2009 is officially 'the year of France' in Brazil and extra special efforts have been made to ensure the Nice carnival will be represented in Rio.
This year's theme in Nice is Roi des Mascarades (King of Masquerades), which is all about transforming yourself. Looking at all the cartoons in Europe's financial papers, there is plenty of transformation going on. The fall in the pound has incurred the wrath of Mr Darling's continental counterparts, with French finance minister Christine Lagarde urging the bank to intervene in foreign exchange markets and the Germans pledging to put the issue of currencies high on the agenda. I've also seen spectacular caricatures of Carla and Nicolas Sarkozy doing a Punch-and-Judy-like spat over who should get all the media attention.
Wish I could make one of the floats at this month's carnival in Nice! There's no lack of puppets on the world stage - wonder if I could make one of Tony Blair?
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8th February 2009
It's been a funny old week. Sarkozy's rubbished Gordon Brown's VAT-reduction, saying the economic solution is to boost industry. I agree. And the old country, i.e. the UK, is still up to its old tricks. The first ID cards are here - but no one in the UK can read them because the necessary finger-print scanners haven't yet been produced! Then there's the thought-police who've not only positioned Orwellian spy cameras on every street corner, but now are set to force their way into homes to check that you're eating properly. And the weather's gone beserk. There's white-out Arctic conditions in normally moderate Britain, so everyone's having to take the ice-trucker route to work, but without the snow-chains. Climate change has certainly started with a vengeance - maybe it's the last billion years of the Earth's existence. I certainly prefer this, natural, explanation rather than the man-made greenhouse gases reason. Everyone's gone recycling crazy, even though when you investigate what happens, the answer is 'nothing'. Apparently more energy is needed to recycle our rubbish than is saved. Our local French binmen tip each recycling container into one big heap in the back of their lorry anyway! And lightbulbs: don't get me started. Here in France our beloved 100w bulbs can no longer see the light of day, all to be replaced by the stupid so-called energy-efficient long-life bulbs. Do people realise that to save money at all, you have to keep these new-fangled things on all day? You can't keep switching them on and off or they won't last. And you won't be able to use your relaxing dimmer-switches any more. And, to cap it all, it takes more energy to dispose of these new lights than they save. You couldn't make it up.
.
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1 February 2009
There are some new things planned for this year in France:
New diagnostic. When you sell a house in France, if your electricity system is more than 15 years old, you must now get an electricity installation 'diagnostic' (check) done by a professional.
Livret A. All banks and post-offices now offer this popular tax-free investment bond - was 4% in January.
Euro elections. Elections will be held from June 4 - 7 - the only ones in France open to voting by British nationals.
Rent increases. A new supplement 'supplement de loyer de solidarite' is now payable by social housing tenants whose incomes go above a certain ceiling. It's to encourage only those who really need social housing to stay in that sector. Good idea!
Virtual police station. This summer you will be able to report minor crimes on a website. (Wonder if a virtual policeman turns up to investigate it?)
After-sales advice. If you need to complain, or to ask for advice, on a product bought, businesses must now only use non-premium telephone lines (so keeping customers' blood-pressure low).
Alcohol. Legal age for buying alcohol and drinking in bars is going up from 16 to 18.
Gendarmerie. I've never really understood the difference between the gendarmes and the police, but at least they are both now run by the same body: the Interior Ministry (not the Ministry of Defence).
Train mediator: If you have a dispute with the SNCF, you can now contact the Mediateur de la SNCF at 66 rue de Rome, 75008 Paris. Let's hope you are not left stranded and have to walk all the way to Paris to do so!
New diagnostic. When you sell a house in France, if your electricity system is more than 15 years old, you must now get an electricity installation 'diagnostic' (check) done by a professional.
Livret A. All banks and post-offices now offer this popular tax-free investment bond - was 4% in January.
Euro elections. Elections will be held from June 4 - 7 - the only ones in France open to voting by British nationals.
Rent increases. A new supplement 'supplement de loyer de solidarite' is now payable by social housing tenants whose incomes go above a certain ceiling. It's to encourage only those who really need social housing to stay in that sector. Good idea!
Virtual police station. This summer you will be able to report minor crimes on a website. (Wonder if a virtual policeman turns up to investigate it?)
After-sales advice. If you need to complain, or to ask for advice, on a product bought, businesses must now only use non-premium telephone lines (so keeping customers' blood-pressure low).
Alcohol. Legal age for buying alcohol and drinking in bars is going up from 16 to 18.
Gendarmerie. I've never really understood the difference between the gendarmes and the police, but at least they are both now run by the same body: the Interior Ministry (not the Ministry of Defence).
Train mediator: If you have a dispute with the SNCF, you can now contact the Mediateur de la SNCF at 66 rue de Rome, 75008 Paris. Let's hope you are not left stranded and have to walk all the way to Paris to do so!
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