Where Will I Find Professional Advice On How Moving To France Will Affect The Benefits I Receive

[revpat55]

Hi, my husband & I are thinking to retiring to France next year when we turn 60. My husband has a few health problems and has been medically retired from work for a over 5 years & he receives PIP & IB. There does not seem to be much up-to-date information on the web as to whether he will still be able to claim these benefits if we move to France.
I am also finding it hard to find anyone who offers professional advice on this subject, although there are several company's that give financial advise (but this is not what we are looking for). I know there are websites like Frenchentree.com & livinginfrance.com, but these seem to consist mainly of forums and there is no guarantee how long ago the posts were made or how correct the advice is.
Any Ex-pat retirees out there who can point us in the right direction? Cheers!!

[EDDIE51]

read the official PIP help page
https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility
Scroll down to 'eligability' you have to be resident in the UK but there are possible exceptions for EU countries. You need to contact the PIP help line for advice.

[EDDIE51]

Reading Beunchico's answer to your 1st post it does not look as if PIP is one of the payments you can claim if you move out of the UK, as it is a 'working age' benefit
There have been a lot of problems with the switch over from IB to PIP, I would put off moving out of the UK until the problems have been sorted out. Have you enquired about claiming French benefits as you will have to do that eventually? , you may get the UK benefits for a while but I don't think you can claim them indefinately.
( you CAN claim your UK state pension for life from another EU state, if you have qualified for it)

[revpat55]

Thanks Eddie51 - it looks like a minefield, that's why I would have liked professional advice. I'll keep searching

[EDDIE51]

If you google PIP advice the numbers that come first are all commercial advice lines that charge a fee to give advice,do not use them!
The official government PIP claim / advice line is on this link
https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim
But reading through the claim information it really looks as though you can not continue to claim it unless you are a full time UK resident.
But just phone the claim line they will tell you straight away if you can claim from France.
But I still think that once you move you will need to claim French benefits.

[black_cat51]

dunno what you are gping on about eddie - pip hasn't replaced IB

[EDDIE51]

black cat, PIP is currently in the process of replacing IB and ESA , new claims have already been switched to PIP to some areas.
ALL IB and ESA claimants will be switched to PIP by the end of 2015.

[boxtops]

Am I right in believing that you don't get pension increments if you leave the UK, only the rate you were getting when you left?

[EDDIE51]

Sorry it is DLA and IB that is being replaced by PIP
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/simplifying-the-welfare-system-and-making-sure-work-pays/supporting-pages/introducing-personal-independence-payment
Same timetable though, all DLA and IB claims will be replaced by PIP by the end of 2015.

[EDDIE51]

Boxtops, not sure but I think that is the case , you just get the rate that applied when you left the UK.

[EDDIE51]

You will not get the winter fuel payment either if you are outside the UK, that has just been scrapped for those outside the UK.

[black_cat51]

i really don't know if you are even reading your own links, but pip has nothing to do with esa (or IB) as you have stated. Please don't advise people if you are giving the wrong answers

[black_cat51]

that was rather rude of me, sorry

[ubasses]

Boxtops on Gov't pension site there is a list of countries that do not receive pension increases if you emigrate to them. Ok in EU countries though, but as some friends of ours just found out it is quite a rigmerole if you are out there when the time comes to start receiving it.

[revpat55]

See, it's a minefield! CAB recommend using the DWP & calling rather than trawling the website so I will give it a go.

[EDDIE51]

Let us know how you get on, but i think the answer is that you can't claim PIP unless you are living in the UK.

[diddlydo]

Eddie 51 - the winter fuel allowance has NOT been scrapped for all countries, only some.

[EDDIE51]

Black cat, Incapacity Benefit, IB has already been replaced by DLA , Disabled Living Allowance, a few people with continuing claims are still being paid IB but all new claims switched to DLA several years ago.
Now claims are all being switched again to PIP. This latest switch started this year but DLA and PIP will run along side each other until late in 2015 when PIP will have totally replaced DLA.
The timetable for the switch is in the link I posted at 15.22 on the 18th March.
At present there are actually 3 schemes running , the last few claims on IB, the majority on DLA and the first ones on PIP.

[black_cat51]

that, my dear eddie is a load of cock
i am sorry i apologised now!

[UKSWF]

IB (Invalidity Benefit) has been replaced by ESA (Employment Support Allowance) and DLA (Disabled Living Allowance) has been replaced by PIP (Personal Independence Payment) any new claimants to either if these will get the newer level (Much higher hoops to jump through-No bad thing!) existing claimants will transition across over the next few years.