THE UK government looks set to continue its squeeze on expats as it has published proposals that would end entitlement to temporary health cover in France for early retirees.
French-Property.com reports on a consultation that would see the end of S1 certificates of health entitlement for early retirees planning to leave the UK who head to countries within the EEA.
Department of Health: Sustaining services, ensuring fairness: A consultation on migrant access and their financial contribution to NHS provision in England
The S1 allows people to receive health cover in their new country of residence up to a maximum of two and a half years.
A saving of £4 million per year could be made, the UK government claims, by ending the arrangement although the S1 scheme is also used by people who move within the EEA to seek work, a supposed entitlement enjoyed by all members of the EU.
People of state retirement age are also entitled to an S1 for an unlimited duration, but it is not proposed to make any change to their entitlement, which the UK government accepts is covered by European regulations.
This move comes soon after plans to end the Winter Fuel Payment to all pensioners living in France were announced by chancellor George Osborne.
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