This is the third article about the Withdrawal Agreement and how it affects you as a British citizen living in France or another EU country.
In this article we take a look at what the Withdrawal Agreement has to say about health care, pensions and social security. Please note that the personal scope for people covered by the social security, healthcare and pensions provisions is different to that for the rest of the Withdrawal Agreement. Everyone entitled to residence rights under the WA is covered, as well as dual nationals, but the group of people covered is wider than that.
Other articles look at
What the Withdrawal Agreement is (and what it isn’t);
Residence rights and procedures;
Working rights, professional qualifications and family reunification;
What's not covered by the WA;
Frequently asked questions.
In this article we take a look at what the Withdrawal Agreement has to say about health care, pensions and social security. Please note that the personal scope for people covered by the social security, healthcare and pensions provisions is different to that for the rest of the Withdrawal Agreement. Everyone entitled to residence rights under the WA is covered, as well as dual nationals, but the group of people covered is wider than that.
Other articles look at
What the Withdrawal Agreement is (and what it isn’t);
Residence rights and procedures;
Working rights, professional qualifications and family reunification;
What's not covered by the WA;
Frequently asked questions.
Health care
The WA continues all the current rules for reciprocal health care. Specifically:
- If, at the end of the transition period, you hold an S1 form from the UK, it will continue to be valid for as long as you’re resident in France and the UK will continue to fund your health care costs. The S1 form is issued to those in receipt of UK state pension or some other qualifying sickness or disability benefits who are living in an EU country. You will also hold an S1 if you and your spouse/partner are resident in an EU country but one of you works permanently in the UK.
- Your family members are also covered - for example, if you have a spouse who is not yet in receipt of state pension, they can be included on your S1 form and will then be covered for health care as your dependant, as they are now.
- If you hold an S1 form from the UK, you will also continue to be eligible for a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which will cover you for medically necessary treatment during a temporary visit to any EEA country or Switzerland.
- If you are a UK state pensioner who holds an S1 form registered in an EU/EEA country, you are entitled to receive full medical care in the UK, on the same basis as someone who is ordinarily resident there. This is covered by the UK’s ‘Charging to Overseas Visitors’ regulations rather than the WA. If possible, it's best to produce your S1 to benefit from this.
- If you’re living in France before the end of the transition period but you haven’t reached state pension age at that point, you may be entitled to receive an S1 form when you qualify for your UK state pension. This would apply if you haven’t worked in France OR you haven’t worked long enough in your host country to qualify for a retirement pension here - in these situations the UK will become responsible for funding your health care.
- It goes without saying that if you work in France and are covered under the French health régime appropriate to your employment or self-employment, OR if you are currently non economically active and covered under PUMa, you will continue to be covered by all the current rules for reciprocal health care as well, including access to a CEAM (France's equivalent of the EHIC card). This CEAM may be used in any EEA country and also, under the WA, in the UK.
Last September, the UK government announced that S1 health cover would only continue for 6 months after Brexit. This would have applied only in the case where the UK left the EU without a WA - a ‘no deal’ exit - and it does NOT apply when the WA is implemented.
The rights covered by the WA will extend for your lifetimes, or until you stop meeting the conditions under the WA (for example, you move permanently out of your host country back to the UK). So please don’t worry that your S1 health care is time limited - under the WA, it isn’t!
The rights covered by the WA will extend for your lifetimes, or until you stop meeting the conditions under the WA (for example, you move permanently out of your host country back to the UK). So please don’t worry that your S1 health care is time limited - under the WA, it isn’t!
Pensions and social security
- If you receive a UK state pension, or you will receive one in the future, this will be uprated each year for the rest of your life, just as it would be if you were still living in the UK. Last September the UK government announced that pension uprating was only guaranteed until March 2023. This would have applied only in the case where the UK left the EU without a WA - a ‘no deal’ exit - and it does NOT apply when the WA is implemented. The rights covered by the WA will extend for your lifetimes, or until you stop meeting the conditions (for example, you move permanently out of your host country back to the UK, where you would receive pension uprating anyway). So please don’t worry that your pension uprating is time limited - under the WA, it isn’t!
- If you receive any other exportable benefit from the UK, you will continue to receive it.
- If, before the end of the transition period, you’ve worked and paid contributions in more than one EU country (including the UK), the contributions you have made in the past and those you will make in the future will continue to be aggregated (added together) when you retire, just as they are now.
IMPORTANT: this explanation is designed to help British people in France by giving them a general overview of the Withdrawal Agreement and our understanding of its provisions. Anyone who wants advice on the Withdrawal Agreement on which they intend to rely should consult a practising lawyer. We are a campaigning group and not in a position to give legal advice. British in Europe and France Rights are unable to accept liability for any loss or damage sustained directly or indirectly as a consequence of any statement or omission in this explanation.