French pension stopped

Newly_retired

I have been drawing a tiny French pension since about 2007. Each year I have to verify my existence. If I do not do so, my payments are suspended. I have done this successfully each year on paper.  Last year I followed their instructions to do this online and I had a confirmation email of receipt. However, my French pension has not been paid since August 2020. I have just received an email inviting me to do the same this year, but going on to my account online on info-retraite.fr is shows my account is terminated .So I cannot even access the document I would need to get signed.
The pension comes from 3 different sources and I am unable to provide the information needed to log into their accounts. eg for l'Assurance Retraite after my Social Security number it asks for a 2 digit key which I don't have.
I have written a letter and emailed the umbrella organisation but had no reply. Maybe I need to try phoning but I can just imagine being passed from pillar to post with no result.
Ironically, my bank ( Santander ) has informed me that a foreign source is paying me using the wrong IBAN code and if they don't correct it, the bank will stop receiving payments. They stopped last August!
I really can't find any way forward and may just have to let it go. We are only talking about £27a month, so it is not a fortune but even so....

El_Torro

If you think it's worth the effort then I suggest picking up the phone and seeing what you can do down that route.

I doubt there are many people who read this forum who would be able to advise on your particular situation. 

Newly_retired

You may be right, but I do know that French pensions have been discussed before so it is worth a chance.
thanks for your response.

Marcon

Newly_retired said:

You may be right, but I do know that French pensions have been discussed before so it is worth a chance.
thanks for your response.

Is this a French state pension or a pension from a private plan in France?

SomeMadeUpName

El_Torro said:

If you think it's worth the effort then I suggest picking up the phone and seeing what you can do down that route.

I doubt there are many people who read this forum who would be able to advise on your particular situation. 

No experience with French pensions, but in every other area of French administration I'd have to say the suggestion above about picking up the phone is a winner. So long as your French is up to it then this is what always unblocks problems I've had in the past.

As an aside, I use my mobile and start a months 'Rebtel all inclusive France' each time I think I'm going to have to hit the phones. Costs a fiver, and then I don't worry about how long any call is taking.

Chickereeeee

SomeMadeUpName said:

El_Torro said:

If you think it's worth the effort then I suggest picking up the phone and seeing what you can do down that route.

I doubt there are many people who read this forum who would be able to advise on your particular situation. 

No experience with French pensions, but in every other area of French administration I'd have to say the suggestion above about picking up the phone is a winner. So long as your French is up to it then this is what always unblocks problems I've had in the past.

As an aside, I use my mobile and start a months 'Rebtel all inclusive France' each time I think I'm going to have to hit the phones. Costs a fiver, and then I don't worry about how long any call is taking.

I though he wasn't going to get much help here for that question.

I stand corrected!

xylophone

I have been drawing a tiny French pension since about 2007. Each year I have to verify my existence. If I do not do so, my payments are suspended. I have done this successfully each year on paper.  Last year I followed their instructions to do this online and I had a confirmation email of receipt.

Ironically, my bank ( Santander ) has informed me that a foreign source is paying me using the wrong IBAN code and if they don't correct it, the bank will stop receiving payments. They stopped last August!

Is this the source of the problem?

Have payments been returned to the French bank?

Newly_retired

I intend to ask my bank that question. Their letters warned me that they would stop payments not that they have. They have given me a cut off date in June 2021. The last payment was received last August 2020.

xylophone

Incidentally, this poster has a French pension and may be able to throw some light-----worth a PM?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6264195/state-pension-from-uk-when-a-moving-back-to-italy-after-working-only-10y-in-uk#latest

nigelbb

I too have a French pension or rather pensions which I have been drawing for the last few years but they amount to considerably more than £27/month.

The first time I had to produce a life certificate I got it from the French Consulate but subsequently I've been able to get a form stamped by our local Town Clerk & last time I just needed to electronically submit an attestation sur l'honneur that I was still alive.

About six months after my pension commenced the payment of the basic pension stopped without warning. It took me a couple of months of emailing to get the explanation that the wrong pension organisation had been paying me. It was eventually sorted after about four months & I got the arrears but I was glad that I wasn't depending on my pension. My complementary pensions from AGIRC-ARRCO were still paid during this time.

I find your case odd in that I get three separate state pension payments each month. The basic pension from CARSAT & the complementary pensions from AGIRC-ARRCO plus I get a small private supplementary pension.  The point is that they are separate payments from separate organisations. If all payments have stopped & your account is terminated it looks like they might think that you have passed away.

As others have advised a phone call might provide a solution but I generally prefer to use letters or emails so that there is an audit trail.

There is a formal complaint route which I invoked when my basic pension was stopped without warning. If your previous complaints have been ignored then you have nothing to lose in escalating your complaint https://www.lassuranceretraite.fr/portail-info/hors-menu/annexe/footer/appeler-mediateur-caisse-region.html

Newly_retired

Thanks for this. I too have three sources for my French pension, but it comes as one payment. I can log into my account on info-retraite but not into the others, which are ACIRC-ARRCO;Assurance Retraite and  IRCANTEC. I used to get paperwork from Carsat Normandie but now it all comes online through info-retraite.
 I hope my problem is not as complicated as yours. I am going to see where I get with my bank first, then I may try an email to one of the French companies and see if that gets me anywhere. To be honest, for the sake of £27 pm on which I pay tax, it is not worth a lot of effort. I only worked in France for 9 months so I was surprised to get that much, but it has added up over the years.