Houghos

Hi to all
my mother is trying to move over here, she is with two kids and would most likely be on benefits and maybe working part time, how would she go firstly about getting benefits and secondly about renting a place?
Thanks to you all

Chatter Static

What benefits? UK based or French, if she has not worked in France she will not get any French benefits. I suspect renting through an agency will be nigh on impossible as they ask for a lot of paperwork and proof of income. In France certain benefits are not removable at source by the huissiers which will put landlords off because removing non paying tenants here is a lot harder than the UK.

Private landlord might be more forgiving with the paperwork you could act as a guarantor which may help.

Houghos

Even for mental health benefits?

She has two kids and suffers from bipolar, would she be entitled to any benefits (handicap, housing, child , apl)? And if so would she be entitled to them straight away? She would like to be able to work a little but with her health it's hard for her to do any more than apart time.
thanks for your answers.

christmasoompa

Hi, I've moved the content from your other thread, as it's on the same subject, so best to keep it all together on one thread please.

dmu

Hi, how old are the two children? and when you say "maybe working part time", do you mean that she'll have a job lined up in France? If it's work from home, she'd have to set up a French business structure. What benefits does she hope to export to France? A quick search found the link below which says that Disability Living Allowance component and Personal Independance Payment mobility component cannot be claimed if you live abroad.
As said, she wouldn't get any French benefits unless she's contributed into the French System, and in any case it's very unlikely that they would be sufficient to satisfy the usual French landlords' requirement of a regular income 3-4 times the rent.
She may be eligible for the Aah, see second link below.
She must research very carefully, as it will be very daunting, with two children in tow, not only for renting but also for their education. Does she speak French? In addition to sufficient resources, she would have to take out private healthcare insurance from Day 1 in order to comply with the conditions of getting into the French Social Security System (PUMa).
Give us more info about the family and we'll try to advise. Meanwhile take a look at the Read Me: Moving to France FAQs above, e.g. "Renting", "Schooling", ...

https://www.gov.uk/claim-benefits-ab...ility-benefits
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...sdroits/N12230

dmu

It would seem that your mother might be eligible for prestations familiales, as per the conditions in the link below, but, as said, they wouldn't be accepted by a French landlord.

https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F2787

EuroTrash

It's a bit of a catch 22 because in order to qualify for benefits you need to prove you have been "legally resident" in France for 3 months, and to be "legally resident" in France you have to meet EU FoM conditions either as a worker or a student, or if you are economically inactive as appears to be the case here, you have to prove you are self supporting and will not become a burden on the French state (ie the same conditions as applying for a carte de séjour).
From DMU's link:

"En tant que citoyen d'un pays européen, vous devez remplir les 3 conditions suivantes :

• pouvoir justifier de votre droit au séjour comme travailleur, inactif ou étudiant,
• résider en France,
• avoir au moins 1 enfant à charge résidant en France."

So basically I think Chatter Static hit the nail on the head in the first reply.

petitefrancaise

Just thinking about this....
if your mother has bi-polar disorder and comes to live with you, might you be able to claim her as a dependant along with the children? In France bi-polar disorder would qualify as ALD which might allow you to do this.
She would need a psychiatrist rather than a psychologue as the latter would be unable to prescribe the medication she needs and visits to a psychologue may not be covered by the insurance.

dmu

The OP hasn't come back with more info. A lot depends on how old the children are. The circumstances don't concern us, but the thought occurred to me that, if they are minors, their father must give permission for them to move abroad with their mother.
Good point about bi-polar disorder being an ALD, but it's the mother's Médecin Traitant who would set this up and it takes time, esp. if the family isn't in the System yet.
The OP could consult the CPAM face to face, or the Assistante Sociale at his Mairie, as to the possibility of declaring one's mother and (presumably) half-siblings as dependants. AFAIK this implies that everyone lives in the same dwelling and the Claimant becomes 100% responsible for everyone's well-being....
Hope all this is being useful to the OP, we can't advise without more info!