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TRACK SANTA NORAD is busy preparing for its annual tradition of tracking Santa's journey delivering gifts around the world. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the NORAD Tracks Santa program is on schedule and NORAD will track Santa on December 24th, as they have done every year since 1955. Visit www.noradsanta.org
3-STEP EASING OF RESTRICTIONS
WATCH OVER MY PARENTS There is a new scheme called ‘Veiller sur mes parents’ (‘Watch over my parents’) which is operated by La Poste and can give peace of mind to many. If you have an elderly relative, or are more vulnerable and living on your own, this paid-for service means the regular postman or woman will not only deliver the post but will also pop in for a chat for 10 minutes on a pre agreed amount of days per week. There are different service packages offered, starting from 19,99€ per month. You have a small, light, elliptical pushbutton device of 2 cm x 3 cm, which you can wear either round your neck on a thin
lanyard or on a wrist-strap. Attached to a telephone point is a semicircular box with another button on top, which is the call-box. You also need a nearby electrical socket. If you get into difficulties, you press the button on your wrist/round your neck, or the one on top of the call-box. This connects you to an emergency switchboard operator. There is hands-free voice communication, and if you are within hailing distance of the call-box you can describe your problem and they will take appropriate action. Visit www.laposte.fr/particulier/veil ler-sur-mes-parents for full details and packages.
SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM… La Poste are alerting their customers to a new scam targeting parcels. Some customers are receiving messages via SMS (text) asking them to pay 2€ for a parcel to be delivered to them. The text says the money is needed to cover the parcel delivery and sends a link to make a payment, which, if followed, will result in your card details in the hands of the scammers. La Poste will not ask you to pay for a delivery and do not send texts of this nature to their
customers. If you think you have been scammed you need to notify your bank immediately. You can also report the scam here: cybermalveillance.gouv.fr Please also be careful if you have listed your lost pet on Pet Alert. Owners of missing pets have been targeted by scammers, contacting the owners under the pretence of having found their pet but demanding payment for the return.
At the end of November, the French government announced the new 3-phase easing of restrictions. From the last weekend of November, non-essential shops have been able to reopen and can stay open until 9pm. We can leave our house for up to 3 hours at a time, within a 20km radius of our homes to exercise. To calculate 20 km from your home, simply enter your address here: https://carte-sortie-confinement.fr. Places of worship can open their doors for services but with a strict maximum of 30 people. The attestations still need to be filled in for all activities. Next, on the 15th December, if the new daily cases in France remain below 5000 and the number of intensive care patients is between 2500-3000, the lockdown will end. A nationwide curfew will be applied, between the hours of 9pm and 7am but the nights of the 24th and the 31st December are exempt from this. Large family gatherings are discouraged although you will be able to travel between regions again (no more 20km limit). Theatres, cinemas and museums can reopen. Then, on the 20th January, if the number of new daily cases stays under 5000, cafes and restaurants can reopen, but bars must remain closed (no date has been given at the time of print).
CHANGES TO WHO CAN GET AN S1 The rules are changing around S1 cover for people who claim the following exportable benefits: Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer's Allowance (CA) and Attendance Allowance (AA). These benefits currently entitle you to an S1 form if you moved to an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, for as long as you receive that benefit. This change to S1 cover affects people who do not yet have an S1 form. It is not due to the UK leaving the EU. If you receive one of the exportable benefits listed above, you can apply for an S1
form until 31 December 2020. For applications after 1 January 2021, you will no longer get an S1 form based on receiving one of the above benefits. You may be entitled to an S1 form through exporting a UK State Pension or other qualifying benefit if you are in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement. You’ll continue to be covered by your S1 form if you already have one for as long as you're receiving one of the mentioned benefits. If you have a time-limited S1 form, you can apply to renew it after 31 December 2020, as long as you’re still receiving one of the listed benefits. Source NHS UK
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