Latest news

HEALTH PASS

The health pass currently being used in France (enabling people to visit bars, restaurants, cinemas etc) is possibly changing to a vaccine pass, in an attempt to encourage the 5 million people who haven’t been vaccinated in France. The plan will be debated by MPs at the beginning of this month and would need to be passed by the Senate afterwards. If it is to be passed, it is expected to become law by the end of this month. The time for the booster dose (after the second jab) may also change, from 5 months to four. At the time of print, the current rules on the health pass states that anyone over the age of 65 now need to have had a booster, so anyone who had there second jab more than 7 months ago would be due for their booster to retain their health pass. Within the same age bracket, anyone who received the Janssen (singledose) vaccine, will need a booster after 2 months. This ruling will apply to all adults from Saturday 15 January. When travel is permitted again between the UK and France, the NHS Covid Pass will work as it’s integrated with the EU’s digital Covid Certificate scheme. You can also scan the QR code from your NHS pass into the TousAntiCovid app.

Carte Avantage Sénior SNCF

To encourage rail travel, SNCF now offer a discount card for passengers over 60 years of age. The yearly cost for the Carte Avantage Senior is 49€ per year, enabling you to benefit from capped prices in 2nd class on TGV INOUI and INTERCITÉS direct, as well as on last minute offers. You get guaranteed discounts on all your trips, all year long including 30% off your travel in 2nd and 1st class and 60% off for children aged 4 to 11 accompanying you (up to 3 maximum). The card also gives you discounts on travel from France to other European countries (Luxembourg, Gemany, Italy, Switzerland and Spain). Full details are available here https://en.oui.sncf/en/train/train-discount-card/avantage-senior

BLOCTEL SUBSCRIPTION

Starting from this month, you will no longer need to renew your cold-calling red list subscription with Bloctel every year. Subscription renewal has now been extended to every 3 years.

JANUARY SALES 2022

The dates for the sales (les soldes) this month are Wednesday 12th January until Tuesday 8th February. Sales are highly regulated in France, one in the winter and one in summer, each for a maximum of 4 weeks. The dates for e-commerce are the same. After this, some retailers will offer a ‘Grande Braderie’, selling off the remaining stock. Last year, the summer sales were postponed due to Covid, so it’s worth keeping up-to-date with news in case there are any changes.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

While travel might be one of the last things on people’s minds right now, it’s always nice to think at some point this year travel will be less restricted. British Airways has announced its initial destinations for their new Gatwick-based low-cost subsidiary, due to be launched under the British Airways banner in March this year. Tickets are now available for flights to 35 short-haul destinations, including travel from Gatwick to Nice and Bordeaux, as well as cities in Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia and Germany. More information on all of their routes can be found here: https://mediacentre.britishairways.com/news

French food brand C’est qui le Patron?! (Who’s the Boss?!) has given the consumer the power to vote on how much to pay for the product and how it’s produced. It never pays less than production costs. You can pay a symbolic 1€ to become a co-operative member and play part of the production strategy.

STAMP PRICE RISE

Stamps prices are on the up again from this month. It will now cost for a 1,43€ (increased from 1,28€) for a Lettre prioritaire (red stamp, delivery next day). The Lettre vert (green stamp, delivery in France within 48 hours) is rising from 1,08€ to 1.16€. Full details on the increases can be found here: www.service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A15092

URGENT - CAF & YOUR CARTE DE SEJOUR

The family benefits department CAF (Caisse des allocations familiales) is asking all British residents to update their account with their carte de séjours, confirming their proof of residency in France. The message on their website states that benefits (family, disability, housing etc) will stop on the 1st of January if a card isn’t supplied before then. This request appears to have come about rather suddenly in mid-December. It is reported that CAF have made an urgent request to the government for more leeway for those who have applied but are yet to receive their cards. They currently have the instruction that British residents keep their benefit rights up to the 31st December. If you haven’t received a message from CAF yet, contact them directly to update your residency card details without delay.

100€ Inflation Pay Out

In October last year, the Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a 100€ inflation bonus, it’s aim to help the 38 million people who earn less than 2000€ a month. URSAFF (the network of organisations which collects French social security payments) is responsible for distributing the inflation bonuses of self-employed people and employees who work permanently from home. Payments began on December 12 and will continue through into the New Year. But URSAFF’s director says they have the details of around 70-75% of self-employed people and even less of home workers, totalling up to around one million people who haven’t given URSAFF their bank details. Without this, they will be unable to make the payout. If you are self-employed you can visit urssaf.fr or Autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr to add the necessary information, or if you are a home worker you should visit Cesu.urssaf.fr or Pajemploi.urssaf.fr