for Expats in the EU who voted remain, to be relly upset and angry at neighbours and 'friends' who have voted to leave?

I’m astounded that this thread has generated just shy of 200 comments about something that hasn’t even happened yet!

Everyone is fine until December - another 11 months - during which time negotiations will be taking part between the U.K. and the E.U.

We will ALL have to await the outcome! It may well not even be what is most feared by ex pats.

Maddyone & Callistemon both brilliantly articulated posts. Life is sometimes s*it but the alternative is worse. Count your blessings jura, you have much to be grateful for, as do I.

I think I've already posted my views about people who have moved to the EU within the last two years.

Some people are risk takers, others not
Some people are risk takers to the point of being foolhardy; one couple I know are like that, moved to Spain and have been bemoaning their 'luck' ever since.

To be widowed twice and now face real uncertainty is hard
It is but I have family members this has happened to, with young children to bring up too.

Sadly, children in Syria have no choice and don't stand a chance when they are being bombed out of their homes, see their families killed before their eyes.

That is heartbreaking.

Those three widows are undeniably undergoing a difficult time I agree, so is Chewbacca, denied her pension, and the realisation that she’ll never be able to travel abroad. Compared with Holocaust victims, they are lucky, compared with many of us, they’re not so lucky. Everything is comparative.
Blaming those who voted to leave the EU is unreasonable. The population was given a vote, they voted. The result didn’t suit you jura, or those three widows. The result probably doesn’t affect Chewbacca. It affects some people positively, others negatively. That is life, I’m afraid.

Last post

Yes, I can assure you that those 3 widows have gone through real, severe hardship. To be widowed twice and now face real uncertainty is hard. To be widowed when young with young childrem, one of whom has severe health issues, and also being made so much worse by recent uncertainties, is too. To be widowed when old and frail, and left to face all these uncertainties and red tape, having previously counted on a life partner who spoke perfect French and dealt with it all- is tough too.

Some of you on here know how hard it is to lose your life partner- and surely can imagine how much harder it must be if your rights and future are also in jeopardy because you live abroad.

This thread was never about me- I was asked why I was concerned, and how it affected me - and the thread got deflected. I should not have allowed this to happen.

Why you feel the need to be so unpleasant about it, Maw - is to do with you, and you alone, but is quite sad. Last post.

Aw thanks, Jura - back at you

I don't think a bit of understanding and compassion hurts

Mamie
I have ample compassion for genuine hardship but my understanding of what this thread is about is becoming increasingly strained.
On Holocaust Memorial Day in particular I am reminded of the yawning chasm between Holiday Insurance and real hardship.

First because they were promised a Great Deal

Well, if we're talking about "broken promises" jura, I'm pretty certain that most of us on GN could write chapter and verse about promises that have been made and then broken. Personally, I'm pissed off that my much promised, and frequently delayed state pension has been delayed for almost 6 years. It's left me in financial hardship. I'm having to continue to work in a job that physically and mentally exhausts me just to keep a roof over my head. I have no private or works pension and so worries about international travel won't affect me because I'll never be able to afford it. But it is what it is. So you, and your friends, will just have to do the same as the rest of us when someone moves the goalposts: suck it up buttercup!

Compassion is normally reserved for those who have really suffered. It’s Holocaust Memorial Day today. Maybe that helps to put our present difficulties into context.

Everyone makes life choices that sometimes turn out, years later, to have been bad decisions, or that whilst good decisions at the time, later become not so good due to events. This happens throughout life, and in all areas of life. We have to get on with the cards we have been dealt, often due to no fault of our own.

I think the thread is basically about people who are coping with the complications of Brexit and have had other major life events to deal with MawB.
I only came on to put straight the confusion about where we are with the S1 form as a result of the Withdrawal Bill passing. I didn't want anyone who might be feeling vulnerable to worry about things that are no longer an issue.
There are undoubtedly people who make bad decisions, but there are also people who have suffered through no fault of their own. I don't think a bit of understanding and compassion hurts.

First because they were promised a Great Deal, and that their rights would be garanteed. Secondly because some Préfectures, or Councils, in France- have been inundated with requests. Some have not been able to fit all requests in- some have been very obstructive and refused to issue any Permits, or only temporary ones.

Maw- you really are really quite something ...

Added to which, doing my sums, within the last two years was since the Referendum result
Why would they be surprised?

This bit Mamie ?

We have many friends in France who arrived in last 2 years and are very scared as they still do not have permanent residency- some were counting on being able to have S1 as their partner was older, but now have been widowed - and find themselves distrought by the loss, and scared witless about their future situation
I thought OP was talking of a specific person who had been widowed not a whole slew of expats in a general sense.
In any case, I thought this thread was about OP’s problems with travel insurance living in Switzerland, not expats in France , whose issues you are already aware of.
Not really any further forward.
C’est la vie?

Time to move on Jura 2 and start enjoying your life instead of flogging a dead horse and worrying about things that have nothing to do with you!

Do it now before it’s too late........

And of course, our case is rather different from those in EU. We have many options open to us, and we are very lucky. We will adapt and survive- and truly make the best of it, absolutely.

This post was about those in the EU who won't have those choices, and who have been totally caught in this mess that is not of their making. Especially those whose health has recently deteriorated, and those who had great plans for their future, and find themselves suddenly widowed. I know 3 of them personally, 1 very elderly, 1 young mum with two young kids one who has severe health issues, and 1 who lost her British husband a few years after moving, had a very hard time for many years, found love again with a French man- who suddenly died the other day with no warning at all and has now to deal with all the red tape and incertainties of this + Brexit. Neither have anything to go back to in UK.

Yes- thanks. So glad you got it ...

Sorry, that was a X post before I read your explanation jura

I see now.
You are caught in the middle.

So what is the problem?

Oh yes, the Swiss are great travellers- and yes, you got it right Calli- Swiss and Swiss residents, incl. British expats (and there are very many here, just not many in our region) have to have Private Health and Accident insurance, by Law. And that covers them worlwide automatically.

We however, have an excemption- as we are British retirees on UK pensions only, having paid into the UK system all our lives. This exemption is via Form S1- which will continue to give us cover both in Switzerland (we have to pay about £250 before it kicks in, per year, then 10% up to about £800- then free) - and also access to NHS in UK.

But this will not give us any cover in the EU after 12.20- and there is nothing here to replace it. There is no 'holiday insurance' that will cover us- as 99.99% of the population is covered- so there is no need for the vast majority of the population, and until 12.20- no need for us either. Nothing to do with human rights !

So, the only way to get insurance to travel- would be to rejoin the full Health/accident Insurance we had before official retirement age- at VERY expensive cost (as said, about £500 per month per person) and sort of pay 'twice'. Unless we can persuade an insurer to invent a new insurance product for the few, like us, in this position. As said, I don't know a single expat who is- and we are probably a very small number. All British expats I know who are retired here, worked in Switzerland for many years before retirement, and are not able to access S1 exemption, are on VERY fat Swiss pensions, and covered by their Swiss insurance scheme.

Apparently they can buy travel insurance for cancellation, baggage etc but it does not cover health as their compulsory health insurance covers this. It was the same in the Netherlands. Our health insurance covered us world wide.

Apparently they can't, GrannyGravy (I don't know why not - what about their human rights?)

From what I surmise, they have to join a national Swiss medical insurance scheme which also covers them in the EU and worldwide.
So it seems to be a compulsory combined Swiss healthcare and travel insurance.

I could have got it wrong

If I have missed something on this thread I apologise, but why is it not possible to purchase travel insurance in Switzerland?

Do Swiss Nationals not go on holiday?

I've re-read *jura's post about travel insurance which says that, although travel insurance is not sold in Switzerland, the Swiss have to have compulsory (health?) insurance which covers them in the EU and worldwide.
As citizens with dual nationality you say you are both entitled to treatment on the NHS although I have heard that that is not always the case.

I am wondering what the problem can be then

What am I missing?