Lending/gifting money to children

No. But we have enough to live on and our own home. We have some savings but not a lot tbh.

I would probably have laughed (uncomfortably) and said "no I really don't think so! I would be quick and blunt about it so no further discussion was available.

If it is ever raised again I'd be very quick with a "absolutely not" response.
I would not give any - reason as someone this pushy would "help" find ways to mitigate them,whatever you said and whatever the reasons were.

Whatever you do, please don't feel guilty.
There time will come.
Thinking of you.

*Their time!

“If money were no object of course Id like to help you, but we are on a low income and couldn't afford rent or repayments. DH’s assets are tied up in the house and he doesn't want to risk it - sorry! “(They are being cheekywhatsits. )

What a cheek he has asking you to either sell your house and rent or take a mortgage to give them the money! Of course the answer is a definite no and don’t feel you have to justify it. They already own a house and if they can’t afford a more expensive one they should be content with the house they have. Don’t make a big deal of it just say no.

Wow... cheeky! I agree with NotSpaghetti. Knock it on the head straight away.

Tell him you're going skiing.
(Spending the Kids' Inheritance.)

"They are being cheekywhatsits"
They certainly are, or is it just him, the cheeky b****r?

I should also add that they got a lot of help from his parents in getting a mortgage for the current house they have. Maybe he thinks it's now our turn to help out as they've exhausted that source. Also, they live in the EU so not even in this country, which muddies waters even further. I read somewhere that if you gift your financial assets it may be a problem if and when you need care assistance, as any previous house ownership is taken into account in calculating the payments.

One daughter thinks I should, jokingly (?) give her some of my savings. She already has had an advance on her inheritance to pay the tax when buying their big house. They are comfortably off. I didn’t reply but it does hurt. Fortunately, her sisters don’t ask for anything.
Yours take the biscuit Nelli123.

You are thinking of disposal of assets.

I hope you are just wanting to express your feelings here a bit and not seriously looking at renting (or whatever) when they are perfectly fine as they are?
What the other grandparents do is irrelevant.

Abdolutly not. I would say no with no excuses. Mumsnet would have another name for this pair.
Honestly does your lson in law have no shame? They are too entitled.

You are mortgage free, and he had the cheek to suggest that you remortgage, or sell your house and give them the money
Tell him that at your time of life, both you and your partner intend to enjoy life, with what savings you have ,and have no intention of remortgaging you house, those days are behind you. when someone has the nerve to suggest that, then don't be afraid to say exactly what you think..

If they live in France, the law is that, if their parents do not have enough money for food, housing or health care they and their siblings have to pay, according to their income. The government will take it from the source.
If the subject ever comes up again, ask them if they are ready to pay for all your needs.

Knock that on the head straight away.

I would not trust them at all now, make sure they cannot access your property or paperwork. They have no respect for you or for your partner

I can just imagine the conversation between them before he left for the airport…..

It sounds to me that they have been discussing this.

Another aspect to this is that I've only recently recovered from breast cancer and this was the first time I saw them after completing my treatment as I was too tired to travel or have them over as a family. And this is the welcome I got!

That's very interesting mockryna

No wonder you were gobsmaked, I'm sorry you had such a conversation at a time when you've just recovered from breast cancer. Honestly! Outrageous cheek, bad enough from your child but their partner, grabby and grasping doesn't even begin to describe it. I'd have his card marked as to how I'd frame any inheritance.