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Concerns about Comprehensive Sickness Insurance

Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 12:18 am
by gnua88
Hello,

I wonder if someone can help with this. We're both quite confused and worried about this.

My partner is French and she's currently doing her AN and very concerned about her never having had a Comprehensive Sickness Insurance.

In the form, there's a section they talk about this. Asking the applicant to tick on them even if they don't have the documents they're asking for.

One of the points is
"If you spent some of that time in the UK as a student or as a self-sufficient person, and had comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI), a copy of your sickness insurance policy"

So, the situation is this.
  • She's been in the UK for 11 years and she's been working throughout that time but never had this CSI.
  • A little over 4 years ago, she was made redundant but only for two months. After that, she got a job and went about her life.
  • However, lately she's found out from some legal blogs that some applicants got into trouble with their AN because they didn't have CSI while they were unemployed.
Apparently, the term "self-sufficient" means being able to provide for yourself whilst unemployed (and doesn't apply to you if you're employed).

She should've got herself a CSI when she was unemployed during those two months but at the time, she wasn't aware about it..so she didn't.
Obviously, she'll have to disclose all of this in the application...so we're both worried they might reject her AN based on that.

Is this a possibility? Does anybody have any experience with this?
I'd greatly appreciate any response.

Thank you.

Re: Concerns about Comprehensive Sickness Insurance

Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 2:22 am
by CULLINAN

Re: Concerns about Comprehensive Sickness Insurance

Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:58 am
by alterhase58
On the face of it based on what you explained your partner didn't need CSI, as she was always employed, and two months unemployment won't make a difference. CSI was required for EU citizens exercising treaty rights as "students" or "self-sufficient". There were specific requirements as to what "self-sufficient" means. Certainly not a short gap between jobs.
There is no evidence that applicants are being refused based purely on missing CSI. There are some reports that applicants who needed CSI got approved nevertheless. Please review the postings on the dedicated thread.

Re: Concerns about Comprehensive Sickness Insurance

Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 9:28 pm
by gnua88
alterhase58 wrote:
Fri May 07, 2021 7:58 am
On the face of it based on what you explained your partner didn't need CSI, as she was always employed, and two months unemployment won't make a difference. CSI was required for EU citizens exercising treaty rights as "students" or "self-sufficient". There were specific requirements as to what "self-sufficient" means. Certainly not a short gap between jobs.
There is no evidence that applicants are being refused based purely on missing CSI. There are some reports that applicants who needed CSI got approved nevertheless. Please review the postings on the dedicated thread.
Thank you for the reply. Would you mind clarifying it a bit more?

I thought "self-sufficient" meant unemployed but able to support oneself. Hence why we both think it applies to her because she was unemployed for those two months (even though she was able to support herself through her savings) but didn't have the CSI.

So, what exactly does "self-sufficient" in this case mean then?

I will also go through the dedicate thread, I just found it.

Thank you.

Re: Concerns about Comprehensive Sickness Insurance

Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 10:09 pm
by alterhase58
So, what exactly does "self-sufficient" in this case mean then?
Self-sufficient could be for example, a pensioner moved to the UK under Free Movement and lives off foreign pension income and savings/investments, and be able to show they are not a burden on the state, through a CSI policy.

Refer to this document - page 27 on: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... gov-uk.pdf
This is the guidance to UKVI caseworkers.

You wife was exercising treaty rights as a "worker" which includes "job seeking" of three months so again on the face of it there was no need for such a policy, unless I'm missing some official references or guidance.