German in the UK. Married, self-sufficient, no CSI cover

[cassandra]

Hello,

This is my first post to this forum and I would be thankful for any help and advice.

I am a German national, 61 years old, married to a British man aged 69. We live in the UK.

I met my husband in 2010 during a holiday in the UK. In 2011 I moved into his house and in 2012 we got married here in the UK.

We live on his pension and my savings. I don't work, and I don't have CSI.

Brexit worried us, so I decided to apply for British citizenship. Only then did I discover that for the last five or almost six years I should have had a comprehensive sickness insurance and been self-sufficient to be allowed to stay lawfully in the UK under Treaty Rights.

I am self-sufficient (with support of my husband) in the sense that I do not need any benefits. However, we hardly can afford a comprehensive sickness insurance for me.

At the age of 65 and 9 months I will get my pension from Germany. From this date onwards I will be automatically insured. I assume that I will get a German EHIC card (or something equivalent) then.

In my understanding all I can do at the moment is to buy a comprehensive sickness insurance cover, so that I am lawfully in the UK from now on, and that, for an EEA national, I don't need to apply for anything else. Is it correct?

What else can I do to make sure that I can lawfully stay with my husband in the UK? What could happen to me at the worst?

Thank you.
Cassandra

[noajthan]

Welcome.

No need to worry unduly even though your position in UK to date has been and is a little irregular.
This is no 'crime'.

It would be worth investigating if you status as a German pensioner extends any benefits to you here in UK. I don't know about that but seem to recall something of the sort being mentioned in forms.
You may find you have some sort of health cover or provision that means you are already a qualified person.
if so you can get back on track and look into confirmation of PR.

Otherwise, suggest you apply for an EEA (QP) RC to help confirm your status in UK (once you have CSI is in place).
With all this wild talk of Brexit any EU documentation could be a prudent investment.

If you have already acquired PR status and can shoot for DCPR then you would be in best position possible at the moment.

If not, once you are a qualified person nothing can happen to you.
You will be in the same position as '000s of other decent Europeans waiting to see the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

[cassandra]

Thanks for your reply. I don't have PR, and I am sure that I'm not entitled to any benefits from Germany. They simply don't pay abroad, even if I would be eligible, only in the country. When I moved to the UK I lost the right to get a pension earlier, due to disability or illness (Schwerbehindertenrente). This is also paid out in Germany only. So I can't get down that route, sadly.

Is it compulsory to apply for EEA QP or optional to ensure my status? In the application form it says something like this, I think.

I feel that it might be difficult (at my age) find an affordable CSI cover. Any recommendations? Thanks.

[noajthan]

The RC is optional.
But if the traditional British sense of fair play comes to the fore any transitional arrangements (in an EU context) typically depend on having EU documentation by some key date.
All yet TBC for Brexit ofcourse.

In light of this a RC at £65 may be well worth it.

[cassandra]

Thanks so much noajthan, great help. I fully understand, and I will first concentrate on the CSI, then give the EEA QP a go. The sooner the better, I get that.

[cassandra]

To quieten my mind I need to ask again. Will my status in the UK be lawful when I manage to get a csi now but don't apply for anything else at this moment in time?

In the EEA QP form I need to state the date on which I came into the UK which is almost 6 years ago. Apart from German passport I have no entry documents.

I had no doubts that I was entitled to NHS service, the more that I didn't have any difficulties to sign up with a GP and to get a number straight away.

Although we live self-sufficient, the self-sufficiency might not satisfy the HO.

I see difficulties arising with an application right now, which is worrying me a lot.

Wouldn't it be enough for now to get a csi and do nothing else?

I have an appointment with an immigration solicitor, do I really need one at the moment? Again, this would costs quite a lot of money.

Thank you so much for any answers.

[noajthan]

There is no good character test here.
That comes later - for citizenship.

RC is always optional but may help with Brexit looming.

[cassandra]

Would a moratorium insurance policy covering everything except preexisting conditions be accepted? I tend to this solution, because in less than four's year's time I'll be insured via my German pension anyway.

[Noetic]

There is sadly no Home Office guide to what CSI is ok - which is silly.

Just do keep in mind that it is possible that, should Brexit go ahead as planned, a German EHIC could no longer mean anything in the UK. Your retirement falls several years after the end of the two year negotiation period if Article 50 is triggered in a few months time.

[secret.simon]

Nice to see you back, Noetic.

Would a moratorium insurance policy covering everything except preexisting conditions be accepted?

I do not think that any insurance policy excluding pre-existing conditions would be acceptable, because that would mean that for those conditions, you are dependent on the NHS. And the requirement for CSI is primarily to avoid a burden on the NHS.

I could be wrong, but the policy would have to be more comprehensive, essentially covering you for everything but accidents and emergencies.

[noajthan]

a policy may contain certain exemptions but if the applicant is covered by the policy for medical treatment in the majority of circumstances then this will be sufficient

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... issued.pdf

[cassandra]

Thank you all. After a series of researches, there is no csi which includes pre-existing conditions. FMU excludes them for two years. After that time they will be included, provided you didn't claim for them.

Moratorium excludes them forever. Looks like I have to make up my mind, with regard to noathjan's link, which is very helpful.

Regarding pensions from Germany paid out in the UK - actually yes, there are differences between pension paid to EU and non-EU countries which I didn't know at all about. So thanks for this information, yet another subject to think about.

Does the phrase brexit victim already exist?

[cassandra]

Does anyone know where I can find a sample letter to the home office for EEA QP application? I searched the web without any success. I think a letter might be easier than filling in the official form?

[noajthan]

Does anyone know where I can find a sample letter to the home office for EEA QP application? I searched the web without any success. I think a letter might be easier than filling in the official form?

Forms do give structure.
If you miss key information the application risks being refused.