Getting UK pension directly paid in France

[L Austin France]

Not for me, I like to know what rate I am getting on the exchange, plus entrust the pension to a French organisation such as a bank??

If you don't want to ' entrust your UK pension to a French organisation such as a bank' how do you manage?
Surely, if you wish to use your pension in France, you have to get your English quids changed to French euros by some means so unless you physically change quid notes into Euro notes at a bureau de change or similar I'm struggling to see how you can avoid using a French bank at some stage.

[Wilbro]

Yes LAF that's puzzled me too. If changing money using a UK Debit Card in a French ATM then the exchange rate and charges will pull down the rate of exchange. Not having a French bank account leaves that as being the only option.

[hughnique]

Pensions are paid in to a UK account and then transferred to my CA account as and when the exchange rate is acceptable, I merely said I would not trust a French bank to administer my UK pension, not that I was using a wheelbarrow to bring loads of cash over. I have heard however that the exchange rate used by the pension service is normally favorable.

[Quiksilver]

The French bank isn't 'administering' anything. It's accepting a monthly payment from a recognised international institution. No charges. Citibank's bulk buying power means that the good exchange rate they obtain is passed on to the recipient. The only minor inconvenient is receiving it a day later than normal after a US bank holiday. Both my mother and OH had/have been having pensions paid into CA for 17 years now without any issues
The DWP, however, at least the NIC top-up department, is a total shambles! I hope the pension transfer goes smoothly, MAD AFAIK all the flaming idiots are working in the aforementioned NIC dept.

[L Austin France]

Just had notification of my increased state pension, the envelope was postmarked Pays-Bas. Postnl.
Dosh collected in the UK, notified via Holland & paid via US.

[MAD87]

@Quicksilver: I must say that all the calls I've made to DWP have resulted in fast and efficient service - including reimbursement of underpaid pension and a pension which is now double what it was when I last rang to register a change of bank. So I have no fear of ringing them
My major problem with DWP is understanding the geordie accent...

[Quiksilver]

That too I'm a bit peed off because they've 'lost' the £4k top-up payment I sent last August. Five phone calls later no-one seems unduly concerned but given their timescale for dealing with things, it's unlikely to be 'found' and allocated before April 5th, or even August when I (finally) get my pension.

[hughnique]

The French bank isn't 'administering' anything. It's accepting a monthly payment from a recognised international institution. No charges. Citibank's bulk buying power means that the good exchange rate they obtain is passed on to the recipient. The only minor inconvenient is receiving it a day later than normal after a US bank holiday. Both my mother and OH had/have been having pensions paid into CA for 17 years now without any issues
The DWP, however, at least the NIC top-up department, is a total shambles! I hope the pension transfer goes smoothly, MAD AFAIK all the flaming idiots are working in the aforementioned NIC dept.

Unless I have misinterpreted the original post it mentions contacting Assurance Retraite, is that a bank then??

[MAD87]

Unless I have misinterpreted the original post it mentions contacting Assurance Retraite, is that a bank then??

No. The FR equivalent of DWP, through whom my French pensions are paid.

[L Austin France]

My UK state pension is paid direct to my French bank each month with no problems. The exchange rate seems fine although it maybe a tad better if I had it paid into my UK bank & did an FX transfer when the rate is better but quite honestly what a faff to gain a few extra euros each year when the euros are always there if required without any effort on my part.
My state pension, in euros is guaranteed to be available unlike my private pensions & commercial rental income which still goes to my UK bank for conversion to euros in larger sums every now & then to top up our French bank balance.
Mme LAF has her state pension in quids sent to her own personal UK bank a/c where it remains, untouched since inception, & is known as her 'running away fund'.