To be amazed at this generous benefit system!

[Pinkrose1]

Not a benefit bash but more information sharing and do you think it's reasonable of the French government to want to cut this benefit?

Listening to the BBC world service thanks to my insomnia it was saying that the French government want to remove the over generous benefits to artists including actors.

Apparently if you are registered as an artist of some type you only have to work 500 hours in 10 months (which would be about 4 months 9-5 hours) and get 2 months free. For this they are paid enough to live on. Effectively 8 months of the year without any type of paid work! This benefit makes up a third of the French benefit (presumably unemployment) bill, so it's hugely expensive to the tax payer.

The French government is not in a good way I think but clearly value their artists. The artists are demonstrating (it is France after all) their displeasure.

WIBU to pack my watercolours and head to France?

I like the Belgian Uni system. They charge you E1600 per annum tuition fees, and give you E1200 student fees to live on. Non repayable and taught in English

really? can we send our kids there?

Not surprising plenty of students are packing their watercolours books and heading off their too!

I c

Phone playing up
I can see this could be a grossly abused benefit

I read an article recently where it stated that in the UK that jobs in the arts are increasingly going to privileged children. So I presume this benefit is to level the play field.

www.spectator.co.uk/features/9270141/want-a-fun-job-you-just-have-to-pick-the-right-parents/

I don't know, I suppose it depends what else is being cut as to whether this benefit is fair or not.

As to moving, YANBU. I suspect life on benefits in France is superior to here. What's the criteria? I may join you

Yes of course you can send your kids there! However they may not qualify for maintenance payments Low fees yes, but not maintenance.

So paris isnt full of artists because of the romance then?

We're in the EU so I assume we can get French benefits after a reasonable time.

Obviously no starving in an attic in France!

Yes -all universities across the EU are available to EU residents. Amsterdam is popular, as are the Austrian and German Unis. All taught in English

I have several French singer friends and have always been incredibly jealous of their amazing benefits - it's so much easier to be an artist over there! Can't be long before it gets cut, but it's a shame as it was so lovely that the French actually support the arts.

It puts a whole new perspective on 'artist starving in a lonely garret' doesn't it!

Not been to Paris but is it full of painters? I can see why someone like me with minimal talent would set up easel there.

I think the French are the most idiosyncratic of the Europeans. All this not putting English/American words to pollute their language king kanute or what , food snobbery etc. I just love them!

I used to live in France and the benefits there ARE amazing... not just unemployment but practically free childcare, higher child benefit, etc. Same in Germany, where I am now.

The artists' benefits are quite nice but as I understand it, you have to do quite a lot to qualify for that status, more than just have a few watercolours hanging up in your bedroom :)

Now that tuition is so crazy in the UK I'm telling everyone to check out unis in Germany, Holland, Sweden, etc.

I used to work in Germany many years ago and couldn't believe the government had a system where the bank paid in a sum into a savings account for me and I paid the same in. When I came back to England they continued for about 5 years without me contributing and sent me a big cheque! Nice

We're in the EU so I assume we can get French benefits after a reasonable time

Its three months here, used to be less, and can be less with certain factors involved, three months is nothing.

NOT SUre what savings your refering to

Anyone know about universities in Denmark? DS is interested in doing ancient history with an emphasis on the vikings, and this thread is making me think I should put in some heavy encouragement to look in Europe.

No idea myself. Some kind of government scheme for employees. Probably long gone as it was years ago. The bank just explained it but I still didn't understand and said sign here!

icimoi

studyindenmark.dk/why-denmark/excellence-in-education-1/more-than-500-programmes-taught-in-english

No personal experience but I have read huge numbers of british students are studying overseas because of the tuition fees.

Sounds like common sense to me. My niece studied overseas (baccalaureate) as her parents lived there but is now in England at Uni!

icimoi check out Norway and Iceland as well -- or even northern Germany

I do think uni is still free for EU students in Denmark

pinkrose what benefit was that in Germany?

You know uni in Norway is free....

Uni in Norway is free, but the cost of living is higher than it is in the UK. The Netherlands is free, France costs half of the UK. Sweden is free but, again the cost of living is higher. A lot of the universities in Europe teach their subjects in English.

Ds wants to study Law, so we've been looking at our options

In Cuba, if you are an artist or a musician that's your profession, you are then paid exactly the same as everyone else. Sometimes I quite fancy moving there for a spot of the communism but the humidity did play havoc with my skin...