Requesting state financial assistance

The aim of this form of financial assistance is to guarantee everyone a minimum income.

Conditions

To receive it, you must:

• have resources below the set threshold
• live in France permanently and not leave the country for more than three months in the year, whether continuous or not
• be over 25 years of age or take care of one or more children
• be French or have been the holder of a residence permit or “titre de séjour” for at least five years authorising you to work, with the exception of people who are entitled to an additional allowance called a “majoration pour isolement” intended for single parents who have at least one dependent child and who live neither in a couple nor in a communal situation
• not be a student or intern (excluding vocational training), unless an exemption is granted by the President of the administrative authority of your department called the “conseil départemental” and with the exception of individuals entitled to the “majoration pour isolement”
• not be on parental leave, sabbatical leave, unpaid leave or on standby, with the exception of persons entitled to “majoration pour isolement”.

If you live in one of these 18 departments, you will be required to carry out 15 to 20 hours of an integration activity per week, such as work experience or training, to receive the "RSA".

Application

You can apply for it online on this website.

Also known as “allocations chômage” or simply “chômage”, the “ARE” unemployment allowance can be paid to people who are no longer in work; for example, as a result of dismissal or the non-renewal of their employment contract.

It is paid by the national unemployment office, known as “France Travail”.

Conditions

To be able to register for “France Travail” and receive support in returning to work, you must meet several conditions, in particular regarding your residency rights.

To receive “allocations chômage” payments, you must meet several conditions, including:

• no longer having an employment contract, either:
  • after dismissal
  • at the end of a temporary employment contract known as a “contrat à durée déterminé (CDD)”
  • following a mutual agreement with your employer to terminate the contract, known as “rupture conventionnelle”
  • if you resign for a reason considered ‘legitimate’ by “France Travail”. For example: if you are a victim of domestic abuse and you needed to move because of this abuse. You will need to provide proof that you have reported the abuse to the French authorities (article L.1237-1 of the French Labor Code).
• have worked for a minimum period called a “durée d’affiliation”, usually at least 6 months in the last 24 months
• sign up no later than 12 months after the end of your contract.

You can run a check on this website to find out the exact conditions that apply to your situation.

Application

Once you have registered with "France Travail", your benefits application is automatically created and sent to an adviser.

This form of financial assistance may be granted to individuals who have used up their full entitlement to the “allocation d’aide au retour à l’emploi (ARE)”, also known as “chômage”, or unemployment allowance.

Conditions

• In particular, you must be considered fit for employment and have worked at least five years full-time or part-time during the ten years prior to the end of your last employment contract. If you have stopped working to raise a child, the five years are reduced by one year per child, up to a limit of three years.
• You must have received the unemployment allowance or “allocation d’aide au retour à l’emploi (ARE)” and have used up your full entitlement.
• Your resources can not exceed a certain threshold.

You can run a check on this website.

Application

You can apply for this online in your profile on the France Travail website.

This financial assistance supplements the income from professional activity of employees aged 18 or over, student employees and apprentices, and the self-employed.

This assistance is granted by one of these two bodies according to the scheme to which you are attached:

• the “Caisse d’allocations familiales (Caf)” child benefit fund for the general scheme
• the “Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA)” for the agricultural scheme, i.e. people working in the agricultural sector.

Conditions

You must:

• be over 18 years of age
• live in France on a stable basis
• carry out a professional activity
• be a French national, a citizen of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland, or a citizen of another country who has been regularly resident in France for at least five years.

You can run a check on this website to see whether you meet the conditions.

Application

You can apply for this online on the website of the “Caisse d’allocations familiales (Caf)” or the “Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA)”.

The purpose of this financial assistance is to reduce the monthly payments for your home if you are a tenant, resident in a household, or if you are buying a home.

Conditions

The conditions for allocation are not the same if you are renting, buying or living in a household.

Application

You can apply for this online on the website of the “Caisse d’allocations familiales (Caf)” or the “Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA)”.

The purpose of this financial assistance is to reduce the amount of your rent if you are a tenant. It is paid because of your family situation.

Conditions

The conditions differ depending on whether you depend on the “Caf” or the “MSA”. Contact the organisation to which you are attached to find out.

Application

You can apply for it online on the “Caf” or “MSA” website.

The purpose of this financial assistance is to reduce the amount of your rent if you are a tenant or the amount you have to pay if you are a resident in a household.

Conditions

It is allocated under certain conditions, particularly regarding your resources. You can run a check on this website to see whether you meet the conditions.

You can only receive it if you cannot apply for “APL” or “AFL”.

Application

You can apply for it online on the “Caf” or “MSA” website.

This financial assistance ensures a minimum of resources for people living with disabilities. It may be combined with other forms of assistance.

Conditions

It is granted under certain conditions, in particular with regard to disability, age, residence and resources.

You can use this tool to find out if you qualify.

Application

The steps you need to take to apply for this will depend on the department you reside in.

You can use this website to determine the application process: 

• select the situations that apply to you
• click on "Quelle est la démarche pour en bénéficier ?”
• select your region, then your department. To find your department, look at the postal code of the address where you live.

For more information, it is recommended that you make an appointment with a social worker called a “travailleur social”.

This financial assistance is granted to people with disabilities who are unable to work.

It is paid in addition to the “allocation adulte handicapé (AAH)”.

For more information, it is recommended that you make an appointment with a social worker called a “travailleur social”.

This support is reserved for individuals with at least two dependent children under 20 years of age. It is paid monthly.

In the overseas French departments, it is paid from the first child.

The amount you will receive will depend on your resources, the number of dependent children you have and their age.

Conditions

If you are not French and you live with your family in France, you can receive these benefits under certain conditions:

• Either you have your usual residence in France or stay mainly in France, that is, more than six months per year, consecutive or otherwise.
• You have a residence permit or “titre de séjour”. However, if you are married to a French person or someone who has residency rights but does not look after your children, you may still benefit from this. In this case, the other parent will be the person to whom entitlement to the assistance is granted known as the “allocataire” and you will be the person to whom the assistance is paid known as the “attributaire”.

Application

You can apply for it online on the “Caf” or “MSA” website.

If you live in metropolitan France, you can receive this financial assistance in addition to “allocations familiales” from the third dependent child aged over 3 and under 21.

In the overseas departments, this supplement is granted for all dependent children between the ages of three and five.

Conditions

In addition to the conditions to be met in order to receive the “allocations familiales”, this form of assistance is granted on the basis of resources. A table explaining the thresholds can be found on this website.

Application

You can apply for it online on the “Caf” or “MSA” website.

This financial assistance is granted to parents raising a child alone without being able to receive assistance from the other parent, for example if the child has not been recognised by the other parent, if the other parent has died or if the child has been adopted by a single person.

It may also be paid to supplement the financial contribution or maintenance allowance paid by the other parent which is too low, or as an advance if the other parent no longer pays the “pension alimentaire”.

Conditions

You must meet the general conditions to receive “allocations familiales”.

You must have at least one dependent child and:

• you haven’t received a maintenance allowance from the other parent for at least one month 
• or the maintenance allowance you receive is smaller than the defined threshold amount. 

Application

You can apply for it online on the “Caf” or “MSA” website.

This financial assistance can help you pay for expenses related to the maintenance and education of your children.

Conditions

You must have at least one dependent child under the age of three and meet the conditions for resources.

You can run a check on this website to see whether you meet the conditions.

Application

You can apply for it online on the “Caf” or “MSA” website.