France rolls out simplified process for claiming benefits
If you are entitled to certain benefits in France, you may recently have received an email from the government informing you of changes in how you claim them following a six-month trial in the Alpes-Maritimes, Aube, Hérault, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and Vendée départements.
Anyone who receives the
revenu de solidarité active
(RSA – a top-up payment for residents who have little to no income) or the
prime d'activité
will find the system for making claims is now simplified.
In the coming months, benefits from the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) are also expected to be included, according to
Actu France.
Previously, applicants had to file a self-completed declaration of their income every month to prove their eligibility. From May 1st the declaration will arrive in your email inbox pre-filled.
READ MORE:
Benefits, grants and housing: What are foreigners in France eligible for?
'From now on, the CAF will provide you with a pre-filled declaration by collecting your income details 'at source' from employers or the organisations that pay replacement income (daily allowances, unemployment benefits, etc.),' the Employment Ministry tells recipients in the email.
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Online declarations will be pre-filled with some of your income (such as salaries, bonuses, daily Social Security benefits, unemployment benefits, disability or retirement pensions). All recipients have to do is check the figures are correct and click to confirm – after adding any income not included (alimony payments for example).
If you file your return on paper, your declaration will be compared to information known to the CAF and modified in the event of an error.
Be aware, however, that income for the first three months of the year will still have to be declared in the previous manner, as the old and new systems integrate.
Are all benefits affected by this change?
These changes do not concern all benefits.
The declaration of resources for housing benefits (APL) or the declaration of resources for the allowance for disabled adults (AAH) are not concerned by this simplification.
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