BACK-TO-SCHOOL ALLOWANCE 2024. This valuable aid for families is paid during the summer, a few days before students return to class. The back-to-school allowance has been increased in 2024 and here are the conditions for receiving it.
As the start of the school year approaches, nearly three million families are getting a welcome boost. The 2024 back-to-school allowance is being paid this Tuesday, August 20 for households in mainland France, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana. State aid to finance school equipment and other back-to-school purchases for children has already been paid to residents of Mayotte and Reunion.
The back-to-school allowance (ARS) is paid by the Caisse des family allowances (CAF) before schools reopen, when parents and children check off the lines on the school supplies list one by one and go in search of a schoolbag and other purchases needed for the resumption of classes. This check distributed to households with low incomes helps to cover the cost of returning to school. But not everyone is entitled to it, access to the back-to-school allowance is subject to an income ceiling. The amount granted also depends on the age of the child, as needs are not the same if they are in primary, middle or high school. Eligibility conditions, amounts paid, date of receipt… Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the 2024 payment date for the “back-to-school bonus”, the back-to-school allowance?
Every year, the back-to-school allowance is paid on the same dates, or almost: around the first days of August for eligible families living in Mayotte and Réunion (where the return to school takes place earlier than elsewhere in mainland France) and around August 15 for all other territories. In 2024, the dates are as follows:
- Tuesday August 6, 2024 for Mayotte and Reunion.
- Tuesday, August 20, 2024 for mainland France, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana.
How much is the back-to-school allowance in 2024?
Indexed to inflation, the amount of the 2024 school allowance has indeed increased according to the data published on the CAF website. In 2024, the amount of the back-to-school allowance will be:
- Child aged 6 to 10: 416.40 euros (compared to 398.09 euros in 2023).
- Child aged 11 to 14: 439.38 euros (compared to 420.06 euros in 2023).
- Child aged 15 to 18: 454.60 euros (compared to 434.61 euros in 2023).
The amount of the 2024 school allowance has therefore been increased by around twenty euros for each age group. However, this increase is still considered insufficient by the Confédération syndicale des familles, as it is slightly lower than the inflation rate (4.6% more aid compared to 4.9% inflation). The association group also adds in its report “cost of schooling 2024” that “the gap of 38 euros between primary and secondary school is far from reflecting the reality of the expenses incurred by families throughout the year.”
Who is entitled to the 2024 back-to-school allowance? The conditions
The steps to apply for a back-to-school allowance depend on your situation and the age of your child. In some cases, you do not have to take any prior steps; the CAF will automatically pay the back-to-school allowance. Here are the conditions for receiving it, and the situations that may arise:
- Your income must not exceed a ceiling determined based on the number of dependent children.
- Your child must be between 6 and 18 years old.
- The child must also be enrolled in a public or private establishment. Forget the back-to-school bonus if you have opted for home schooling. However, be aware that the allowance can be granted when the child follows courses via a distance organization such as the Cned. Is your child under 18 and in an apprenticeship? You can receive the ARS, provided that their remuneration does not exceed 55% of the Minimum wage.
- You are a beneficiary and are eligible : the back-to-school bonus is paid automatically for your children who will be aged 6 to 15 on December 31 following the start of the school year.
- For adolescents aged 16 to 18, only a sworn statement ensuring that the child is in school is sufficient. “The CAF will contact you in July by email or post to invite you to take this step,” explains the dedicated page of the Family Allowance Fund.
- Your child is under 6 years old and is entering CP : you must send a school certificate to the CAF.
- You are not a CAF beneficiary : go to the “Online services” section, then click on “Apply for a benefit”, and “Back-to-school allowance”. You will then need to print the dedicated form and return it completed to your CAF.
If you do not meet the income conditions for the back-to-school allowance, in other words if your resources slightly exceed the ceilings set out above, the CAF may pay part of the back-to-school bonus. This is called a differential back-to-school allowance. The CAF may agree to pay the back-to-school allowance, provided that the resources are lower than “the cumulative total between the ARS ceiling and the amount of this aid for the child”, we were told in 2021. In this case, the household therefore only receives part of this financial aid.
What is the maximum ceiling not to be exceeded to receive the back-to-school allowance? The 2024 scale
To benefit from the back-to-school allowance, household resources must not exceed a ceiling. The CAF does not study the income of the current year, but those going back two years, depending on your family situation. as of July 31The 2024 scale has been increased compared to 2023 to take into account inflation and will take into account 2022 income, recorded on the 2023 tax return.
Here is the scale applied in 2024:
- For a household with 1 dependent child: 27,141 euros (compared to 25,775 euros in 2023)
- 2 dependent children: 33,404 euros (compared to 31,723 euros in 2023)
- 3 dependent children: 39,667 euros (compared to 37,671 euros in 2023)
- 4 dependent children: 45,930 euros (compared to 43,619 euros in 2023)
- A bonus is also awarded for each additional dependent child.
To find out your reference tax income, simply look at the cover page of your tax notice. The amount is indicated at the bottom of the reference tax income page.