BACK-TO-SCHOOL ALLOWANCE 2022. The “back-to-school bonus”, the back-to-school allowance, has been renewed for the start of the 2022 school year. Amount, date of payment, conditions for obtaining… We tell you everything!
[Mis à jour le 12 juillet à 12h29] The summer school holidays began on the evening of July 7, 2022 and the budget of the Back to School 2022 is already a source of anxiety in many families. In the general context of inflation, the back-to-school allowance, the ARS, a kind of “back-to-school bonus”, is a welcome boost. The government has already announced its revaluation up to 1.8%. The amount was published before the start of the summer on the site service-public.fr : 376.98 euros for a child between 6 and 11 years old or younger but entering CP.
If the FCPE (Federation of parent-teacher councils) has asked for a greater increase, the government has not announced any other increase, on the contrary to school grants, which have been increased by 4%. Asked by France Info at the end of June, Eric Labastie, secretary general of the FCPE, asked for an increase in this kind of back-to-school bonus, a revaluation “in connection with inflation”, deemed “necessary and essential”. According to him, families can expect a difficult return to school. Eric Labastie thus warns of increases “from 10% to 40% depending on supplies”, and from “5% to 10% on school catering”.
Faced with this soaring price, the FCPE also asked for an advance payment “so that it is as suitable as possible and that purchases are made as soon as possible”. Although there is no official date, strictly speaking, the back-to-school allowance generally arrives in the accounts of beneficiaries around mid-August. As a reminder, the back-to-school allowance is a social benefit from the Caisse des Family allowances (CAF), paid a few weeks before the start of the school year, subject to means testing. Not all households with children attending school therefore benefit from it and the criteria for benefiting from it are strict since they depend on recorded income. For the 2022 back-to-school allowance, net income for the year 2020 is taken into account. Ceiling, conditions, amount, here is everything you need to know about the 2022 back-to-school allowance.
When does the payment of the back-to-school allowance take place? The date 2022
The back-to-school allowance, a kind of back-to-school bonus, is paid by CAF to beneficiaries a few days before the start of the school year. As this is officially set in 2022 on September 1, 2022, the payment of the back-to-school allowance should take place two weeks before, probably around August 15. Last year, this back-to-school bonus was paid on August 17 in mainland France, on August 3 in Reunion and Mayotte. where the start of the school year comes earlier.
What is the amount of the 2022 back-to-school allowance?
The amounts of the back-to-school allowance differ according to the age of the child. Three amounts corresponding to three age brackets have been defined by CAF. Each year, they are subject to revaluation. Here is the one that has been approved for this start of the 2022 school year:
- From 6 to 10 years old: 376.98 euros.
- From 11 to 14 years old: 397.78 euros.
- From 15 to 18 years old: 411.56 euros.
For whom is the back-to-school allowance paid? The resource cap
To benefit from the back-to-school allowance, the household’s resources must not exceed a ceiling. The CAF does not study the income of the current year, but those dating back two years, depending on your family situation to July 31. Here is the scale that will apply in this year 2022, and based on your income for the year 2020:
- For a household with 1 dependent child: 25,370 euros
- 2 dependent children: €31,225
- 3 dependent children: 37,080 euros
- Per additional dependent child: 5,852 euros
What are the conditions for receiving the back-to-school allowance?
To benefit from the CAF back-to-school allowance, you must meet a certain number of conditions. Linternaute.com summarizes them in three key points:
- Your income must not exceed a ceiling (read above), determined according to the number of dependent children.
- Your Child must be between 6 and 18 years old.
- The child must also to be educated in a public or private establishment. Forget the back-to-school bonus if you’ve opted for homeschooling. Be aware, however, that theallowance may be granted when the child follows courses via a distance organization such as the Cned. Your child is under 18 and is in learning ? You can touch the ARS, provided that his remuneration does not exceed 55% of the Smic.
If you do not meet the income conditions for the back-to-school allowance, in other words 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 can agree to pay the back-to-school allowance, provided that the resources are lower “to the accumulation between the ceiling of the ARS and the amount of this aid for the child”, we were told. On the other hand, the home therefore only receives part of this financial assistance.
Up to what age can one benefit from the back-to-school allowance? And after 18?
The back-to-school allowance concerns families whose children are aged 6 to 18. “Thus, for the start of the 2022 school year, the child must be born between September 16, 2004 and December 31, 2016 (inclusive)”, specifies the public service on its website. You cannot receive the back-to-school allowance if your child is over 18 and still in high school. You will then have to turn to the high school scholarship if it is not done yet. Same story if your child is in nursery school: you are not entitled to the back-to-school allowance.
In shared custody, can I benefit from the back-to-school bonus?
Your child is aged 6 to 18, you meet the conditions mentioned above, but you are separated from the father or mother of your child? The back-to-school allowance cannot be shared between the two parents. Financial aid is granted to the first of them who applies to the Caf, and in full, for the coming school year. It is therefore paid, as for any recipient, in mid-August. If there is no joint custody, the start-up bonus is granted to the parent with whom the child lives during the week. The other parent cannot receive the aid.
The website of the Caisse centrale de la Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) provides access to a simulator, here. You must indicate the amount of your household income, as well as the number of dependent children and their respective dates of birth. You will then obtain an estimate of the amount of your back-to-school allowance.
What are the steps to obtain the back-to-school allowance?
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 takes care of the payment automatically. Here are the situations that may arise:
- You are a recipient and are eligiblethe back-to-school bonus is paid automatically for your children who will be aged 6 to 15 on 31 December following the start of the school year.
- You are not a beneficiary of the Caf : go to the “Online services” section, then click on “Make a service request”, and “Back to school allowance”. You will then need to print the dedicated form and return it completed to your Caf.
- If your child starts first grade in September, but will not be six until 2023, it is necessary to think of recovering a certificate of schooling near the establishment. You must send it to the Caf to benefit from the back-to-school bonus.
- For teenagers aged 16 to 18, only a sworn statement assuring that the child is well educated is sufficient. “The Caf will contact you in July by email or post to invite you to take this step”, we explain on the dedicated page of the Family Allowance Fund.