Many beneficiaries will no longer be able to receive these family benefits as their payment conditions have been modified. Here’s what’s going to change soon.
Family allowances paid by Caf are valuable help for young parents, particularly for welcoming a baby, sending a child to school, housing or even for large families… Each year, these social benefits are revalued, and their amount increases according to inflation. As of April 1, 2024, most of this aid is increased by 4.6% compared to the previous year. But next year, there will be another modification which could well put an end to the payment of this aid for many beneficiaries, since the conditions for granting nine social benefits change, according to a decree published in the Official Journal of April 21, 2024 .
Indeed, from January 1, 2025, you will have to reside at least 9 months per year in France during the calendar year of payment of benefits (instead of 6 months until then), to receive family benefits and benefit from the minimum old age, specifies the French administration website. These 9 mandatory months may or may not be consecutive to be entitled to this aid. However, there is no nationality condition.
So, what social benefits are affected? The conditions of allocation change first of all for beneficiaries of the minimum old age (or ASPA), which amounts in 2024 to 1,012.02 euros per month for a single person, and to 1,571.16 euros per month for a couple. The new residence criteria also apply to nine social benefits intended for families, namely: the childcare benefit, family allowances paid from the birth of the second baby, the family supplement (from 3 children); housing allowance governed by the provisions of Book VIII of the Construction and Housing Code; education allowance for disabled children; family support allowance; the back-to-school allowance; the lump sum allowance paid in the event of the death of a child as well as the daily parental presence allowance.
Please note that certain aid is not affected by this new decree. This is particularly the case for universal health protection (Puma) which allows beneficiaries to be covered for their health costs without any interruption of rights. Conditions of residence on French territory are still required: you must live in France for at least three months to qualify for your rights, then at least 6 months during the year.