Register and connect to CAF

Register and connect to CAF

In short
Last update25 juil. 2022

What is it?

Good to know: Please note that this aid is only available to people already present on French territory. If you are not on French territory, you cannot request assistance from CAF.

Refugees in France can receive certain aid from the Family Allowance Fund (CAF) , depending on their situation.

There are different aids:

Some aid depends on your income. Others don't. To find out if you are entitled to it, you can do online simulations (see step 2). To request assistance, you must then register with CAF (steps 3 and 4).

Good to know: According to the documents, the aid paid is called “benefit” or “aid” or even “allowance”. A person who receives aid from the CAF is called a "beneficiary".

Who is it for?

Location

France entière

Location

France entière

What to do?

1

Find out about rights and possible assistance

On the CAF website, you can find information on the different aids:

  • you can click on this link and find simple information about aids,
  • or consult the CAF benefits guide on this link and find detailed information there,
  • or “run a simulation” (see step 2).
2

Make a simulation to check your rights according to your personal situation

You think you are entitled to help. To verify this and find out what the amount of aid will be, you can do a simulation.

On the home page of the www.caf.fr website, find the “Aids and procedures” section and click on “Access my procedures”, you arrive on the page to carry out a simulation .

Select the aid for which you want to perform a simulation:

  • The activity bonus,
  • The active solidarity income (Rsa),
  • Housing,
  • Childcare Benefit (Paje).

Click on “Start” then answer the questions asked. Finally, click on “Calculate”: the result of the simulation is displayed.

If the simulator indicates that you are not entitled to assistance, it gives you the reason. If you made a mistake answering the questions, you can start over.

If the simulator indicates that you are entitled to assistance, it indicates an approximate amount. To be certain of receiving this aid, you must register with CAF by making a “service request” (step 3).

Good to know: There is another website to simulate all the aid to which you are entitled, for all organizations at the same time: Mesdroitssociaux.gouv.fr .

3

Apply for allowance

In the “Help and procedures” section, click on “Access my procedures”, then go to the bottom of the page and click on “Apply for services online”.

You arrive on the "Make a benefit request" page in the online services.

Then choose the subject of your request:

  • Housing
  • Children
  • Separation and death
  • The Rsa and the activity bonus
  • Illness and disability
  • Other requests

By clicking on a subject, the various aids appear.

Good to know: For example, here are the housing aids:
- Housing assistance,
- Moving bonus,
- Request for direct payment - Housing assistance,
- Certificate of rent or residence in a hostel,
- Loan certificate,
- Home improvement loan.

To request assistance, click on “apply”.

Before continuing, you must create an account (if you are not a beneficiary) or log in (if you are a beneficiary and already have an account). (step 4)

Complete the requested information and send the documents.

4

Register or connect to the Caf.fr website

To register, you must first apply for a service on the internet (step 4 below).

You can then create an account or log in:

> If you do not yet have an account (you are not a CAF beneficiary), you need your social security number which begins with 1 or 2: this is your identifier. First fill in your details, then write the verification code received by SMS or email. You can then choose a password. Next time, you can click "login" directly.

> If you do not yet have an account (you are not a CAF beneficiary), nor a definitive social security number which begins with 1 or 2: you answer "no" to the question "I have a social Security". You will receive a temporary ID. First fill in your details, then write the verification code received by SMS or email. You can then choose a password. Next time, you can click directly on "connection" using your provisional identifier (until you receive your definitive social security number).

> If you already have an account (you are a CAF recipient), you need your social security number which begins with 1 or 2: this is your new identifier. The first time, log in with your old password, then you will need to change it.

> If you already have an account (you are a CAF beneficiary), but a temporary social security number that starts with 7 or 8: you must call the CAF in your department to get a temporary identifier to connect.

Good to know: You can call the CAF at 3230 (free), Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. without interruption. Please note: for telephone contact with the CAF, the old beneficiary numbers and password must be used. For the website, these are the new identifiers explained above.

If you prefer to go directly to CAF, that is also possible. To find the address and contact details of your CAF, go to the website www.caf.fr, click on the top right on "My CAF" and write your postal code (5 digits, for example: 95500) then click on " to validate". You will be directed to the CAF page for your department. They are all different. In general, you will be able to click on “contact us” or “reception points”.

And after?

Report changes in situation

Following your request for a benefit, you will be registered with the CAF.

If your personal situation changes (for example: a new arrival in the household or a move or that you are separated), you must report it to the CAF. If your professional situation changes (beginning of activity, end of activity, entry into training, etc.) , you must also report this. To do this, on the CAF website, in “my account”, click on “declare a change”.

Changes in your situation may lead to a modification of the aid.

If you change department by moving (for example, from “62 Pas de Calais” to “14 Calvados”), it may happen that the allowances are no longer paid pending the transfer of the file to your new CAF.

Good to know: If you made a mistake in your declaration, you must also report it to the CAF. You have the “ right to make mistakes”: you may have to repay any aid received in excess.

But beware, if you do not report an error, it is "fraud". You may be sanctioned.

Receive aid and follow your file

Some grants are paid to your bank account each month .

Other benefits are one-off payments.

Good to know: You can download the free application “CAF - My account” to follow your file and the payments of your aids or to declare a change.

> App Store (Apple) download link
> Play Store (Android) download link

Make the quarterly declaration of resources

Every 3 months, each person who receives the AAH (Disabled Adult Allowance), the RSA (Revenu de Solidarité Active) or the activity bonus must declare their resources to the CAF.

This approach is called the "quarterly declaration of resources". A table must be completed, for each month requested, with the money received (salary, unemployment benefits, etc.). This allows CAF to calculate the aid that will be sent for the following 3 months.

To find out how to declare your resources each quarter => Refugees.info sheet on the quarterly declaration of resources to the CAF .

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