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Register and request assistance from CAF

Proposed by Réfugiés.info Updated on il y a 2 jours

Refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and stateless people who live in France can receive financial assistance from the Family Allowance Fund (CAF), depending on their situation.

There are different types of assistance:

The money you receive is called a “benefit” or “aid” or “allowance”. A person who receives aid from the CAF is called a “beneficiary”.

To find out whether your situation entitles you to receive money from CAF, you can run simulations on the internet (see step 2). To apply for assistance, you will then need to register with CAF (steps 3 and 4).

Please note, CAF aid is only available to people who live in France.
Some aid depends on your income (salary, unemployment benefits), others do not.
Some aid is sent to your bank account every month. Other aid is one-off: it is sent only once.

You have the possibility to register with the CAF and apply for RSA as soon as you apply for asylum. When you receive the positive response from the OFPRA or the CNDA on your protection, send the document to the CAF, which will calculate your RSA from the moment you made your request. This is called “retroactivity of rights”.

You can download the free “CAF - My account” application to monitor your file and your aid payments or even declare a change.

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

How to do it?

On the CAF website, you can find information on the different types of assistance available :

You can also run a simulation (step 2).

If you think your situation allows you to receive financial assistance, you should do a simulation to find out what the amount of assistance will be.

Click here to run a simulation on the CAF website.

Select the aid for which you want to run a simulation.

Click "Start" and then answer the questions. Finally, click "Next": the simulation results will be displayed. You can also download a summary.

If the simulator indicates that you are not eligible for assistance, it will explain why. If you answer the questions incorrectly, you can try again.

If the simulator indicates that you are entitled to assistance, it indicates an approximate amount. To be sure of receiving this aid, and to know exactly how much, you need to register with the CAF and make a "benefit application" (step 3).

There is another website where you can simulate all the benefits you are entitled to from all organizations at the same time: Mesdroitssociaux.gouv.fr

To apply for financial assistance:

Click here to go to the CAF website, under the "My procedures" section.

Go to the bottom of the page, where it says " Apply for benefits online "

Next, click on the type that best applies to your situation:

To request assistance, click on " Make a request ".

You must then create an account (if you are not already a benefit recipient) or log in (if you are a benefit recipient and already have an account). (step 4)

Complete the requested information online from your personal "My Account" area and send the documents.

Attached documents, whether scanned or photographed, must be perfectly legible and in JPG, JPEG or PDF format.
The total size of all pages submitted must be less than 10 MB.

> Read the Refugees.info fact sheet: " Scanning a document "

If you want to apply for several benefits (the activity bonus and the birth bonus, for example),
You need to make several separate requests.
The main questions about benefits, procedures and the mobile application are here , with general answers.

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 have not got an account yet (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.

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”.

What happens next?

Don't forget to report any changes in your situation to the CAF.

For example:

  • Departure abroad
  • Change in family circumstances (birth, your child leaving home, marriage or civil partnership, divorce…)
  • Change in professional circumstances (unemployment, new job for you or your spouse, start of your business activity…)
  • Moving

If you move and change departments, it is possible that benefits may stop during the transfer of the file to your new CAF.
You must declare a move, even if your rent hasn't changed or if your landlord is the same. If you were receiving housing assistance, you must submit a new application for assistance for your new accommodation.
Everything is explained here.

To do this, go to " Declare a change " from your personal space on the Caf website or in the "Caf - My Account" mobile application on the Internet.

Each change in circumstances results in a recalculation of your financial assistance: if your salary or rent decreases or increases, the CAF sends you more or less money.
Don't forget to send your new bank details if you change bank accounts.

You can also go to the nearest CAF agency to fill out the change of circumstances declaration form on site.

The CAF receives information from other government agencies, such as the tax authorities. If you declare different information or if you have made a mistake, you must also report it to the CAF. Everything is explained here .
If the CAF (French family allowance fund) sends you too much money relative to your situation (an "overpayment"), they can ask you to reimburse it. But be careful, if you don't report an error, it can be considered "fraud." You could then be penalized.

After you have submitted your application for assistance, your file is awaiting processing.
You must wait; there's no need to send another letter or email. The CAF receives a high volume of applications, and processing times can be long.

You can track the progress of your application online or via the "Caf - Mon Compte" mobile app. Go to caf.fr > "Mon Compte" section > "Mes démarches" section.

To find out the processing times for your request, go to this page and click on "View" at the very bottom of the page.

If the CAF needs additional documents (new residence permit for example), a red box appears on the home page of your account (on the website or on the mobile application).
This means you have received a notification.
You need to send the document(s) online as soon as possible to update your file.

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

This process is called the “ quarterly declaration of resources ”. You must complete a table, 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 => see the Réfugiés.info sheet on the quarterly declaration of resources to the CAF.

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