Qualifying for French Disability Benefits

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Qualifying for French Disability Benefits

Certain conditions must be met in order to receive the French disability benefits, the AAH or Allocation Aux Adultes Handicapés. 

You must live in France full time and be either:

• French
• An EU citizen or the family member (spouse/child) of an EU citizen 
• Non-EU but completely legal resident and registered in France

Your degree of incapacity must be at least 80%, or if it is less, you have to be recognised as unable to work. If your disability is less than 80%, then you must be under the age of 60 when you apply for this benefit.

Your degree of disability must be evaluated by COTOREP (Commission Technique d'Orientation et de Reclassement Professionnel) who will also agree and state:

• your right to, and length of the payment, of this benefit
• the availability of benefit for a third person
• the availability of an "invalid" card
• the admission to a specialised centre or a work centre for disabled persons - MAS (Maison d’Accueil Spécialisée) or CAT (Centre d’Aide par le Travail)
• the availability of free pension contributions for the carer of the person with disabilities

Benefit supplements

The amount (as of 30/05/06)

• The maximum benefit currently issued is €610.28 (see the government website Service-public) 

You will receive this amount if your income is under the fixed limit (bareme). If your income is even a little more than that limit, your benefit (allocation) will be reduced. If you receive a pension or other income you will receive the difference between the amount of that income and the maximum benefit allowed.

For rates on family allowance, adoption allowance, parental leave allowance, housing benefits, single parent allowance, benefits for handicapped adults and children and also information on the RMI, (Revenu Minimum d'Insertion) see: CAF Actunationale

Since 11 February 2005 two supplements exist for the disabled who meet certain conditions. An extra benefit can be paid to those who choose to live in independent accommodation in order to help them to pay for the extra expenses of adapting their home. 

On the 1 January 2006 this benefit was fixed at €101.80 and will be paid on the following conditions if the person:

• has at least 80% disability 
• receives the full AAH (Allocation Adultes Handicapés) allowance 
• receives housing benefits
• does not earn any income

A benefit of €166.51 can be paid to compensate the absence of income for those in the incapacity to work. This is paid on the following conditions if the person:

• has at least 80% disability 
• receives the full AAH (Allocation Adultes Handicapés) allowance 
• has independent accommodation
• has received no income from work for more than a year and is not about to start a job
• whose capacity to work is recognised as less than 5%

Note: These two benefits can not be combined.

Be aware that if you are hospitalised or admitted to an MAS or CAT your benefits will be reduced. A supplement for this benefit can be paid on the following conditions. If the person:

• has at least 80% disability 
• receive the full AAH (Allocation Adultes Handicapés) allowance
• have reduced benefit with pension advantages
• have a work accident benefit 

 The amount will be worked out for each individual situation.

How to Claim

Request the application form for the AAH at the COTOREP offices, from your CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) or from a social worker (assistante sociale) and send it to COTOREP. Your allowance, if you are eligible, will start from the month that follows your application. 

Other rights

If you receive the AAH you also have rights to maternity allowances if required. You will also be exempt from the local taxes (taxe d’habitation). Those receiving the AAH and other extra allowances are exempt from income tax.

Further Information

• AngloINFO INFOrmation page on French Social Security Organisations 
• AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Notes for the Disabled
• Information (in French) from the French Government website
• Information (in French) from the French Service-Public website

Languedoc Roussillon COTOREP offices:

• COTOREP Hérault
  At: 23 bis rue Maguelone 34000 Montpellier
  Tel: 04 67 06 29 00
• COTOREP Gard
  At: 174 rue Antoine Blondin 30000 Nîmes
  Tel: 04 66 38 55 66
• COTOREP Aude
  At: rue Jean Melliès 11000 Carcassonne 
  Tel: 04 68 77 40 33 
• COTOREP Pyrenées-Orientales
  At: 53 Avenue Jean Giraudoux 66000 Perpignan
  Tel: 04 68 51 01 30
• COTOREP Lozère
  At: Avenue 11 Novembre 48000 Mende 
  Tel: 04 66 65 61 00