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Low-income benefits

The Elderly Solidarity Allowance (“Allocation de solidarité aux personnes âgées”/ Aspa) and the Supplemental Disability Allowance (“Allocation supplémentaire d’invalidité”/ ASI) are intended to guarantee a minimum income to those with the least financial means, whether or not they are retired.

ASPA eligibility requirements

  • You must be at least 65 years old or have reached statutory retirement age if you have been officially assessed as unfit for work or if you have a permanent disability with a severity rating of at least 50%.

  • Your 2019 income must not exceed 10,418.40 euros per year for a person living alone (or 868.20 euros per month) or 16,174.59 euros per year in 2019 if you are living with a spouse, civil union (“Pacs), or de facto partner (or 1,347.88 euros per month).

  • You must reside in metropolitan France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, or Reunion for more than 6 months (or 180 days) out of the calendar year during which you receive Aspa

 

ASPA rates

Your Aspa entitlement will be calculated based on the difference between the required income ceiling and your own income (including Aspa).

  • If you are living alone: your ASPA entitlement will be up to a maximum of 10,418.40 euros per year (or 868.20 euros per month).

 

Aspa simulation for 2019, if you are living alone:
Income of the person living alone 8,000 euros per year
Aspa entitlement

10,418.40 euros – 8,000 euros

= 2,418.40 euros per year

 

  • If you are living with your spouse or a civil union (Pacs) or de facto partner and you are both eligible for Aspa: your combined entitlement cannot exceed 16.174,59 per year (or 1,347.88 euros per month).

 

Aspa simulation for 2019, if you are living with a spouse or partner:
The couple’s combined income 13,000 euros per year
ASPA entitlement

 

16,174.59 euros – 13,000 euros =

3,174.59 euros per year

 

Important:

If you are living with a spouse or partner but only one of you is entitled to Aspa, the Aspa entitlement can come to a maximum of 10,418.40 euros per year in 2019 (or 868.20 euros per month).

 

How to apply for Aspa

  • You will need to contact the schemes that are paying your retirement pension.

Click here to get the contact information for your retirement pension scheme(s).

 

  • If you are not currently drawing a retirement pension, you can contact your town hall (“mairie”) for more information.

ASI Eligibility criteria

  • You will need to be officially assessed as severely disabled (“invalide”), meaning you have a disability that reduces your overall fitness for work by 2/3.

  • You must not have reached statutory retirement age. However, there is no minimum age.

  • You must be drawing a survivor’s retirement pension or a widow or widow old-age pension, an early retirement pension due to disability or a long career or a retirement pension for arduous work

  • You must reside in metropolitan France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guiana, or Reunion for more than 6 months (or 180 days) out of the calendar year for which you receive ASI.

  • If you are living alone, your 2018 income must not exceed 8,542.33 euros per year (or 711.85 euros per month)

  • If you are living with a spouse, civil union (“PACS”), or de facto partner, your 2018 income must not exceed 14,962.52 euros (or 1,246.87 euros per month).

 

ASI rates

Your ASI entitlement will be calculated based on the difference between the required income ceiling and your own income (including ASI).

If you are living alone: your ASPA entitlement will be up to a maximum of 4,913.2 euros per year in 2018 (or 409.43 euros per month).

 

ASI simulation for 2016, if you are living alone:
Income of the person living alone 8,000 euros per year
ASI entitlement

8,542.33 euros – 8,000 euros

= 542.33 euros per year

 

  • If you are living with a spouse or partner and you are both eligible for ASI: your combined entitlement cannot exceed 8,107.54 euros per year in 2018 (or 675.62 euros per month).

 

Aspa simulation for 2016, if you are living with a spouse or partner:
The couple’s combined income 13,000 euros per year
ASI entitlement

14,962.52 euros – 13,000 euros =

1,962.52 euros per year

 

Important:

If you are living with a spouse or partner but only one of you is entitled to ASI, the ASI entitlement can come to a maximum of 4,913.2 euros per year in 2018 (or 409.43 euros per month).

 

When your ASI payments end

Your ASI entitlement will end when you reach statutory retirement age. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can begin receiving the Elderly solidarity allowance (“Allocation de solidarité aux personnes âgées/ ASPA) at that time. (See paragraph above).

For more information about when your ASI entitlement will end, please contact your retirement pension scheme

 

Where to apply for ASI

  • You will need to apply through the scheme that is paying your early retirement pension, widow or widower’s old-age pension, or survivor’s retirement pension.

Click here to get the contact information for your retirement pension scheme(s).

 

  • If you are drawing a disability pension, you can contact France’s health insurance scheme Assurance Maladie.

For personalized information based on your pension schemes, please log into your pension account.

You can also use this account to :

  • access your career history
  • and estimate your pension entitlements

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