Disability benefits

Exportable benefits 

You may be entitled to two sets of disability benefits – some that are ‘exportable’ from the country you move to France from and then French benefits to which you may be eligible.

After Brexit there were changes to the exportability of British benefits with differences in entitlement, notably, dependent on whether or not you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA). The WA does not apply to Britons moving to France since 2021 unless they are close family members moving to live with Britons who are already established in the country.

For WA Britons, for example, British Employment and Support Allowance (formerly long-term incapacity benefit) is exportable, under conditions linked to your National Insurance payments (for help call: 0044 191 206 9390). For other Britons it is only claimable for four weeks after going abroad, or up to 26 weeks if going abroad for medical treatment for you or your child. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is still exportable (see the number above for help).

The following benefits are now only exportable (and claimable in France on an ongoing basis) for WA Britons: Disability Living Allowance (but not the mobility component), Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (if claiming from outside the UK for the first time, DLA has been replaced by PIP). You can send queries about DLA, AA and PIP via the online form. For Carer’s Allowance, call 0044 (0)800 731 0297.

French benefits may also be available to disabled people who can show stable residence for at least three months if they are not eligible for a similar British benefit (another definition of stable residence sometimes used is evidence that you live in France for most of the calendar year in which you are claiming a benefit). 

A useful source of information is your local Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH). Your MDPH can help you work out entitlements.

It is mainly the caisse d’allocations familiales (Caf: family allowance office) or the conseil départemental (departmental council) that pays these benefits. Disability percentages, assessed by medical examination, are used to work out some entitlements, eg. 100%: a ‘vegetative’ state; 80%: ‘serious difficulties, causing major hindrance to daily life and damage to autonomy’ and 50%: ‘significant problems causing notable difficulties in social life.

What French benefits are available? 

Prestation de compensation du handicap (PCH)

This helps with autonomy requirements such as help at home and home or car adaptations. Rates vary by needs.

 It is for those whose disability started before age 60. Some kinds of income are taken into account in working out the amount paid. You must be unable to do at least one ‘essential activity’ or have serious difficulties in at least two. These include matters such as getting around in the home or outside, personal care and communication.

The similar allocation personnalisée d’autonomie (APA) is for over-60s. People claiming PCH who become eligible for APA instead need to check their entitlements and should request a switch if the latter is more beneficial. 

APA comes in two kinds, one for people who live in retirement homes and one called APA à domicile, for help to stay in your own home. This benefit can go towards paying all or some of the cost of an accredited association d’aide à domicile (who may also be able to help you apply for it).

Application forms can be found at your mairie’s centre communal d’action sociale, from the elderly people’s service at your departmental council, or from local information points for older people. Choose the annuaires from the menu at the top of the website. This site can also identify services for nurse visits or home help (Service autonomie à domicile).

Aide sociale

In the case of people not deemed dependent enough for APA, their retirement caisse may be able to help instead. This may include funding some aide ménagère for issues such as home help, meals on wheels etc. 

This only applies to people who have worked and built up retirement rights in France. Those on low incomes who live in France may also be able to obtain help called aide sociale from the departmental council – your mairie can advise.

Pension d’invalidité

This is similar to the British long-term incapacity benefit (now ESA), for those who have worked in France and paid social security contributions (including micro-entrepreneurs), but who now have limited or no ability to work owing to disability.

Allocation aux adultes handicapés

This provides a minimum income for disabled people on low incomes and cannot be combined with an old age pension or pension d’invalidité unless they are smaller than the amount the benefit would give. It is mainly for seriously disabled people under 60 but there are exceptions. There are income ceilings to qualify and the payment varies by means, decreasing from a maximum of €1,016/month.

Carte mobilité inclusion ‘invalidité’

This is a card for people with a disability level rated at 80% and/or certain disability pensions. It gives priority on public transport and in queues at public places, tax advantages and discounts.