The dates that recipients can expect benefit payments in France next year have been published, with 13.5 million people set to receive financial aid of some kind in 2026.
The benefits announced are those payable by the caisses d’allocations familiales (CAF, family allowance funds). These are paid to millions on a specific date each month, directly into bank accounts.
The benefits include:
Aides personnelles au logement (APL, personal housing assistance)
Revenu de solidarité active (RSA, jobseeker allowance)
L’allocation aux adultes handicapés (AAH, disability allowance)
Allocations familiales (family allowance)
Fixed date…and exceptions
CAF benefit payment dates in 2026Caf.fr / Hannah Thompson
The CAF has confirmed that benefits will be paid on a “fixed date”, on the 5th day of each month, if that day is a weekday. However, this changes if the 5th day falls on Saturday or Sunday.
In this case:
“If the 5th of the month falls on a Saturday, the payment is made on Friday the 4th. If it falls on a Sunday, payments are made on Monday the 6th,” the CAF states.
The exceptions to the “5th of the month” rule for 2026 are as follows. Payments for the following months will instead be made on:
March 2026: Tuesday April 7 (exceptionally on 7th, not 4th or 6th of the month)
June 2026: Monday July 6
August 2026: Friday September 4
November 2026: Friday December 4
For all other months in 2026, payment will be made on the 5th of the month after (e.g. January 2026 payment on February 5, 2026).
How long does it take to receive payments?
Payments may not be received immediately in your bank account once they have been made, and can take between one and three days to appear.
Payments are also made for the previous month, e.g. January benefits are received at the beginning of February.
You can check your latest payments and entitlements on the CAF website, if you log in to your personal account. You can also use the free-to-download smartphone app called Caf - Mon Compte.
Your FranceConnect details can also be used to login to the CAF site (along with more than 1,400 websites, including many official government sites and saves having to remember account information for all of the different services).
If you notice any errors, you can call a CAF advisor on 3230 (from within France), or send a message via your online account.
