Since January 1, 2021, housing assistance is calculated on the basis of your income for the last 12 months and updated every 3 months.

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IStock / City Presse

Financial aid emblematic of French social policy, housing allowances are paid to some 6.5 million households and benefit nearly 20% of the population when all the people living in each household are taken into account.

The reforms on this subject are therefore sensitive.

And precisely, 2021 marks a turning point in this area.

As close as possible to reality

The calculation of housing assistance involves several factors such as the family's net taxable resources, its composition, the geographical area of ​​residence, as well as the amount of the rent concerned.

However, previously, when you made your request, you had to provide proof of income going back two years, in other words to N-2.

There could then be a big discrepancy with your financial situation at the time of the constitution of the file.

The state therefore decided to review the terms of the equation.

After multiple postponements, the reform came into effect one year late, on January 1, 2021. Therefore, it is your income for the last 12 months on the day of your request that is used to calculate your housing assistance.

In order to adapt in real time to changes in your situation, these allowances are now updated every 3 months, like other aid paid by CAF such as the activity bonus.

Beware of unpleasant surprises

In principle, people who already received housing allowances in 2020 have nothing to do, unless their CAF asks them to do so.

The public body is responsible for automatically recovering income information through withholding tax.

If your standard of living has improved, you will therefore experience a drop in your aid.

On the other hand, these new calculation methods can be a plus for employees who have experienced a loss of salary due to the health crisis.

Please note, however, that certain annual resources and charges, such as alimony, actual costs and guardianship costs, cannot be taken into account directly.

You will therefore have to declare them once a year through your personal account on Caf.fr.

You can also estimate the amount of your housing assistance using the simulator available on the site.

In general, it is necessary to immediately report any change in your situation to your fund, in order to avoid errors in the amount of your allowances.

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  • Rental

  • Housing

  • Purchasing power

  • Allowances