From the 2nd dependent child, parents can claim family allowances. The amount of this monthly financial assistance paid by CAF depends on the household’s resources, the number of children and their age.

Parents with 2 or more children receive family allowances regardless of their income. They must nevertheless meet the following conditions:

• Reside in France.
• Have dependent (1) 2 children under 20 years old.

The 2 children are under 20 years old: the parents receive family allowances from the 1st month following the birth or arrival at home of the 2nd child.

Only one dependent child is under 20 years of age: payment of benefits is interrupted at the end of the month preceding the change of situation – the oldest child reaches the age of 20 or is no longer dependent on his parents .

Family allowances can be combined with other benefits paid by CAF, and in particular Paje.

The specific case of the overseas departments

Parents who reside in a DOM – Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Réunion, Mayotte – are entitled to family allowances from their first dependent child.

The particular case of the large family

In a family of 3 or more children, parents can continue to receive financial assistance when they only have one dependent child under the age of 20. This is the provisional flat-rate allowance. To benefit from the provisional flat-rate allowance, the following conditions must be met:

• A child who has reached 20 years of age must remain dependent on his parents.
• The month preceding the child’s 20th birthday, his parents must have received family allowances for a minimum of 3 children.

The flat-rate allowance is paid monthly to parents until the month preceding the child’s 21st birthday. Its amount varies according to the parents’ level of resources and remains the same regardless of the number of dependent children.

• When the parents are already CAF beneficiaries, family allowances are paid automatically from their 2nd dependent child. To benefit from it, they must simply inform CAF of their change of situation. They can declare the birth directly online on their personal beneficiary account, or send a copy of the birth certificate or family record book by mail.
• Parents who are not yet beneficiaries must complete an application form (2).

To estimate the amount of allowances to be paid to parents, CAF takes into account their income for year N – 2, which it recovers directly from the tax services.

The file to be completed in order to benefit from family allowances consists of 2 parts:

• The Cerfa situation declaration form n ° 11423 * 06: it allows you to enter the identity and contact details of the applicant, his family and professional situations.
• The Cerfa resource declaration form n ° 10397 * 19.

Applicants for new beneficiaries must enclose a bank details, as well as all the supporting documents required.

The amount of family allowances depends on the parents’ resources and the number of dependent children. For the calculation of the amount of allowances, CAF takes into account the income for year N – 2.

A monthly increase applies when the 2nd child reaches the age of 14.

The CAF site offers an online simulator (3).

Parents whose income barely exceeds the ceilings benefit from a supplement.

When the children are in joint residence following a separation or a divorce, the parents can choose between:

• Sharing the amount of benefits.
• The allocation of benefits for the benefit of a single parent.

Their decision is valid for one year. If no agreement is reached, sharing applies.

To opt, the parents fill out an application file (4).