After the age of 65, people with low incomes can benefit from the minimum old age. This is an allowance paid monthly, subject to means in particular, intended to guarantee the elderly a minimum monthly income.
Once retired, all employees receive a pension calculated on the basis of the contributions they have paid during their professional career. However, for those who have not contributed much or who receive a small pension or a low survivor's pension, the French pension system puts in place mechanisms that allow everyone to have a minimum income. Called minimum old age until 2006, this system has in fact been known since then as the "Solidarity allowance for the elderly (ASPA)".
It is a single allowance, unlike the minimum old age which was made up of several types of allowances. The solidarity allowance for the elderly can be combined with a small income from activity representing up to 30% of the gross minimum wage for a single person and up to 50% for a couple. In the event of the death of the beneficiary of the minimum old age, the sums paid under the solidarity allowance for the elderly are recovered by the State from the part of the beneficiary's estate greater than 39,000 euros.
All people over the age of 65 whose income is below a certain ceiling can claim the minimum old age. However, certain conditions must be met. First, you must be 65 or older. This age can be lowered to the minimum retirement age (60 to 62) in the event of incapacity for work, disability and for veterans.
Then, you must be French or a foreigner in a regular situation and reside in France. Finally, the retiree's monthly resources must be less than €801 for a single person and €1,243 for a couple (amounts as of October 1, 2016).
The solidarity allowance for the elderly is what is called a differential allowance:the amount paid represents the difference between the pensioner's income and the maximum amount of resources taken into account for the calculation of the minimum old age. The objective of this allowance is to supplement the income of the elderly so that they reach what is considered a minimum for living. To calculate the amount of the minimum old age, income is assessed over the last three months preceding the application. The solidarity allowance for the elderly is increased on 1 st April of each year.
The application for the allowance must be sent to their pension fund or, for widows and widowers, to that on which the deceased spouse depended. For people who are not covered by any basic old-age insurance scheme, the request for minimum old-age benefits must be submitted to the town hall of their residence, which will forward it to the service for the solidarity allowance for the elderly of the Caisse des deposits and consignments.
