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MONEY

French home renovations: What grants are available to the elderly and the disabled?

Are you looking to make your French home more accessible? If you are elderly or have a disability, you may be eligible for government assistance.

French home renovations: What grants are available to the elderly and the disabled?
An elderly woman uses a walker in western France in 2020. (Photo by Fred TANNEAU / AFP)

‘MaPrimeAdapt’ is latest version of the French government’s grant programme to help the elderly and people with disabilities finance work to make their homes more accessible.

The scheme is intended to combine three previous programmes, all of which helped offer funding for home improvements to help people live independently: the ‘aide habiter facile’, the ‘habitat cadre de vie’, and the ‘autonomy’ tax credit.

Since the start of 2024, these have been wrapped together under MaPrimeAdapt. However, previous works that began under ‘aide habiter facile’ will continue to be managed within that scheme.

Generally, the MaPrimeAdapt grant can be used to finance both interior and exterior renovations. For example, one might use ‘MaPrimeRenov’ to help replace a bathtub with a walk-in shower, widen doors to make them wheelchair-friendly, or install an electric stairlift.

READ MORE: French property grants you might be eligible for

MaPrimeAdapt’ can help with 50 to 70 percent of the cost of home renovation work, though there are several conditions for eligibility.

Who can benefit?

While the property concerned must be your primary residence, the next steps depend whether you are the owner or the tenant in your home. As a tenant, you must have the permission of your landlord of the intention of any plans to carry out works. 

READ MORE: Is your French property a main residence or a second home (and why it matters)?

You must also pay income taxes in France in order to qualify, and your household income must be considered ‘modest’ or ‘very modest’. This calculation is based on the number of people in your household, as well as whether or not you live in the Paris region.

For example, your revenu fiscal de référence (tax reference number, which can be found on the first page of your French income tax declaration) must be below €31,889 for a two-person household outside of Paris.

Credit: France-Renov-Gouv.fr

For those within the Paris region, the maximum income levels are a little higher.

For example, a two-person household would be eligible as long as their tax reference number is less than €42,058.

Credit: France-Renov-Gouv.fr

And finally, you or a member of your household must either be:

  • Older than 70 years old
  • Between 60 and 69 years old with a disability status (anyone with a GIR number 1-6)
  • Considered to be more than 50 percent disabled or benefitting from the ‘Disability Compensation Benefit’ (la prestation de compensation du handicap, PCH).

If you are not sure whether you may qualify, you can test your eligibility using this government assistance simulator.

How do I apply?

You can either apply online or on paper.

To do so online, start by going to the website monprojet.anah.gouv.fr and clicking ‘Je suis propriétaire occupant’ (‘I’m an owner-occupier’ – assuming this applies to you).

Make sure you have your tax number (numéro fiscal) handy, as you will need it to start the process. You will also need proof of disability or loss of autonomy, as well as proof of residence. 

If you want to submit on paper, you can do so at the closest National Housing Agency (Anah) location to you. You can find one by searching here.

Once you have made a dossier, you will be connected with a project management assistant via Anah who will help you with the rest of your file. Keep in mind that your eligibility will also be determined with a home visit.

For any extra help throughout the process, you can contact your local Anah or you might consider stopping by a nearby France Services office – the locations intended to help people with admin questions in France.

READ MORE: What is ‘France Services’ and how can it help foreigners in France?

Member comments

  1. We fulfil all the requirements, but our house-ownership is through an SCI (Société Civile Immobilier) to avoid French inheritance obligations. The moment ‘société’ was mentioned we were told that companies are not eligible, even if it is an SCI familiale. So we’ve had to pay the entire costs for changing the oil-fired boiler to a heat exchange pump, as well as changing the bath for a walk-in shower.

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For members

LIVING IN FRANCE

Why you might get a letter about French benefits

France is introducing stricter residency requirements for certain benefits, including those that foreigners in France can qualify for, and has begun sending letters out to recipients.

Why you might get a letter about French benefits

In April, the French government passed a decree that will tighten up residency requirements for different types of benefits, including the old-age top-up benefit.

Previously, the rule for most benefits was residency in France for at least six months of the previous year to qualify, though some required eight months and others, like the RSA (a top-up for people with little to no income) requires nine months’ residency per year.

However, the government announced in 2023 its intention to increase the period to nine months for several different programmes – which was put into decree in April – in an effort to combat social security fraud, as well as to standardise the system.

The changes, which will go into effect at the start of 2025, do not affect access to healthcare – foreigners can still access French public healthcare as long as they have been resident here for a minimum of three months. 

Similarly, the rules for accessing chômage (unemployment benefits) have not changed yet. Currently, you must have worked for at least six months out of the last 24 months to be eligible, as well as meeting other criteria including how you left your previous job.

This may change in the future, however, with the French government poised to reform the unemployment system again.

READ MORE: How France plans cuts to its generous unemployment system

Which benefits are affected?

The old-age benefit – or the ASPA – will apply the new nine month requirement. Previously, people needed to be in France for at least six months out of the year to qualify.

If you receive this benefit already, you will probably get a letter in the mail in the near future informing you of the change – this is a form letter and does not necessarily mean that your benefits will change.

If you are already a recipient – and you live in France for at least nine months out of the year – then you do not need to worry about your access to the ASPA changing.

If you want to access this benefit, it is available to certain foreigners, even though it is intended to help elderly (over 65) French citizens with low state pensions.

It is only available to foreigners who have been living legally in France for at least 10 years, and starting in 2025 you will need to spend nine out of 12 months a year in France. You can find more information at THIS French government website.

Otherwise, prestations familiales, or family benefits will be affected by the new nine month residency rule. These are available to foreigners with valid residency cards, as long as their children also live in France.

This includes the family allowance (given out by CAF), which is available for families on low incomes with more than two children, as well as the ‘Prime à la Naissance’, which is a means-tested one-off allowance paid in the seventh month of pregnancy to effectively help with the start-up costs of becoming a parent, will also be affected by the new nine month residency rule. 

READ MORE: France’s family benefit system explained

If you receive these benefits already, then you will likely receive a letter explaining the changes shortly.

And finally – the RSA, which is the top-up benefit for people with little to no income, was already held to the nine month standard, so there will be no residency-related changes.

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