Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)
Pays family benefits and housing aid (APL/ALS). They run on documents — every life event needs a paper trail. Late replies cost you money.
How to deal with them
Reply preferentially via 'Mon compte' messagerie. If you must paper, use Lettre Recommandée AR to your CAF départementale.
- Request APL housing aid
Monthly housing benefit from CAF. Most tenants in France qualify, including expats. Apply the day you sign your bail — APL pays from the month you apply, not the month you moved in.
- Claim Prime d'activité
Monthly top-up from CAF for people in work whose net pay is below ~€2050/month (more if you have kids). Tax-free, paid the 5th of each month, must be re-declared every quarter. Lots of working expats qualify and never claim it.
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What is Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)?
Pays family benefits and housing aid (APL/ALS). They run on documents — every life event needs a paper trail. Late replies cost you money.
How do I reply to Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)?
Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) prefers replies via Reply through their online portal (Free (via their portal)). Their official site is https://www.caf.fr. Phone: 3230.
Where do I log in to Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)?
Their authenticated portal is at https://www.caf.fr/allocataires/mon-compte. You'll need your account number (it's printed top-right on every letter they send).
How long does Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) take to process things?
Typical processing window is 14–60 days. Outside that window, it's worth a follow-up call.