APA: France's Autonomy Allowance for Elderly Care at Home

APA: the financial help you might not know about

Your parent needs help getting up, bathing, preparing meals. You're paying for home care out of pocket — 500, 1,000, sometimes 1,500 EUR per month. And nobody told you the state could cover a significant portion of those costs.

The APA (Allocation Personnalisée d'Autonomie) is France's primary public funding mechanism for elderly dependency. Yet roughly 20% of eligible people never apply, often simply because they don't know it exists.

This guide explains how to access it.

What is the APA?

The APA is an allowance paid by the département (local government) to fund expenses related to an elderly person's loss of autonomy. It can cover:

Home care hours (personal care assistants, housekeeping)
Assistive equipment (grab bars, shower seats, walkers)
Day care or temporary residential care
Meal delivery services
Emergency alert systems (téléassistance)
Transportation to medical appointments

There are two versions:

APA at home (APA à domicile): for people living at home or with a relative
APA in care facilities (APA en établissement): for people in nursing homes

This guide focuses on APA at home — the one most relevant to family caregivers.

Who is eligible?

Conditions for the elderly person

Your loved one can receive APA if they meet all these criteria:

Aged 60 or older
Residing in France on a stable and regular basis
Assessed at GIR level 1 to 4 on France's dependency scale

No income requirement

APA is a universal right: it's granted regardless of income. However, the co-payment amount varies based on the person's financial resources.

No estate recovery

Unlike some social assistance programs, APA is not recoverable from the estate after death. Your parents won't be depriving their heirs by applying.

Understanding GIR levels

GIR (Groupe Iso-Ressources) is France's scale for evaluating dependency, from GIR 1 (total dependency) to GIR 6 (full autonomy).

GIR	Dependency level	APA eligible?
GIR 1	Total dependency, bedridden, severe cognitive impairment	Yes
GIR 2	Severe dependency, cognitive impairment OR significant physical dependency	Yes
GIR 3	Mental autonomy preserved, partial physical dependency requiring daily assistance	Yes
GIR 4	Needs help with transfers, bathing, meals; can move independently indoors	Yes
GIR 5	Occasional help needed (housework, shopping, meals)	No
GIR 6	Fully autonomous	No

The GIR assessment is conducted by a médico-social team from the département, at the person's home.

How much does APA pay?

Monthly caps (2026)

GIR	Monthly APA cap
GIR 1	1,914 EUR
GIR 2	1,548 EUR
GIR 3	1,119 EUR
GIR 4	747 EUR

These are maximum amounts. The actual payment depends on the care plan designed by the assessment team and the person's co-payment.

The co-payment

If your loved one's monthly income is:

Below 878 EUR: no co-payment — APA covers 100%
Between 878 and 2,999 EUR: progressive co-payment (0% to 90%)
Above 2,999 EUR: maximum co-payment of 90%

Practical example

Your mother is assessed at GIR 4. Her care plan includes 600 EUR/month in home assistance. Her retirement income is 1,200 EUR/month.

GIR 4 cap: 747 EUR → the 600 EUR plan is fully within limits
Co-payment at 1,200 EUR income: approximately 10%
APA pays 540 EUR — your mother pays 60 EUR

Without APA, she would pay 600 EUR out of pocket. Or you would pay it for her.

How to apply

Step 1: Get the application form

The APA application is available from:

Your local CCAS (Centre Communal d'Action Sociale) at the town hall
The conseil départemental (autonomy or elderly services department)
The département's website (most offer downloads)
The national portal pour-les-personnes-agees.gouv.fr

Step 2: Complete the application

The form requires:

Identity and address of the applicant (the elderly person)
A medical certificate (some départements require this)
Proof of income (latest tax notice)
Bank account details
Copy of ID card

Tip: as a family caregiver, you can complete the form on behalf of your parent. Add your contact details as "trusted person" or "family contact."

Step 3: Submit the application

Send the completed file to the conseil départemental where your loved one resides. Registered mail is recommended.

The département has 10 days to acknowledge receipt.

Step 4: The home assessment

Within 1 month of receiving the application, a médico-social team visits the home to evaluate:

The degree of autonomy loss (GIR classification)
Concrete care needs
The home environment
Support already provided by family

Advice: be present during this visit. You know the daily reality better than anyone. Prepare a list of difficulties — falls, forgotten medication, difficult nights. Don't minimize.

Step 5: The care plan

The team proposes a detailed care plan specifying funded hours and services. You have 10 days to accept or request modifications.

Step 6: Payment

APA is paid from the date the complete application was received (retroactive effect). Payments are monthly, directly to the elderly person's bank account.

Key timelines

Step	Legal deadline
Acknowledgment of receipt	10 days
Home assessment visit	1 month
Decision notification	2 months after complete file
First payment	Month following the decision
Retroactive effect	From the date of the complete file

In emergencies (hospital discharge, sudden deterioration), emergency APA can be granted within 48 hours at 50% of the GIR 1 cap.

APA and family caregiving

You can be paid as a caregiver

APA can fund the salary of a family caregiver — provided that caregiver is not the spouse. Concretely, your parent can employ you through CESU (Chèque Emploi Service Universel).

Respite care rights

Since 2016, APA care plans include a right to respite for the primary caregiver. It can fund:

Day care centers
Temporary residential stays
Home relief care

The cap is 549 EUR/year in 2026. It's not enormous, but it's a few days of breathing room.

Key takeaways

Key point	Detail
Who	Anyone 60+ with autonomy loss (GIR 1-4)
Income requirement	None — APA is universal
Estate recovery	No
Maximum amount	747 EUR (GIR 4) to 1,914 EUR (GIR 1) per month
Timeline	2 months after complete application
Emergency	Emergency APA within 48h

APA doesn't solve everything. But it can transform your daily life as a caregiver — by funding the help you can no longer carry alone. If your parent is over 60 and losing autonomy, apply. It's a right, not a favor.