Housing allowances (APL, ALF, ALS): conditions and terms

Housing allowance exists in different forms: personalized housing assistance (APL), family housing allowance (ALF) and social housing allowance (ALS). Focus on their conditions of allocation, their terms, as well as the procedure to follow with Caf to obtain them.

APL, ALF and ALS: what are the differences between all these housing aids?

Before making your request to the Family Allowance Fund (Caf), you still need to know what you are entitled to and under what conditions. There are in fact several types of housing allowance.

APL, Personalized Housing Assistance

Personalized housing assistance (APL) is a social minimum paid to individuals due to their housing situation. The amount of the APL depends in particular on the taxpayer’s resources, the composition of their household, the amount of their rent, as well as the location of their accommodation.

ALF, Family Housing Allowance

The family housing allowance (ALF) is allocated to the individual due to their family situation. The ALF is intended for people who cannot benefit from the APL, but who have family responsibilities. It therefore often concerns families with dependent children.

Like the APL, the ALF helps reduce the housing budget based on the household’s resources, its composition and the location of the accommodation.

ALS, Social Housing Allowance

Finally, the social housing allowance (ALS) is intended for people in difficulty, but who cannot claim APL or ALF. Like other aid, the ALS aims to reduce the rent based on the household’s resources, its composition and its location.

Who is entitled to APL, ALS and ALF?

APL: tenants and first-time buyers

The APL is intended:

• to tenants (but also roommates, as part of a shared rental or subletting declared to the owner) of old approved housing (having been the subject of an agreement with the State) with low resources;
• to residents in residential homes;
• to people residing on French territory for at least nine months during the calendar year (except in exceptional cases, such as cross-border workers or students);
• to new home buyers (buyers or builders) who have benefited from an approved loan (PC) or a social accession loan (PAS).

Please note that landlords are not eligible for APL.

ALF: families

Subject to resource conditions, the ALF is intended in particular:

• young households;
• to people caring for a child under 21 or a parent over 65;
• to people caring for a child under 21 or a parent over 65;
• to beneficiaries of family benefits or the education allowance for disabled children (AEEH).

ALS: young people and seniors

In general, ALS concerns:

• young people and students;
• couples without children whose combined ages are greater than 55 years;
• elderly or disabled people.

What are the conditions for receiving housing allowance?

To be able to receive a housing allowance (APL, ALF or ALS), several conditions (in particular resource conditions) must be met concerning the housing itself and the taxpayer’s family situation.

Housing conditions

Each aid has its own terms and conditions, but overall, housing must meet the following conditions:

• Be accommodation approved by the State (i.e. approved to benefit from housing assistance).
• Serve as a primary residence and hold a rental contract for tenants.
• The rent must respect certain ceilings determined by the geographical area where the accommodation is located.

Means requirements

Housing assistance is subject to resource conditions. Indeed, the income of the taxpayer and that of the people making up his household must not exceed a certain ceiling, which varies depending on the number of dependents and the geographical area.

The resources taken into account include income, pensions, family allowances, unemployment aid, etc.

Conditions linked to personal situation

Finally, housing assistance is granted to people of French nationality or residing regularly in France (residence permit) for at least nine months. For some aid (such as ALS), there may be specific age-related conditions (for example, being a student under 30).

How are housing allowances calculated?

The income ceiling to be able to benefit from housing allowances (APL, ALF, ALS) depends on different criteria. These ceilings are reassessed every year.

Calculation of housing allowances

The precise calculation is carried out by the Caf or the MSA during the study of the housing assistance application file. It takes into account:

• the amount of rent;
• place of residence;
• the composition of the household;
• household resources;
• the number of dependents.

The last 12 months taken into account

Since 2021, the calculation of the APL takes into account the income of the last 12 months and no longer the income of year N-2. It is also re-evaluated automatically every three months by Caf.

What is the income ceiling that must not be exceeded to receive housing benefit in 2025?

For the year 2025, here are the income ceilings to be eligible for housing benefits:

• For a single person: 5,235 euros per year.
• For a couple without children: 7,501 euros per year.
• For a couple with one child: 8,947 euros per year.
• For a couple with two children: 9,148 euros per year.
• For a couple with three children: 9,498 euros per year.
• Per additional dependent: 346 euros.

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When to apply for APL, ALF or ALS from Caf?

APL (Personalized Housing Assistance)

It is recommended to apply for APL as soon as you move into approved housing or as soon as you sign an approved loan (PC) or a social accession loan (PAS) for first-time buyers.

The request must be submitted quickly to the Caf or the MSA to avoid losing rights, because aid is granted from the month following the request, without retroactivity.

ALF (Family Housing Allowance)

The ALF application must be made as soon as the eligibility conditions are met, particularly in the case of family responsibilities (children or dependents) or a specific marital situation (recent marriage, for example).

As with the APL, it is advisable not to delay, because the allowance is paid from the month following receipt of the request by the Caf.

ALS (Social Housing Allowance)

The ALS is aimed at tenants or residents of non-approved housing who have low resources. The request must be made upon entry into accommodation or as soon as a significant drop in income makes assistance necessary.

It is crucial to submit the file quickly to Caf, because this aid also only takes effect from the month following the request.

How to apply for APL, ALF or ALS from Caf?

Each individual can complete their procedure online on the Caf (Family Allowance Fund) website, “Online services” section, “Make a request for a service” submenu.

Carry out a housing bonus simulation

Before sending their application, all candidates for housing allowance can immediately find out if they are entitled to benefit from APL, ALF or ALS using the simulator. It can be found on the Caf website, “Aid and procedures” section, then “My procedures” and the “Accommodation” submenu.

Complete a housing allowance application form

If it must, in principle, be completed directly online, the application for allowance can – exceptionally – be made on paper only for people experiencing difficulties with the Internet. As Cerfa n° 10840 is no longer downloadable online, it is possible to obtain the paper form from the Caf counter.

Can a student receive a housing allowance?

A student can claim three types of housing allowances depending on their situation:

• If he lives in approved housing, he can benefit from the APL.
• If their family situation allows it (dependent child, pregnant student, etc.), they can receive ALF.
• If he is not eligible for either the APL or the ALF, he can request the ALS if he only has low resources.

These allowances cannot be combined with each other.

Can a person in a retirement home receive housing benefit?

A person living in a retirement home can benefit from:

• the APL if they reside in an approved establishment;
• the ALS if the establishment is not approved, but complies with the health and surface area standards in force.

The resources and rent of the person living in a retirement home are taken into account in the calculation of the housing allowance.

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