Social assistance for accommodation (ASH) of an elderly person

In order to obtain HSA, the elderly person must meet all of the following conditions:

• She must be over 65 years of age (or over 60 if she has been found unfit for work)
• She must live in France in a stable and regular way
  If she is a foreign national, she must also have a valid residence permit.
• She must be housed in an establishment (Ehpad or self-government residence or USLD) which has places reserved for recipients of social assistance
• Its revenues must be lower than the accommodation fees charged by the establishment

ASH is paid in some care facilities for elderly dependent persons (Ehpad), or residences autonomy, or long-term care (LTCF) units.

Only establishments with places reserved for social assistance recipients are eligible for the ASH.

To check whether an establishment qualifies for the ASH, it is possible to consult the directory of establishments.

The ASH application file available at the Town Hall or at the CCAS: titleContent the municipality where the elderly person lives.

Supporting documentation must be provided, including:

• Seniors’ ID
• Proof of residence of the elderly person
• The list of the elderly person's maintenance obligations, as set out in the family record book
• Notice of taxation of the elderly person and of the person with whom he or she lives in a relationship
• Proof of pensions or wages for the last 3 months, of the elderly person and of the person with whom he lives as a couple, and those of his maintenance obligations
• The list of maintenance obligations, according to what appears in his family record book (his children, grandchildren, sons-in-law or daughters-in-law)

The City Hall or the CCAS then forwards the file and the supporting documents to the department.

The decision to grant or refuse the HSA shall be notified the elderly person or his or her legal representative.

In order for the payment of accommodation costs to start from the date of entry into the establishment, the request for ASH must be made within 2 months following this date.

It is therefore recommended that you apply for an ASH at the same time as applying for admission to an institution.

The ASH is paid by the department. Each department has its own social assistance regulations. Payment rules therefore vary from one department to another.

The Department may determine the amount of the HSA taking into account the income of the following persons:

• Income of the elderly person
  However, the recognition allowance (formerly the combatant's pension) and the honorary pensions (e.g. the Legion of Honor) are not taken into account.
• Income of spouse, partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent or his or her partner or concubine.
• Income from its maintenance obligations, who may be her children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law.

The HSA paid may cover part or all of the accommodation costs charged to the elderly person. The HSA can also fund the dependency fee for older people staying in Ehpad: titleContent or USLD: titleContent.

In general, the amount of the ASH allows the elderly person to leave at least 10% of his income per month, and in no case less than €121 per month.

When his spouse, partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent or cohabiting partner or cohabiting partner has remained at home, the amount of the ASH allows this person to be at least at his disposal €1,012.02 per month.

In the event of a decline in the income of the elderly person or his/her maintenance obligations, it is possible to send a request for revision of the amount of the ASH by simple letter to the department:

During the lifetime of the older person

The department may recover the amounts paid under the following conditions:

• Whether the older person's financial situation is improving (for example, in the case of inheritance)
• Or on the donation made by the elderly person within 10 years before or after the application for ASH

When the older person dies

The department can recover the sums paid on the portion of the net assets of the estate of the elderly person, that is to say, on the assets transmitted by the elderly person to his heirs.

1. Make a prior appeal

If the request of ASH is refused, you can make a prior appeal to the president of the departmental council.

To do so, you must write a letter explaining the reasons for your challenge. You must attach ASH's refusal decision. You can add supporting documents that you find useful.

You can send all these documents by simple mail by mail to the president of the departmental council, or deposit them at the reception of the departments of the department.

The president of the departmental council has 2 months to reply.

2. Appeals to the Administrative Court

If the answer of the president of the departmental council is not suitable for you, you can appeal to the administrative court, within 2 months.

To do this, you must write a letter and attach the reply of the president of the departmental council to your prior appeal.

You can send these documents by mail, or you can drop them off at the administrative court reception.