Retirees receiving a retirement pension from the National Old Age Insurance Fund (CNAV) can claim assistance, granted without income conditions.
In France, one in 4 inhabitants is retired. According to a recent report published by the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES), 17.3 million seniors receive a retirement pension every month. Among them, 15.3 million are affiliated to the general system: the National Old Age Insurance Fund (CNAV).
Most of these retirees don’t know it, but they can claim help from their pension fund. Assistance accessible without income conditions. This financial boost, called “Aid for retirees in break-up situations” (ASIR), allows our seniors to cope with certain upheavals that may occur in their lives. The benefit is aimed at people whose spouse is placed in an accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people (Ehpad) or in another type of retirement home. ASIR can also be requested if the spouse is hospitalized or deceased. The same goes if the retired couple divorces or has to move.
All of these elements mentioned above constitute, according to the CNAV, “disruptive situations” that can have a serious impact on the daily lives of retirees and weaken their autonomy. The ASIR is therefore used to finance the intervention of home help to maintain the home, prepare meals, carry out administrative tasks or ensure transport for the person who benefits from it. The system can also take care of small home improvement works, with the aim of preventing the beneficiary’s loss of autonomy.
The ASIR can be used to finance this type of personal service for a maximum of 3 months. Its amount is capped at 1,800 euros in total. To benefit from this assistance, several conditions must be met. The applicant must be retired from the general scheme and have contributed to this pension fund during the majority of their professional career. The retiree must not already receive certain aid linked to dependency, in particular the personalized autonomy allowance (APA) or the disability compensation benefit (PCH).
To request the ASIR, the retiree must create a file and send it directly to the CNAV. He must act within 6 months following the “breaking event” which triggered the need to request ASIR. In short, 6 months after the death, hospitalization or placement in a nursing home of your spouse.
Once the file has been sent to the pension fund, it will examine the situation and decide whether or not to grant ASIR. If the request is accepted, a specialized structure will visit the applicant’s home to precisely assess their needs. This visit helps identify the services most suited to the retiree’s situation. This home assessment will also determine the amount of assistance that will be granted to the senior beneficiary.
