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Housing assistance for the self-employed: what are your rights?
The CAF and the MSA offer housing assistance for the self-employed, as for anyone, depending on their income, family situation and the amount of their rent. Whether you are self-employed, micro-entrepreneur or self-employed, do not hesitate to visit the CAF or MSA website (depending on the scheme on which you depend) to find out more. Housing assistance, what about self-employed people? What is the difference between an employee and a self-entrepreneur in the eyes of the CAF? How is the amount of the APL calculated for a self-employed person? How should the auto-entrepreneur apply for APL? Studapart explains everything to you.
Housing aid: what about self-employed people?
The status of auto-entrepreneur does not affect the rights to personalized housing assistance (APL) offered to everyone by the CAF or the MSA. During the first two years of activity, each quarter, the gross monthly turnover (without deductions) of the auto-entreprise must be communicated to the CAF in order to calculate the housing allowance. At the end of the two years, it is with the tax administration that the CAF will take over the elements.
For the rest, nothing differentiates the APL of the auto-entrepreneur from that of another person. The APL is granted according to your income and your situation for your main residence, the one you occupy for at least eight months in the year. It must also be an approved accommodation.
Go to the CAF website to make a simulation or to the government website Mes Droits Sociaux. If you are not eligible for the APL, it is possible to request access to the rights to the ALF or the ALS.
How to calculate the amount of the APL for a self-employed person?
Since April 1, 2020, the APL is calculated according to the amount of income over the last 12 months and more on those from two years ago. This is also the case for self-employed people. They must declare their turnover to the CAF. This will update and regularize the APL every quarter. This makes it possible to adapt as closely as possible to the financial situation of the auto-entrepreneur.
On the CAF website, a very interesting article explains what changed in 2019 for auto-entrepreneurs.
Auto-entrepreneurs: how to apply for an APL?
To apply for an APL from CAF, the auto-entrepreneur proceeds in the same way as an employee or any other person: he must go to the CAF or MSA site.
- On the CAF website, select “My online services” then “Make a service request”
- In the “Housing assistance” box, select “Make the request”.
It is possible to apply for an APL without first being registered with CAF. The request will automatically create a CAF beneficiary number and de facto, to register with CAF.
To complete the APL online application, you will need to bring:
- your bank account details (RIB),
- your accommodation rental contract,
- your most recent tax notices,
- the amount of income you have received in the last twelve months,
- the amount of your assets (your bank books, your properties, etc.),
- and the information of the lessor of your accommodation (name and address, siret number if it is an agency, etc.).
The questionnaire will ask you for a number of items:
- your contact details,
- the address of the accommodation,
- the type (T1, T2, etc.),
- the date of entry,
- the amount of the rent,
- the number of occupants,
- Your email,
- your social security number,
- your income,
- whether you are a tenant or not, whether you are a student or not, whether or not you are still fiscally attached to your parents, etc.
You can stop your entry at any time and resume it later, the site keeps the information already entered. Once you have entered everything, the information is sent to the CAF which processes the file. A response will be sent to you by email in the following days.
The CAF site also allows you to make a simulation of declaration, which will allow you to assess the amount of the APL to which you can claim. Other sites also offer this type of simulation but it is of course preferable to do it on the CAF site, whose elements are the most up-to-date and whose data processing remains secure.
Employee or self-employed: what differences in the eyes of CAF?
Since the reform of the CAF in 2020 which defines the amount of the APL based on income over the last twelve months (and no longer on those of two years ago), the differences in treatment between employees and self-employed have faded a bit. Each of them must necessarily declare their income each quarter, whether it is salary or turnover. The auto-entrepreneur status was created to simplify administrative procedures.
