APA
The Personal Independence Allowance (Aide Personnalisee a l'Autonomie) is for people aged 60 and over with reduced independence. It helps pay for support services linked to dependence.
Funding
Funding your new life at OBEO
Moving into or organising life in a senior services residence is a real project. The good news: it can be supported by several aid schemes and a tax benefit.
Online simulator
Estimate your monthly budget
Choose your residence, the type of apartment and the options that suit you for an immediate estimate.
Pack Sérénité and Formule Services +, on request
Pack Sérénité brings together round-the-clock emergency assistance, medical coordination and help with paperwork. Formule Services + covers the regular everyday services, including one hour of cleaning a week. Both are quoted to your own needs and are not included in the estimate opposite.
Your estimate
Aix-les-Bains · T1
From €1,850/month
- T1 apartment
- €1,850
Indicative estimate, all taxes included, personalised quote on request. Financial support (APL, APA, tax credit) can bring this figure down significantly.
The aid schemes
Housing and independence aid
Depending on your situation and your income, several forms of aid can help cover your rent and the services you benefit from.
APL
The Personalised Housing Aid (APL) reduces the cost of your apartment rent, based on your income.
PCH
The Disability Compensation Benefit (Prestation de Compensation du Handicap) covers needs linked to a disability: human help, equipment or home adaptations.
Pension funds & mutual insurers
Many pension funds and mutual insurers offer additional support to help maintain independence.
Tax benefit
A tax reduction on personal services
Personal services, housekeeping, home help, meal delivery, qualify for a tax benefit. You receive a tax reduction equal to 50% of the sums spent.
This benefit applies up to a ceiling of EUR 12,000 of spending per year, which can be raised depending on your family situation.
50%
tax reduction on the sums spent for personal services, up to a ceiling of EUR 12,000 per year.
Understanding the budget
How much does a senior services residence cost?
The price of a senior services residence (RSS in French) mainly covers the rent of the apartment, the rental charges and the package of compulsory shared services: welcome, safety, coordination, and the residence call system, meaning a team on site 24 hours a day that responds as soon as you call. At OBEO Residences, this foundation starts at EUR 702 per month in Le Cheylard and averages EUR 1,400 to EUR 1,700 for a studio in most of our towns.
On top of that, you cover your personal consumption (electricity, telephone, internet depending on the residence) and the individual services you choose (dining, housekeeping, personal help). The alert device you wear is billed separately: EUR 26 for the pendant, EUR 12 for the fall-detection wristband, EUR 30 for the watch. The whole remains well below the cost of a nursing home (EHPAD) for independent seniors, see our senior residence vs nursing home comparison.
Depending on your situation, the real out-of-pocket cost can be halved by combining APL + APA + the tax credit. Ask us for a personalised simulation.
Price benchmarks
- Le Cheylard (Ardeche) from EUR 702
- Frejus (Var · Cote d’Azur) from EUR 1,120
- Éragny-sur-Oise (Val-d’Oise · Île-de-France) from EUR 1,300
- Toulouse (Haute-Garonne · Occitanie) from EUR 1,350
- Uzes (Gard · Occitanie) from EUR 1,410
- Yzeure (Allier · Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes) from EUR 1,475
- Nevers (Nievre · Bourgogne-Franche-Comte) from EUR 1,485
- Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis · Ile-de-France) from EUR 1,610
- Chambery (Savoie) from EUR 1,640
- Le Cannet (Alpes-Maritimes · Cote d’Azur) from EUR 1,640
- Aix-les-Bains (Savoie) from EUR 1,850
Indicative prices in EUR per month, all taxes included, for a studio apartment, excluding options and individual services. See all our residences.
Combinable aid
APA, APL, PCH and tax credit: most of them can be combined
The good news: most aid schemes can be combined. Here are the key principles to know in order to reduce the out-of-pocket cost of a senior services residence.
APL and rent
The Personalised Housing Aid (APL) covers part of the monthly rent. It is paid by the CAF (French family allowance fund), subject to income, and depends on the geographic zone. To be requested as soon as the lease is signed.
APA and personal services
The Personal Independence Allowance (APA) at home funds personal services for seniors classified in dependence groups GIR 1 to 4. It is awarded by the Departmental Council, after assessment at your home in the residence.
50% tax credit
50% of the sums spent on personal services (housekeeping, home help, etc.) come back as a tax credit, including for non-taxpayers. Annual ceiling of EUR 12,000, raised up to EUR 20,000 depending on situation.
Pension funds & mutual insurers
Many pension funds (CARSAT, AGIRC-ARRCO, MSA) and mutual insurers pay one-off or recurring grants to support a move into a senior services residence. To request from your own fund.
To learn more, see also our full FAQ or the page on senior services residence legislation.
Housing benefit
APL in a senior services residence
In a senior services residence, the apartment remains a rented home. Our residences are state-approved, so your rent can qualify for the Personalised Housing Aid (APL), depending on your situation.
This benefit is awarded by the CAF subject to income and depends in particular on the geographic zone, the household composition and the rent amount. The request is made as soon as the lease is signed.
The amounts are not flat-rate: they are calculated case by case. To find your estimated entitlement, use the official simulator on caf.fr or read the dedicated page on service-public.fr.
See also: the tax credit and the APA allowance.
Tax benefit
The 50% tax credit on personal services
Personal services provided at home, housekeeping, home help, meal delivery, small DIY, companionship, qualify for a tax credit equal to 50% of the sums spent during the year.
This scheme applies even to non-taxpayers: in that case, the benefit is paid as a refund. In a senior services residence it covers the individual services you choose, not the rent or the package of compulsory shared services.
The tax credit applies up to an annual spending ceiling, which can be raised depending on your family situation. The exact ceilings and conditions in force are published on service-public.fr.
50%
of the sums spent on personal services, returned as a tax credit, up to the annual ceiling in force.
See also: APL and the APA allowance.
Loss of autonomy
The APA allowance for loss of autonomy
The Personal Independence Allowance (APA) is for people aged 60 and over with reduced autonomy. In a senior services residence it is the APA at home that applies, since you live in your own apartment.
It funds the services linked to dependence (personal help, support) and not the rent. It concerns people assessed in dependence groups GIR 1 to 4 under the national AGGIR scale.
The APA is awarded by the Departmental Council, after an assessment of needs at your home. The amount depends on the degree of loss of autonomy and on income. The request and conditions are described on service-public.fr.
See also: APL and the tax credit.
Frequently asked questions
Funding & financial aid: your questions
Can you receive housing benefit (APL) in a senior services residence?
Yes. The apartment in a senior services residence is a rented home, and our residences are state-approved, so the rent can qualify for the APL housing benefit, paid by the CAF subject to income and depending on the geographic zone. The amount depends on your situation: estimate it on the official CAF simulator (caf.fr).
What is the tax credit on personal services?
Personal services (housekeeping, home help, meal delivery, etc.) qualify for a tax credit equal to 50% of the sums spent, up to an annual ceiling, including for non-taxpayers. The conditions and ceilings in force are detailed on service-public.fr.
Does the APA allowance pay for a senior services residence?
The APA at home can fund the personal support services of a resident classified in dependence groups GIR 1 to 4. It is awarded by the Departmental Council after assessment. It does not cover the rent itself, but the services linked to loss of autonomy. The request is made to your department (service-public.fr).
Can the different forms of aid be combined?
In most cases, yes: housing benefit (APL) on the rent, the tax credit on personal services and the APA for people with reduced autonomy can be combined. The combination rules depend on each scheme and on your situation. Our team can point you to the right organisations.
Our OBEO advice
Support to make sure nothing gets missed
Paperwork can look daunting, and it is not always easy to know which forms of aid you are entitled to. That is why our team walks with you step by step: identifying the right schemes for your situation, putting together and submitting the files, and connecting you with the relevant organisations.
Let's dream together
Let's estimate your budget together
Get in touch so we can review your situation and identify the forms of aid that may support your plans with OBEO.