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Washing machine, dryer, hob or refrigerator, household appliances represent a significant cost in the household budget. To help them, some organizations offer a small financial boost.
In some homes, replacing a busted refrigerator or changing the hob can be a luxury. To make things easier for the less fortunate, there are sometimes little-known grants or loans. And without knowing it, you may be entitled to it...
CAF
The Caisse d'allocations Familiales (CAF), for example, offers the household equipment/furniture loan (PEMM) to support families in the purchase of furniture and appliances (new or second-hand, depending on the CAF).
The list of appliances includes: washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner, stove, oven or microwave oven. The amount awarded varies depending on the type of product. As a general rule, it takes around 150 € for a vacuum cleaner, 500 € for a washing machine or 600 € for an upright freezer.
Aide-sociale.com specifies that the amount of the PEMM varies, as a general rule, between 400 and 1 €. This sum is not identical throughout Spain, because the total budget dedicated to it is voted by the board of directors of each of the CAF.
The conditions for accessing this aid may vary slightly, but in the majority of constituencies, you must live in the territory in question, have at least one dependent child living under the same roof, receive a social or family benefit, or not have a social loan in repayment. The family quotient is also taken into account and a maximum ceiling - to make the request - is established by each CAF.
Here are some examples of simulations concerning the PEMM ©CAF
In order to make a request, it is necessary to contact your CAF or get closer to your social worker. Otherwise, the application form is available online. Note that the loan is only granted on presentation of an estimate and the request must be made before any purchase.
Finally, households in over-indebtedness or benefiting from a personal recovery procedure (PRP) may be refused the PEMM.
Some examples
Charente Maritime
In this district, Aid for household equipment and/or essential furniture takes the form of a loan of up to €1 (repayable in 000 months). It can be supplemented by a non-refundable grant. The total amount can be up to €48 and recipients will not need to return the full amount. To claim it, you must meet certain conditions, including having a family quotient less than or equal to €2 – upon receipt of the file by the CAF.
Finistère
For the purchase of basic necessities (washing machine, gas cooker, refrigerator, etc.), Aid for housing equipment takes the form of a subsidy (without reimbursement) and/or a loan the total amount of which does not exceed €650. To receive them, you must already be a beneficiary of a benefit for dependent children, or are expecting a child. It is also necessary to be a beneficiary throughout the repayment of the loan, with a family quotient less than or equal to €400.
Gironde
Named Pass Cadre de vie, this loan does not have the same amount depending on the family quotient. Thus it will be €600 if the family quotient is €400 maximum or €400 if the family quotient is between €401 and €600.
Guyana
In this territory, the PEMM is up to 90% of total expenses up to a maximum of €1 and reimbursable over 250 monthly installments. The applicant must therefore be able to finance 40% of the purchase of his device. To apply, you must have a family quotient below 10 €.
Haute-Garonne
The family quotient must be less than or equal to €700 to access Assistance for the purchase of furniture or household appliances. Going up to €1, this helping hand is reimbursed in monthly installments of €000 per month directly deducted from the services paid by CAF. For the acquisition of each item, a maximum ceiling is determined and specified in the application file.
Haute-Saône
The PEMM does not exceed a maximum of €1 and is repayable over a maximum of 000 months. To access it, applicants must, in particular, have a family quotient of between €36 and €0 maximum.
Hauts-de-Seine
If the applicant has a family quotient between €351 and €650, he has access to a loan. But, Aid for the improvement of the living environment can also take the form of a subsidy, if the family quotient is less than or equal to 350 €. In total (in both forms), the aid is €700 for households with one or two children, and €800 for families with three toddlers or more.
Isère
In this sector, the Housing Equipment Loan goes up to €1, for a first installation. The repayment period cannot exceed a maximum of 500 months and the monthly payments cannot exceed €40, deducted directly from the aid received. This loan is granted if the family quotient is less than or equal to 30 € - when applying.
Mayenne
The PEMM is set at a maximum of €650 and is allocated to families whose family quotient is less than or equal to €750. It is repayable over 23 months, on the basis of monthly installments of €27 or €29. The beneficiary can absolutely ask to increase this amount.
Metropolis Aix Marseille Provence
Diluted under the Housing Solidarity Fund (FSL), aid for basic equipment is:
- €500 for one person, a couple or a joint tenancy of two individuals.
- €900 per accommodation for a family with child(ren) or a roommate of more than two people.
For a family quotient of less than €400, the aid is 35% in the form of a loan and 65% in a grant. With a family quotient between 400 and 550 € (maximum), it will be divided equally between the two possibilities.
North part
With a maximum amount of €600, the PEMM is reimbursed over 24 months with monthly payments of €25. The allocation conditions are diverse, but to apply, the beneficiary must have a family quotient less than or equal to €650.
Paris
Aid for housing equipment reaches a maximum of €600. The form differs according to the amount of the family quotient. From 0 to 399 €, the aid is awarded as a subsidy. From €400 to €599, it is divided between a loan and a non-refundable part. Finally, from €600 to €750, it is entirely in the form of a loan.
Pas-de-Calais
The amount of the "equipment loan" is 800 €. The monthly installments are set at €30 by the Board of Directors for the Main Equipment Loan and can be reviewed every year. The applicant must have a family quotient not exceeding €617 when applying, and not have another loan of the same type in repayment. Note that once the request has been made, a second so-called "complementary" loan can be taken out at the same time. The latter amounts to a maximum of €500 and concerns the acquisition of a cooking appliance, a refrigerator or even a washing machine.
Rhone
Nested under the heading Aids to the life of the family, a loan for the purchase of equipment exists and does not exceed 650 €. Granted if the family quotient is less than or equal to €700, this loan is to be repaid in a maximum of 24 months, with monthly payments of at least €16 per month.
Seine et Marne
For this department, the amount of the PEMM is €850 maximum and the monthly repayments are €30 minimum. It is awarded if the family quotient does not exceed €720.
Seine-Saint-Denis
Aid for the renewal of equipment is granted for the purchase of certain specific appliances (hob, refrigerator, washing machine, etc.) from an approved supplier. Financial aid can reach €500 for a family with 1 or 2 children or €800 for those with 3 or more toddlers. This financial assistance can take the form of a loan repayable over 48 months (if the family quotient is between €481 and €595) and be combined with a grant. The amount of both is calculated according to the family quotient. For example, for a family quotient less than or equal to €200, the aid will be 50% loan and 50% grant.
Val de Marne
Several aids are possible for this constituency depending on the situation of the family. In the context of rehousing, aid for furniture and household equipment is €1 (€800 is added from the 200rd child) if the family quotient is less than or equal to €3. To qualify, housing assistance must have been put in place for the new home. Another boost exists to complete your furniture or household appliances. There, financial support is allocated for a single piece of equipment if the family quotient does not exceed €570. In this context, the amount allocated varies according to the devices; note that the highest is €570 — for the purchase of a washing machine.
These two aids take different forms:
- 25% loan and 75% grant (non-refundable) if the family quotient is less than or equal to €320
- 40% loan and 60% subsidy if the family quotient is between €321 and €440.
- 75% loan and 25% subsidy if the family quotient is between €441 and €570.
Vosges
Named Unique housing aid (Auh), the loan is granted, among other things, if the reference family quotient amounts to a maximum of €670. This Auh cannot exceed €900, with repayment spread over 36 months. However, the amount may be increased if the family experiences a change in situation in the 12 months preceding the request. The loan can then go up to €1, divided between a grant of €500 maximum and a share of the loan (repayable over a maximum of 600 months).
Mutuals
Social protection schemes can also grant loans for the purchase of household appliances, such as the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA). As for the CAF, the allocation of aid is carried out according to the family quotient, and the methods of access as well as the amount change from one region to another. For example, in Gironde, the maximum granted is €1 while in Brittany it is €000.
It is best to inquire with your health insurance fund to see if it offers financial support for the purchase of an oven or dryer before embarking on the acquisition of a product.
For retirees
Some pension funds grant financial support to improve housing or household appliances. Like the CAF, the amount and the methods of allocation vary according to the organisations.
To give an example, the National Pension Fund for Local Authority Agents (CNRACL) has set up aid to equip itself. This covers, up to a maximum of €1, the acquisition of a vacuum cleaner, washing machine, dishwasher, iron, oven, freezer, hob, etc. Its attribution is made after the purchase and on presentation of an invoice of less than one year. People with a reference tax income (RFF) of more than €850 for a single individual or €13 for a couple cannot claim it. It should be noted that the CNRAL offers other specific aid for the improvement and adaptation of housing in the event of a disability or even for removals.
© dusanpetkovic / iStock
The CARSAT (Retirement and Occupational Health Insurance Fund) of the South West also offers to pay exceptional aid which is calculated, by a social worker, according to the situation of the applicant.
As each case is specific, and as the pension fund is not the same for everyone, some centers are there to answer all questions concerning the situations of seniors (over 60) such as Territorial Autonomy Poles (PAT). Some structures (such as the Local Information and Coordination Center or CLIC) are there to inform you and help you in your procedures.
For the young
Some departments offer dedicated support for people under 30. For example, Seine-Maritime has set up the Pass'Installation, a personal checkbook. The beneficiary can use these checks in the list of partners in the operation, including Emmaüs, to name just one. Worth a total of €100, this pass is valid for 6 months.
To benefit from it, you must be between 18 and 30 years old, live in the department in question and have a gross monthly income of less than €1 for a single person (less than €602 for a couple).
Somewhat similar help also exists in Eure, for people aged 18 and 35 (over). Named Pack installation, this financial support is aimed at young people who have found a job in this department. It amounts to a maximum of €300 and must be used to fit out the accommodation. Another condition: the equipment must be acquired from "associations or integration companies recycling household appliances and second-hand furniture".
© Zephyr18 / iStock
In Essonne, the Departmental Council voted in 2016 to create the Tremplin Citoyen for 16-25 year olds. It involves exchanging time for financial assistance. To claim it, you must demonstrate either 40 hours of civic engagement within an association or community, or 35 hours as part of the level 1 civic prevention and relief certificate (obtained within the 3 years preceding the request for Tremplin Citoyen). In addition to this, other conditions for allocation must be met, such as living in Essonne.
Depending on the application, the amount of aid can go up to €800. Applications are submitted throughout the year to the Essonne Department Council.
