Disability Benefits FranceWithin France disability benefits, disability rights and attitudes have recently changed considerably. Legislation, known within france as la loi du 11 fevrier 2005 was passed entitling all disabled people to equal rights and equality of opportunity to participate fully in society. The law has led to a nationwide re-alignment in the way the needs of disabled people are met. In France there are a wide variety of different organisations, both statutory and non statutory, involved in the consideration and provision of services for disabled people and their families, funding for these, and the people accessing their services comes from the Conseils Generals locate your Conseil General from the link below There is now a 'one stop shop' for disability in all the regions of France, accessed through each departments offices of the
Conseil General
where requests for disability related issues are administered, by the Maison Departmentale des Personnes Handicapees (MDPH). If you wish to claim disability benefits (Prestation de Compensation) within France you would submit your request to the MDPH in your department. This request would be in the form of a ‘dossier’, a form you complete to provide the relevant information. The MDPH is made up of a multidisciplinary team, including health and social care professionals, with administrative support. It is to this team that your dossier will be passed. They will study the information, taking into account the wishes of the disabled person or their advocate, before formulating an individualised plan Plan Personnalise de Compensation specifically for the person concerned You are able to meet the team making the decision if you would like to personally engage with them, either at their offices or your home, before, during or after your request has been made. You will have two weeks to provide your comments on the plan drawn up should you wish amendments to be made Within each MDPH there is a team known as the Commission de Droit et de L’Autonomie des Personnes Handicapees (CDAPH) it is this team that will make the decision to award benefits or not, and for how much. They will base their decision on the individualised plan put forward by the multidisciplinary team. You will be advised of the date and time of the meeting, and if you wished to, you are able to attend The CDAPH have up to four months following the initial request, to make a decision for disability benefits. If after this time no decision has been made your request is deemed to have failed It is the Conseil General of your department who will advise you of the outcome of your request and, if successful, will pay the disability benefit. The benefits are not classed as taxable income and are paid monthly. Depending on the nature of the disability benefit awarded, they are made for differing lengths of time, before requiring renewal. The maximum length is usually;
Should your needs change before you reach the end of the award period, you can request a new disability benefit claim. If you are coming toward the end of your award period, you should make a new claim at least six months before it expires. Usually you will be advised of this, but it is advisable to make a note yourself to contact your MDPH if you have not already heard from them The information given here is for guidance purposes only, it is taken from information provided by the French government and disability organisations
Back to Home Page
|
MINISTERE DE LA SANTE, DE LA FAMILLE
