The AAH or the allowance for disabled adults for people with disabilities concerns a little over a million people. It is a complex system with a lot of acronyms, there is something to get lost in.

This allowance has been in existence since 1975, it is aid which is subject to very specific criteria: incapacity, age, residence and resources. It is managed by the MDPH, the departmental houses for disabled people.

For beneficiaries, the maximum amount of this allowance is € 902.70 per month. The AAH can be combined with other aids such as the RSA.

The criteria to benefit from the AAH

There are age criteria, to benefit from the AAH, you must be aged:

• 20 years minimum.
• Or at least 16 years old if you are no longer dependent on your parents.

There are also residency criteria. You will only be able to receive the AAH if you reside in France or overseas. There is of course the level of income, and the spouse’s income is also taken into account in this calculation.

• If you live alone without children, you should not earn more than 10,832 euros per year.
• As a couple, the maximum is 19,607 euros per year.
• Alone with a child, 16,249 euros.
• In couple with a child, 25,023 euros.

The fact that the aid is also calculated according to the income of the spouse is strongly criticized by associations of the disabled. They denounce the fact that this makes people with disabilities dependent on their partners.
Following a strong mobilization, a reform of this method of calculation was moreover adopted by the Assembly then by the Senate in 1st reading and should be examined again in June in 2nd reading with a good chance of being adopted. definitively. Which would be a great victory for the associations.

Incapacity scales such as the inability to work

The last determining criterion is the level of incapacity which is determined by the councils of the MDPHs composed of a multidisciplinary team with doctors, psychologists, occupational therapists, etc. They are based on your declaration and your medical file.

The AAH will be awarded to you provided you have a disability rating of:

• 80% minimum. You can receive the AAH for a period of 1 to 2 years renewable for 10 years, and in some cases without limit of duration.
• From 50 to 79% if your disability prevents you from gaining permanent access to employment and your employer cannot adapt your workstation.

In this case, you can also receive the AAH for a renewable period of 1 to 2 years. The assistance can be collected for up to 10 years in total, but you will have to ask for a renewal each time your rights come to an end.

What if your request is refused?

In general, once your file has been submitted, you will receive a response within 4 months and you can consult the progress of your file on the MDPH site of your department.

In case of refusal, the challenge is not easy and you will embark on a rather long administrative procedure.

If you wish to contest the decision, in the event of a medical refusal due to the degree of disability, you can:

• Ask the MDPH for an amicable recourse.
• Make an appeal to the court designated according to your place of residence.
• In the event of a new refusal at this stage, still above, you can appeal to the National Incapacity Court, indicating the grounds for the appeal and the contact details of the doctor to whom the conclusions should be sent.
• If the answer is still negative, within two months of the notification of refusal, you can appeal to the Court of Cassation. Its role is to verify that all legal procedures have been observed.

These are long and complex steps, but important to carry out.