This aid for retirees must be repaid by children, the rule may finally change

A change could soon come into effect and avoid unpleasant surprises for heirs.

Often, it's a cold shower. A very unpleasant surprise that adds to the immense pain of losing a loved one. In addition to funeral and, sometimes, inheritance costs, some families must face a significant additional expense: repaying assistance received by their deceased relative.

Thus, for several months or years, the children (or more broadly, the deceased's heirs) must pay into retirement insurance. The amount can quickly skyrocket, reaching up to €11,000 per year. However, this could soon change.

This situation concerns the heirs of people who received the solidarity allowance for the elderly, or ASPA. This is the minimum old-age benefit paid to those who have not contributed enough for their retirement. At most, the aid can reach €940 net per month. Just over 500,000 people benefit from it.

However, upon the beneficiary's death, the state may be reimbursed. This depends on the amount of assets transferred. If the amount exceeds €107,616.60 in mainland France, including Corsica, then the aid must be repaid (overseas, it is for assets exceeding €150,000).

However, many families find themselves in an awkward situation because of this rule: low-income households are forced to dig into their pockets because the value of their inherited assets is above the ceiling. This is generally linked to the primary residence. The heirs are therefore forced to sell this meager loot to remit a portion to the State.

To put an end to this, several MPs are proposing that the primary residence not be included in the calculation of assets to determine whether or not ASPA reimbursement is required. "This solution is the fairest way to guarantee the poorest retirees decent living conditions until their death," believe the 14 Communist MPs behind the proposal. Submitted at the end of April, it has not yet been examined by the National Assembly.