Child support when a parent is unemployed or on RSA in France
Losing a job does not cut child support by itself: you have to act, and quickly.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
In France, unemployment or a move onto RSA (the minimum income benefit) by the paying parent does not change child support until a new decision is made: the old amount remains due. It is up to the parent whose income has fallen to apply to the family court judge for a review, with evidence. The Ministry of Justice table gives an idea of the new amount: it applies to net taxable income, unemployment benefit included, after deducting a subsistence amount of €652. On €1,100 of benefit a month and one child with standard visiting, the table gives €60; at RSA level it gives zero. For the parent raising the child, the CAF can then top up with the family support allowance: €140 a month in this example. Expat parents who lose a job in France are covered by the same rules once they receive French benefits. The calculator below applies the table to a benefit.
Support on unemployment benefit or RSA
Indicative support
€60
| Subsistence amount left to the payer | €652 |
| Income above the subsistence amount | €448 |
| Left to the payer after support | €1,040 |
The table applied to replacement income
| Paying parent’s monthly income | 1 child | ASF for 1 child | 2 children | ASF for 2 children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €652 | €0 | €201 | €0 | €402 |
| €800 | €20 | €181 | €34 | €368 |
| €1,000 | €47 | €154 | €80 | €322 |
| €1,200 | €74 | €127 | €126 | €276 |
| €1,400 | €101 | €100 | €172 | €230 |
| €1,600 | €128 | €73 | €218 | €184 |
For low incomes, the ASF often exceeds the support itself: the single parent then gets more from the CAF than from the other parent. That is a reason to have support set or reviewed, even at a low level, rather than leave things vague.
The paying parent: the right reflexes
- Tell the other parent and propose an amount calculated with the table: an approved agreement is quicker than a hearing.
- Apply to the judge straight away if agreement fails, with the France Travail statement, the latest tax notice and fixed costs.
- Pay what you can in the meantime, and document it: partial payment does not erase the debt, but it shows good faith.
- Go back to the judge when work resumes: a reduction obtained while unemployed is not permanent, and the other parent can ask for a review in turn.
The receiving parent: securing what can be secured
When the other parent receives benefit, direct payment remains possible through ARIPA, from France Travail as from an employer. If payments stop, the support owed keeps accumulating and can be recovered over five years (see arrears). And if the support set falls below the ASF, the CAF pays the difference to a single parent, to be claimed without waiting for the end of the proceedings (see ASF).
A worked example from start to finish
A parent earned €2,200 net and paid, under the table, €356 for two children with standard visiting. They are made redundant and receive €1,300 of benefit. The table would now give €149. Until the judge rules, they still owe €356: if they pay only the new figure for six months, the difference, €1,242, becomes arrears. Hence the rule: apply to the judge as soon as the redundancy is notified, not months later.
Short contracts and irregular income
Many parents alternate short contracts and unemployment benefit. The table works on monthly income, so the fairest base is an average over a meaningful period, such as the last twelve months, rather than the best or worst month. Judges look at the overall picture and at prospects; a parent who documents both the irregular contracts and the benefit periods gives the judge what is needed to set a sustainable amount.
Why the subsistence amount does not settle everything
The table’s subsistence amount equals the single-person RSA. It protects the paying parent from support that would push them below that level, but it ignores rent and the cost of travelling to see the child. An unemployed parent paying high rent can therefore obtain less than the table if they document it; conversely, a parent living with relatives rent-free will struggle to obtain an exemption. How judges decide sets out these criteria.