France government budget cuts threaten elderly home care services

The French government plans to save 250 million euros by increasing the out-of-pocket costs for seniors receiving the Allocation Personnalisée d’Autonomie (APA) for home care. The Fédésap federation has warned that this measure could result in the loss of approximately 12 million hours of home assistance annually, which is equivalent to roughly 7,000 full-time jobs.

Critics argue that reducing these early intervention hours may exacerbate loss of autonomy and ultimately increase long-term costs for the state. Additionally, the national base rate for APA and the Prestation de Compensation du Handicap (PCH) is projected to increase by only 0.8% in 2027, leaving hourly rates for home care significantly below their actual cost.

Existing financial support for elderly housing and autonomy in France includes the APA, which assists those aged 60 and over with varying levels of autonomy, and the Aide Sociale à l’Hébergement (ASH), which helps cover costs when personal resources are insufficient for residential care.