The Paje basic allowance (allocation de base) is a monthly, means-tested payment made by the Caf (the French family allowance fund) or the MSA (the agricultural social security scheme) to parents of a child under 3. Paje stands for ‘prestation d'accueil du jeune enfant’, France's early childhood benefit. In 2026, the allowance is €198.16 a month at the full rate and €99.08 at the partial rate, according to Service-Public.fr. It is payable from the month after the birth.
It comes on top of the birth grant (prime de naissance), which is paid once during pregnancy. Both payments belong to the same benefit, but they follow different rules. Here's what the official texts say.
What is the Paje basic allowance?
The basic allowance is one of the payments that make up the Paje. It helps you cover the everyday costs of looking after a young child. It isn't tied to a type of childcare or to reduced working hours: it depends only on your child's age and your household income.
The birth grant, on the other hand, is a one-off payment made before your baby arrives. Its amount and conditions are covered in our article on the 2026 birth grant.
How much is the basic allowance in 2026?
For a child born or adopted since 1 April 2018, the Service-Public.fr factsheet checked on 1 April 2026 gives two amounts:
- Full rate: €198.16 a month.
- Partial rate: €99.08 a month.
Which rate applies depends on your household income. Below a first ceiling, the allowance is paid at the full rate. Between that first ceiling and a second, higher one, it is paid at the partial rate. Above the second ceiling, it isn't payable.
Over a year, the difference adds up. At the full rate, the allowance comes to around €2,378 a year. At the partial rate, around €1,189 a year. These figures are worked out from the monthly amounts above.
What are the 2026 income ceilings?
The income taken into account is from two years earlier. For 2026, Service-Public.fr uses net categorised income (revenu net catégoriel) for 2024. The ceilings vary with the number of children and with whether the household has one or two incomes.
For a household with one child
- Couple with a single income: full rate below €31,066, partial rate between €31,066 and €37,118.
- Couple with two incomes: full rate below €41,055, partial rate between €41,055 and €49,054.
The partial-rate ceiling matches the birth grant ceiling for the same situation. The full scale, including for single parents and for two or more children, is set out in the official factsheet.
What does ‘two incomes’ mean?
A couple counts as having two incomes when both partners earn a minimum amount of income from work. The Caf sets this threshold. If you're unsure, the Caf simulator will give you the answer for your own situation.
When does it start and when does it stop?
The basic allowance is due from the first day of the month after the birth. It is paid up to the month before your child's third birthday. For a baby born in October 2026, the first month due is therefore November 2026.
Income is reassessed every year. So a household can move from the full rate to the partial rate, or the other way round, from one year to the next.
Twins, a second child: what are the rules?
For multiple births, the family receives as many basic allowances as there are children from the same delivery. Twins therefore entitle you to two allowances.
Apart from that case, only one basic allowance is paid per household. It can't be combined with the basic allowance for another child under 3. So a second child born before the first turns 3 doesn't add a second allowance.
Which other benefits can it be combined with?
Service-Public.fr states that the basic allowance can be combined with the daily parental presence allowance (AJPP, allocation journalière de présence parentale). It can't be combined with the complément familial (family supplement).
Amounts received under the Paje don't have to be included in taxable income. So they don't appear on your annual income tax return, according to the general Service-Public.fr factsheet on the Paje, checked on 12 December 2025.
Other support is available around the birth, such as paid leave. Our article on additional birth leave and the one on how long maternity leave lasts explain these rights.
How do you apply?
You apply through the Caf, or through the MSA if you come under the agricultural scheme. After the birth, the official factsheet lists two documents to provide: a legible copy of the pages of the family record book (livret de famille), or an extract or full copy of the birth certificate.
Declaring the pregnancy on time remains the starting point for all Paje entitlements. It is also a condition for the birth grant being paid.
What the basic allowance means for your budget
At the full rate, the allowance covers a real share of everyday costs: nappies, toiletries, food. It doesn't, however, cover childcare costs, which fall under a different Paje payment.
To see how these amounts fit into overall spending in the first year, our article on the baby budget for the first year goes through each item one by one. Choosing your childcare remains the deciding item, as our comparison of childcare options in France shows.
Sources
- Service-Public.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative), “Allocation de base de la prestation d'accueil du jeune enfant (Paje)”, factsheet F2552, checked on 1 April 2026.
- Service-Public.fr, “Prestation d'accueil du jeune enfant (Paje)”, factsheet F13218, checked on 12 December 2025.
