Get Up to $5,000 for Your Car with This Little-Known Financial Aid from CAF!

Did you know that your local Family Allowance Fund (CAF) might help you finance your vehicle? This lesser-known aid can provide up to 5,000 euros for purchasing or repairing a vehicle, provided you meet specific criteria. However, these aids are not universal and vary based on the social action policies of each department. Their purpose? To enhance the mobility of beneficiaries, which is often crucial for securing employment, pursuing training, or managing family transportation needs.

To qualify for this benefit, you must either be in job training or retention and demonstrate that vehicle use is vital for your activities (evidence of employment, job center registration, paid training), or you must justify a birth, adoption, or separation within the past six months. The aid targets families with limited resources who are striving for autonomy or reintegration.

Two types of services can be granted. This may include the purchase of a vehicle. In most departments, this involves an interest-free loan of up to 2,000 euros for a car and 1,000 euros for a two-wheeled vehicle, including electric bikes. However, the maximum amount can reach up to 5,000 euros, depending on the agency, with a repayment period of up to 60 months. The loan duration is determined based on the borrowed amount and each borrower’s repayment capacity. This aid can also be allocated for mechanical repairs. For example, if you already own a car that needs fixing, you can receive up to 800 euros in most departments. The funds are paid directly to the mechanic or seller, following the approval of your application, known as the mobility loan.

In certain departments like Oise, only Crit’Air 1 to 3 or electric vehicles are eligible, promoting less polluting transportation methods. However, if you own such a vehicle and can use public transport that matches your work schedule, you will not be eligible for this assistance. In Cantal, for instance, specific aid is available to cover rental, transportation, or repair costs through solidarity garages, which provide services at reduced prices, thus facilitating access to mobility. In Doubs, beneficiary families with a Family Quotient of 900 euros or less can apply for this aid, which can go up to 5,000 euros, interest-free, and repayable at 15 euros per month up to a total of 360 euros. Regardless of the varying amounts and conditions, the objective remains the same: to encourage beneficiaries to travel for work or to meet their family’s needs.