For the past 10 years the Family Allowances Fund (Caisses d’allocations familiales (CAF)) have been developing and improving paperless services for internet users (caf.fr): on-line benefit applications, access to and monitoring of personal files, electronic mail, access to child-care facilities, entitlement simulation tools, service provider porting to smartphones and tablets, automation of information exchange with partners.

Support and assistance is available in CAF reception areas, post offices and community centres for users who have difficulty with computers to ensure access for all.

On 1 January 2016 the CAF will launch a new type of benefit: the Prime d’activité (a top-up scheme for employees on a very low income) and will introduce a new “100 per cent paperless, 100 per cent personalized” method to access it.

The service is accessed exclusively on-line with guaranteed access for all potential beneficiaries.