Hourly rate for carers - at home

[Hereford]

Hello

Forms are all in and accepted asking for an APA for my mother, and they say it will be about two months to finalise!  She has been assessed by her doctor as GIR2 so a maximum 1100 euros a month (some paid by my Dad as it is means tested) will be available to fund care.  We are waiting for the social worker to come and discuss how many hours per day/week are needed.

One person has told me that we will need to pay around 10 euros an hour - plus cheque d'emploi cotisations on top.  This seems ridiculously cheap to me. If I worked on 12 euros per hour during the week and 15 euros at week-ends (I am told one pays 25% extra at the week-end) then we can get 2 hours day plus a bit more on some days.

Does anyone who has carers at home, paid  under CESU scheme tell me if we are on the right lines at all please?  We are in deepest Normandie, not Paris or a big city.

Would be grateful for any information.

Many thanks

Mrs H

[NormanH]

That seems about right to me. It is after all a little higher then the SMIC. although this site dating from 2009 seems to suggest a higher figure:

http://www.monaideadomicile.fr/tarifs-cram.php  I am not certain whether that includes the Charges paid by the employer

• 18.20 € pour les jours ouvrables,
• 20.87 € pour les dimanches et jours fériés

Pour les autres services :

• 17.04 € pour les jours ouvrables,
• 19.71 € pour les dimanches et jours fériés

I think that the payments are also eligible for tax relief, if on your mother's tax return.

http://www.monaideadomicile.fr/comment-utiliser-apa.php

[Hereford]

Thanks Norman.    If one uses cheque d'emploi on the "forfait" basis (i.e. cotisations based on SMIC) then the hourly net pay will be increased by 3.62 euro an hour, so that 12 net becomes 15.62 gross etc.   I wonder whether some people use the "reel"  basis in which case the cotisations will be higher?

It seems to me that the rate paid to someone we have "found" ourselves may be less than a person supplied by one of the organistions.

I shall investigate more but in the meantime any more comments gratefully received.

Mrs H

[Russethouse]

Not sure if its the same in France and my mother is a private funder, but the agency we use doubles their fee, so if the carer gets £5, the agency get at least£10 (neither figure is correct, its just an example) The upside is that they are obliged to send someone if their are holidays or illness, we don't have the worry of getting cover which may, depending on the circumstances be something to consider.

[Hereford]

Thankfully we have found an English nurse which is better for my mother as in her dementia she definitely does not speak French.

We are going to pay her cheque emploi as with APA this seems to be the accepted way.  I shall either ask a local (voluntary) organisation about cover for holidays etc or advertise.  I don't think I will need "agency"staff such as we know in the UK.

If we are without help for a day it is not the end of the world as my Dad has been coping (refusing help would be a better description) until now.

Thanks

Mrs H

[NormanH]

I think chèque empoi service is a good idea, as it is above board, and gives you a 'paper trail' if you need one to justify the APA.

As I said above I think you also get tax relief.

I used it some years ago, and got a bill for the charges every so often, but I am a bit vague on the details, sorry.

I hope it is sorted out very soon, as it will be a big relief to all concerned.

 You seem to be achieving miracles already. Good luck and best wishes.

[Hereford]

Hi Norman

Yes the cheque d'emploi is really good.  We use it ourselves for gardening help and get tax relief which halves the cost of the help. If this sort of relief was available in the UK I am sure jobs could be created.

I am more bothered to make sure I pay a fair rate to the carer.

Thanks for your help, without this forum I would have struggled a lot more.

Mrs H