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A series of 18 measures will be adopted in France to simplify the lives of disabled people and facilitate their access to support and financial aid.

The announcement, made on July 9, highlights the intention to streamline procedures and reduce application delays.

鈥淭hese are sensible, effective and humane measures. But above all, this is an in-depth reform, with a clear timetable, increased resources and shared governance,鈥� said the Minister for Autonomy and Disability, Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq, in a Facebook post. 

The measures will also provide better support for departmental disability centres (MDPH). 

These centres are responsible for assessing some 5 million aid applications per year with 鈥渁 person, a family and an urgent need鈥� behind each file, reports the dedicated government press release. 

In the second half of 2024, it took an average of five months to process applications for the disabled adult allowance (AAH), according to the published by the Caisse nationale de solidarit茅 pour l'autonomie.

Processing times of up to ten months were recorded in Seine-Maritime, with assessments taking over a year in the overseas territory of Mayotte. 

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A solutions-driven 鈥榯our de France鈥�

Ms Parmentier-Lecocq visited 12 French departments (including two overseas territories) to exchange with disabled people, carers, and MDPH staff. 

The Tour de France des solutions aims to improve existing systems and develop new measures, 鈥渢o harmonise practices across the country.鈥�

The visits resulted in the creation of 18 measures grouped into four key priorities.

1. Simplify procedures 

Aids and entitlements must be implemented indefinitely when a person鈥檚 disability is 鈥渦nlikely to evolve favourably.鈥� By 1 September, 2025, an official reminder will be issued to MDPHs that continue to demand 鈥減ointless鈥� annual analysis of individual situations.

A series of measures also apply to children and young people:

• From April 1, 2026, entitlement to the education allowance for disabled children (AEEH) will be extended to all children whose disability is 鈥渦nlikely to evolve favourably鈥�

• Aid for disabled pupils will be granted 鈥渇or an entire school period鈥� (nursery, primary, secondary school), with no need to renew the application via MDPHs

From July 1, 2026, support will also be provided to disabled people transitioning into retirement - a period that is 鈥渟till all too often synonymous with the loss of rights, complex procedures or the interruption of benefits,鈥� states the report. This concerns the allowance for disabled adults (AAH). 

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2. Listen, guide and support

All first-time applicants will be offered face-to-face appointments in MDPHs to explain their rights and make it easier to complete applications. This measure will be rolled out across the country during 2026. 

A series of guides and video tutorials will also be made available from November 1, 2025.

鈥淭he aim is to ensure that no-one feels alone when dealing with an application,鈥� states the report.

Read also: What aid or help groups exist in France to cope with a new disability?

3. Simplify and reduce delays

The majority of the 18 measures fall into this section. 

Plans to reduce waiting times and simplify processes include:

• A shorter, clearer MDPH form with three formats that can be selected depending on a person's particular situation (from Autumn 2025)

• A more simple and accessible entitlement notification, explicitly detailing aids that have been approved or denied, and clearly listing the next steps in the process (from the end of the first semester of 2026)

• The automation of procedures such as issuing disability cards or parking badges for over 60s (June 1, 2026),  which today represents nearly a quarter of all MDPH applications

• Support materials and educational aid for children can be directly allocated via "educational teams", without making an MDPH application (currently being rolled out)

4. Support MDPH staff and modernise their tools

The final section of the report highlights the intention to offer training to MDPH staff so they can develop better knowledge of invisible disabilities, their manifestations and their impact on daily life. This will come into place by mid 2026. 

The report also outlines plans to experiment with artificial intelligence by developing a chatbot to aid MDPH staff and accelerate the processing of applications. 

Furthermore, a 鈥渘ational information system鈥� will be put into place during the second half of 2026 to support the 鈥渃ontinuity鈥� of practices across France and facilitate communication between MDPHs. 

鈥淭oday, when a person moves from one department to another, their MDPH file does not automatically follow them,鈥� states the report. This can lead to the cancellation or interruption of entitlements and forces people to restart the application process.

See the report for full details.