Request to write off an overpayment from the CAF, CPAM or France Travail (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For someone who must repay a benefit paid in error (an overpayment) and cannot afford it, in mainland France or the overseas departments other than Mayotte. Without disputing the debt, the French letter asks for a full or partial write-off, or a payment plan, setting out the household's income, outgoings and situation; the law allows the claim to be reduced or cancelled for hardship, except for fraud or false declarations. To dispute the overpayment itself, an appeal is needed instead. Sold blank, to complete by hand, social security number included. Sent by registered post.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- The CAF, CPAM or France Travail says you were overpaid and asks you to repay money you cannot afford.
- You accept that a benefit was paid in error, but repaying it would leave your household short.
- Deductions from your benefits to recover an overpayment leave you unable to cover basic costs in France.
- You want to ask for an overpayment to be written off or reduced, or for a payment plan.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Applicant
- Applicant's address
- Body (CAF, CPAM, MSA or France Travail) and département
- The body's postal address
- City
- Date
- Claimant or file number
- Date of the decision
- Overpayment claimed (amount)
- Benefit concerned (e.g. housing aid, sick pay)
- What you ask for (full or partial write-off, payment plan)
- Household members (adults and children)
- Household income
- Household's monthly outgoings (rent, loans, etc.)
- What makes repaying difficult
- Amount you can repay each month
- Attachments
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Write-off or dispute of the overpayment: which should I choose in France?
- If you think the sum is not owed, or its amount is wrong, dispute it: before the amicable appeals committee of the CAF, CPAM or MSA within two months of notification (for the RSA, to the president of the departmental council), or by a written appeal to France Travail within the same time. If the debt is right but you cannot pay, ask for a write-off or a payment plan: this letter accepts the debt and sets out your situation. If you dispute the debt, appeal first, within the deadline: a write-off can still be asked for if the debt is upheld.
- Where does a write-off request go in France, and who decides?
- To the body that notified you of the overpayment, at the address on the notification. At the CAF, the amicable appeals committee examines the request, which can be made at any time; the CPAM decides by a reasoned decision. For the RSA, the write-off is for the president of the departmental council, or the CAF acting on its behalf (article L. 262-46 of the French Social Action and Families Code). At France Travail, the request goes to your agency, some files being examined by the regional joint committee. No write-off is possible after fraud or a false declaration.
- What goes with a write-off request in France, and what if it is refused?
- Enclose the overpayment notice and proof of your income and outgoings: tax notice, payslips or benefit statements, rent receipt, loan schedules. A refusal is challenged by the route and within the deadline stated on the decision. The template is sold blank and completed by hand, social security number included if asked for: DocMuse collects neither that number nor the health data that, for instance, an overpayment of sick pay reveals. Send the letter by registered post with proof of receipt.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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