[1] Existing recipients of the minimum pension are not automatically transferred to the ASPA, but may do so on request.
In its 2012 annual report, the Service d'Allocation de Solidarité aux Personnes Âgées (SASPA), managed by the Caisse des dépôts et consignations, counted 70,827 recipients of the ASPA on 31 December 2012 (against 71,490 in 2011).
To qualify for ASPA, the recipient must live in France or French territory, and meet age and financial need criteria.
A foreign national must also meet at least one of these conditions: The recipient must be at least 65 years old, except in three special cases for which the criterion is reduced to the minimum legal age of retirement [5] : Assets taken into account include all earnings and property, pensions and disability and the disabled adult allowance [fr] (AAH).
To prevent the recipient artificially reducing the value of their estate by making gifts or taking out life insurance, for example, these payments are included in the calculation of net assets.