Social protection for the self-employed: what the system covers in 2026, and what it leaves out

Self-employed individuals are covered by the social security system for non-salaried workers, which is part of the general scheme. According to service-public.fr, their contributions represent approximately 45% of their business income (this is an approximate figure, not a legal rate). In return, they are covered for illness, maternity, retirement, disability, and, under certain conditions, unemployment. The basic scheme does not cover workplace accidents or occupational illnesses.

This page addresses the rights of self-employed tradespeople and business owners, unemployment benefits, assisting spouses, and micro-social security contributions. It outlines the conditions for disability pensions for self-employed tradespeople and business owners, but does not specify the amount in euros or the death benefit, which the other pages consulted do not detail. It also does not cover contribution rates for non-micro-enterprises, the legal retirement age, or non-residents. For the liberal professions, the official pages consulted provide conflicting figures: these are not included here.

What the plan covers

Table source: service-public.fr, pages checked between 08/01/2026 and 08/10/2026 (see sources at the bottom of the page).

Illness: daily allowances

For a self-employed tradesperson or shopkeeper, the reference page indicates a daily allowance equal to their annual business income divided by 730. The page specifically for tradespeople and shopkeepers clarifies that this refers to their average annual business income, meaning the average of the income used for social security contributions over the three years preceding the work stoppage. The allowance is capped at €65.84 per day, for a maximum income of €48,060. Any income exceeding this limit does not increase the allowance. The individual must have been registered with the social security system for at least 12 consecutive months.

The details are covered on the page about sick leave for self-employed individuals. On two points, the official documents consulted do not agree: the waiting period, and the amounts and duration for liberal professions. These are not provided here. Verify them with your health insurance fund before taking sick leave.

Motherhood and fatherhood

For maternity benefits, membership must have been in place for at least six months prior to the expected delivery date. A lump-sum maternity allowance of €4,005 is paid in two installments. According to the page on liberal professions (verified on October 8, 2026), this amount is reduced when the average annual income of the last three years is less than €4,582 (€400.50 for 2026). For self-employed tradespeople or shopkeepers, the threshold and the reduced amount should be verified with their social security fund. Daily maternity benefits are capped at €65.84 per day.

Paternity leave is also compensated: you must have been affiliated for at least 6 months and the leave must be taken within 6 months of the birth. The amounts can be found on the service-public.fr website. The page on liberal professions also mentions additional birth leave available from July 1, 2026; the reference page for sole traders, checked on January 8, 2026, makes no mention of it. Contact your social security office for further information.

Workplace accidents: a cover to be created

The basic health insurance scheme does not cover workplace accidents or occupational illnesses. Individual voluntary insurance can be purchased from the health insurance fund, including by a collaborating spouse. Its cost is not listed in the pages consulted.

Disability and death

Disability pension. The service-public.fr page on social protection for traders and craftsmen (verified on 08/10/2026) sets out four conditions:

• not having reached the legal retirement age; ;
• have a reduced work or income capacity of at least 2/3; ;
• to have been insured for at least 12 months; ;
• to have contributed sufficiently.

The pension depends on the disability category. According to the website, the rate is 30 % in category 1 and 50 % in category 2. It is 50 % in category 3, with an increase when a third party is required. This rate applies to the average annual earnings of the 10 highest-earning years. No amount in euros is given here: ask your pension fund for the calculation.

Death benefit. The pages read do not address it. Its conditions, amounts, and limits are not given here.

The membership fee. For self-employed tradespeople and shopkeepers, service-public.fr indicates a disability-death contribution rate of 1.30 % for incomes less than or equal to €48,060, and 0 % above that. This is a contribution, not a benefit.

Retirement

A self-employed tradesperson or business owner must make a minimum contribution of €967 if their income is low or negative. This contribution accrues three quarters of basic pension credit. It is not possible to accrue more than four quarters per year.

Since January 1, 2013, self-employed tradespeople and shopkeepers have benefited from a single, shared supplementary pension scheme. The minimum age for phased retirement is 60 for pensions taking effect from September 1, 2025.

The legal retirement age and pension rates for the self-employed are not provided here: the official documents consulted differ or are subject to change. See the page on retirement for the self-employed.

Unemployment: the ATI

The ATI is the unemployment benefit paid by France Travail to self-employed workers. The service-public.fr page (verified on 01/04/2026) also applies to certain agents and artists/authors. The amount is €26.30 per day for 182 days. If the average income from self-employment is lower, the benefit is reduced, with a minimum of €19.73 per day for the same period.

The conditions set out on the service-public.fr website:

• to have carried out self-employment without interruption for at least 2 years in a single company; ;
• provide proof of an income exceeding €10,000 in one of the last 2 years; ;
• have personal resources of less than €651.69 per month for a single person; ;
• having ceased operations due to judicial liquidation, judicial reorganization, or the economic non-viability of the business; ;
• Register with France Travail and actively look for a job.

For economic non-viability, the page defines it as a decrease of at least 30% in self-employment income, certified by a trusted third party. The stated registration period is 12 months from the date of the court-ordered liquidation. For other reasons for business closure, please check the applicable deadline with France Travail.

The collaborating spouse

A spouse who regularly participates in the business without being paid can have the status of collaborating spouse if they are married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting with the entrepreneur. If they contribute, they are entitled to basic and supplementary retirement benefits, disability and death benefits, daily allowances after one year of contributions, and maternity or paternity benefits after six months of membership.

The status cannot be maintained for more than 5 cumulative years. The service-public.fr page is written for micro-enterprises and was verified on 01/01/2026.

The micro-entrepreneur: protection built on turnover

Micro-entrepreneurs fall under the micro-social regime. This entitles them to reimbursement of medical expenses, sickness and maternity benefits, retirement benefits based on contributions paid, and professional training, subject to a contribution paid. Service-public.fr specifies that this regime "does not allow the receipt of benefits paid by France Travail.".

Contributions are calculated based on turnover. 2026 rate:

If turnover is zero, no social security contributions are due, except for micro-entrepreneurs who have opted for minimum contributions, which grant certain rights, such as daily allowances (micro-social scheme page, verified on 21/02/2026). The micro-social scheme is no longer accessible after exceeding the thresholds for two consecutive years, as of January 1st of the year following the second year. The business then falls under the social security scheme for sole traders. The 2026 turnover thresholds are €203,100 for the sale of goods and €83,600 for services. According to the page on exceeding the thresholds, turnover is assessed based on calendar years N-1 or N-2; the pages consulted do not all formulate the reference year in the same way, so verify it in the source.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Marc is a self-employed craftsman operating under the standard tax regime, with an average annual income of €42,000 over the three years preceding his work stoppage. Léa is a micro-entrepreneur providing services (BIC tax regime), with an annual turnover of €50,000, below the €83,600 threshold. These amounts are hypothetical, as is Marc's 30 days of paid leave.

Issue. What does basic coverage pay Marc during a month of sick leave, and what does Léa's coverage cost?

Strategy. For Marc, average annual income divided by 730, compared to monthly income. For Léa, a rate of 21.2 % applied to turnover.

Result.

For Marc, 30 days of sick leave leaves a maximum difference of approximately €1,774 compared to his average monthly income, before any deductions. This is a maximum: a potential waiting period, which the pages read do not resolve, would reduce the number of benefits paid and increase the difference. For Léa, the benefit is not calculated: the pages read do not provide the formula applicable to micro-entrepreneurs. With the option for minimum contributions, zero revenue does not exempt her from all contributions. The 45 % figures are the order of magnitude given by the source, applied here to Marc's hypothetical income. These profiles are hypothetical. The figures illustrate the calculation. They do not predict your situation.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your status : craftsman, trader, professional, micro-entrepreneur.
• Your length of membership : 6 or 12 months depending on the service.
• Your income : it sets the amount of compensation, within the limits of the ceilings.
• Your family situation spouse, whether collaborating or not.
• The conditions for ceasing operations and your resources, for the ATI.

The rule depends on your situation. No amount is promised.