Disability of a self-employed worker: the pension from the mandatory scheme for a craftsman or tradesperson

A self-employed tradesperson or business owner who pays disability and death insurance contributions can receive a pension in the event of total disability or partial incapacity for their trade. They must have a reduced work capacity or income of at least two-thirds, have been insured for at least 12 months, have contributed sufficiently, and not have reached the legal retirement age. The pension is 30, 50, or 50 with an allowance for assistance from a third party, applied to the average annual business income (RAAM) of the 10 best years. The official information sheet, however, does not specify an amount in euros.

This page covers the mandatory social security scheme for self-employed tradespeople and shopkeepers, based on the information sheet from service-public.fr verified on October 8, 2026. It does not cover micro-entrepreneurs, as this information sheet excludes them. It also does not cover what the information sheet does not specify: minimum and maximum pension amounts, duration, payment methods, death benefits, taxation, combining pensions with other employment, transition to retirement, and the status of non-residents. Optional supplementary insurance contracts are covered on a separate page.

Who is affected?

The four conditions

The document lists four conditions that the entrepreneur must meet.

A fifth requirement concerns the medical assessment. The disability or incapacity must be certified by a medical advisor from the primary health insurance fund.

The approach

Two situations are described.

• You are on sick leave. You do not need to take any action: the medical advisor decides.
• You are not on sick leave. The request is made on the advice of your primary care physician. The medical advisor will then summon you. The request can be made via your ameli.fr account.

If your application is accepted, you will receive a response within two months. This response will specify your pension title, effective date, category, and amount. If your application is refused, the notification will explain the reasons for the refusal and the appeal process.

How is the pension calculated?

The document presents a table with three columns, one per category. Its rate row is entitled: "Rate applicable to the RAAM of the 10 best years of the individual entrepreneur".

The health insurance fund classifies the entrepreneur into a category according to the type of disability. This category determines the amount of the pension.

Four reading limits:

• The document does not define categories 1, 2 and 3. This page therefore does not define them either.
• The surcharge for a third party is not specified. The table does not show its amount.
• The section on pensions does not mention any RAAM ceiling. The amount of €48,060 (an annual Social Security ceiling) appears elsewhere in the document, notably for daily allowances and for the disability-death contribution.
• The method for calculating RAAM is not detailed., beyond simply mentioning the 10 best years.

The actual amount of your pension therefore depends on your RAAM (Retirement Allowance for Minors) and the category assigned to you. A euro amount cannot be deduced from the statement alone.

The disability and death insurance contribution

The information sheet indicates a disability-death contribution rate of 1.30 % for self-employed tradespeople or business owners who have been in business for two years or more. This rate applies to incomes of €48,060 or less. Above this threshold, the rate is 0 %.

At the start of operations (less than 2 years), the contribution is a flat rate. According to the 2026 flat rate table in the information sheet, it is €116 for a start of operations in 2025 and €119 for a start of operations in 2026.

The information sheet indicates that the basis for calculating social security contributions, as well as certain contribution rates, will change in 2026, after the 2025 professional income tax return. The news item on service-public.fr published on April 20, 2026, specifies that the reform has been applicable since April 2026 and applies to final 2025 contributions. It mentions an automatic flat-rate allowance of 26% and does not provide any new numerical scale. For your specific situation, the applicable rate and base should be verified with the Urssaf (French social security agency).

Daily allowances in case of illness

The document also provides for daily allowances in case of illness. It indicates that the daily allowance cannot exceed €65.84 in 2026, up to a limit of 360 allowances over a 3-year period. The theoretical maximum total reaches €23,702.40 (360 × €65.84). Further details can be found on the page concerning sick leave for self-employed individuals.

And what about for an employee?

The Social Security disability pension for employees also requires a reduced work or earning capacity of at least two-thirds and 12 months of contributions. It is calculated based on the 10 best years of salary, using categories 30 %, 50 %, and 50 % plus 40 %. This information sheet primarily concerns private sector employees. This page does not include the pension amounts; for self-employed tradespeople or shopkeepers, the relevant information sheet is described above.

Regulated liberal professions

For a regulated self-employed professional, the service-public.fr information sheet states: "Disability and death insurance coverage, like pension coverage, depends on the pension fund to which the professional is affiliated." It lists ten funds: CIPAV, CRPN, CAVOM, CARMF, CARCDSF, CAVP, CARPIMKO, CARPV, CAVAMAC, and CAVEC. The rules of each fund are not detailed here. You should verify them with your specific fund.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Karim is a self-employed craftsman. Assumptions of the hypothetical profile: he has been insured for more than 12 months, he has contributed sufficiently, he has not yet reached the legal retirement age, and his RAAM (annual income assessment) for the 10 best years is €42,000, less than €48,060. An illness reduces his work capacity by at least two-thirds, as noted by the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) medical advisor.

Issue. What would be the order of magnitude of the pension, relative to his RAAM?

Strategy. Apply the rates from the table in the sheet to €42,000: 30 % for category 1, 50 % for category 2. Category 3 cannot be quantified: the surcharge is not given.

Result.

These amounts are the result of a calculation based on an assumption. Note: the document does not specify whether the amount obtained is annual or monthly; since the RAAM (Retirement Allowance for Minors) is an annual income, the result is expressed on an annual basis. These amounts are not a notified pension amount, and the difference in the last line should not be interpreted as an actual loss: the document does not specify the payment frequency, any minimum or maximum amounts, or the tax implications. This profile is fictitious. The figures illustrate the calculation. They do not reflect your specific situation.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your status : sole proprietorship (craft or commercial), micro-enterprise, regulated liberal profession.
• Your seniority : less than 12 months of insurance, or insufficient contributions, and the condition is not met.
• Your RAAM, which sets the basis on which the rate is applied.
• The chosen category by the health insurance fund.
• Your age : the pension assumes not having reached the legal retirement age.
• Your activity : less than 2 years, the contribution is a flat rate.

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