Responsibility for social benefits and services in France is divided between several agencies, but most are provided either by the departmental councils or the main retirement fund, called the Caisse nationale d’assurance vieillesse (CNAV).
Under French law, under certain conditions, beneficiaries (including the surviving spouse) of an estate are required to pay back certain benefits that may have been received by the deceased. If there is more than one beneficiary, the amount to be reimbursed by each one is proportional to their share of the estate.
