New aid: soon the creation of a social income?

After the promulgation of the pension reform, Emmanuel Macron wanted to turn the page by presenting a program of “one hundred days of appeasement”. On April 26, 2023, Elisabeth Borne, the Prime Minister, then presented the details of the government’s next actions. Among the points discussed, social benefits were at the center of the next measures. The executive wishes to set up a social reference income allowing all beneficiaries of this aid to receive it.

In June 2020, a report by the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES) revealed that 30% of people eligible for social assistance did not receive it. The DREES mentions various reasons for the non-use of social assistance based on the report published by Eurofound. We find there a “difficult to access procedure” or “complex”, a “misunderstanding of the service” or “eligibility criteria” but also the “design of the service” deemed “unstable”.

For example, in the case of the RSA, 450 million euros had not been distributed in 2010. “In the last quarter of 2010, the rate of use of the RSA was on average 50%: 64% among those eligible for the alone, 67% among those eligible for basic and activity RSA and only 32% among those eligible for activity RSA alone”. In total, 10 billion euros would not be paid each year to recipients of social aid who have not claimed them. The objective is therefore to put an end to this problem by facilitating the process.

A reference social income will then be created and “would serve as a resource base for obtaining benefits”, affirms the Ministry of Solidarity during a press conference, according to comments collected by Le Parisien. However, this income will initially only concern the RSA, the activity bonus and housing aid. The latter could see the light of day in 2027.

Still with the aim of alleviating the burden on the beneficiaries of this aid, another modification will be adopted this summer. Indeed, an additional line will appear on your payslip. From July 2023, all employee payslips must include the words “net social amount”, as required by the decree published by the government on February 7.

In addition, in the second half of 2024, a pre-filled declaration will be available and will allow the family allowance funds (CAF) to find out who is eligible for this aid. Only employees are affected. The self-employed will still have to wait.