France’s income support benefit set to rise: who can claim it?

France’s income support benefit for low-to-moderate earners, known as the prime d’activité, is to increase by 1.8% from April 1 to help with rising living costs linked to energy and fuel prices.

It means that in a single-person household with no children, it will be possible to claim €563.68 per month, as opposed to the current €553.71.

A single person with one child will be able to claim €845.52, and a single person with two children will be able to receive €1,014.62

This increase is relatively significant, as the prime d’acivité was only pushed up by 0.1% in spring 2021.

The bonus is aimed at, for example, students or people in employment whose salaries are low or modest.

It is calculated based on the number of people in a household, the number of dependents and their income. Certain other financial aid bonuses, such as housing benefits, are included in calculating a person’s income.

The bonus is given when the income of a household is less than 1.5 times France’s net minimum wage, which is around €1,269, per person.

Estimations given by the association Mes Allocs, which helps guide people in which social benefits they are eligible for, gives the following scenarios where households would be eligible for the prime d’activité:

• A single-person household (no children) earning €1,787 per month
• A couple without children where only one member of the household is working and earning up to €2,794 per month
• A couple with two children where both parents have a job and are earning less than a combined €3,754 per month
• A couple with two children with a single salary up to €3,342 per month

Around 39% of people who are eligible for the bonus do not claim it in France, the government’s socio-economic statistics agency, Drees, reports.

It is paid through the Caisses d'allocation familiales (CAF) or the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA).

You can find out if you are eligible for the prime d’activité through the government’s simulator here.

The prime d’activité is different to the Revenu de solidarité active (RSA), which is aimed at unemployed or underemployed people.

Read more:RSA: What is France’s back-to-work social benefit and who is eligible?

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