The active solidarity income (RSA) offers essential support to French people in difficulty, whether it is a minimum income for people without work or a supplement for low-income workers. This system, beyond its monthly financial assistance, is accompanied by social support and professional aimed at promoting integration into the job market.
Since the abolition of the RMI in 2007, the RSA has been transformed, in particular with the merger of the activity RSA and the employment bonus in 2016, which became the activity bonus, to better meet the needs of precarious workers. More recently, the Full Employment Law of 2023 introduced a
“renovated and intensive support” in 47 departments, intended to become national in 2025. Beneficiaries will now have to devote 15 hours per week to activities related to employment, training or professional immersion.
A political standoff around the RSA and departmental budgets
In the wake of developments in the RSA, a new standoff begins on the political scene. This Thursday, November 14, 2024, the departments led by the right and the center threatened to suspend the payment of the RSA and to stop supporting new unaccompanied minors
(MNA) if the budgetary cuts planned for 2025 are not revised by the government. This decision, which has serious consequences, reflects exasperation in the face of cuts deemed untenablerisking weakening social assistance and compromising essential missions for the most vulnerable, as reported West France.
“As of January 1, all the departments of the right and the center will suspend their payments“ of RSA to family allowance funds and “we will no longer take care of new unaccompanied minors, because it is
migration policy“declared during a press point Nicolas Lacroix (LR), president of the group of departments of the right, the center and the independents (DCI) within the Départements de France association, meeting in congress in Angers.
The RSA in danger with departmental finances under pressure
“Until now, we haven’t said anything […]but the
child protection it’s not migration policy. Today, unaccompanied minors, let the State manage and take care of them.”added Nicolas Lacroix. The latter also announced his intention “to attack the state” in court each time a decision
“impacts finances departments without their agreement”. He also asks the government to suspend the new increases planned under Ségur, emphasizing the importance of preserving the finances of local authorities in an already tense context.
“We are also considering mobilizations in our own departments”said Jean-Luc Gleyze, president of the group of left-wing departments.
Beneficiaries from 71 departments could soon see their payments suspended, a threat that looms large as the new year approaches. This scenario spans four entire regions, including Provence-Alpes-Côte d’AzurCentre-Val de Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and
Normandiebringing together departments as varied as the Alpes-Maritimes, Indre and even the
Seine-Maritime.
photo credit: Shutterstock Tensions around the RSA are intensifying, threatening the financial balance of departments and the payment of aid to recipients
RSA and departments: a budgetary threat with serious consequences
Almost all of the
Burgundy-Franche-Comtéwith the Côte-d'Or, the Jura or the Nièvre, is also in the crosshairs, just like the
Hauts-de-Francefrom Aisne to the Somme. The Grand-Est, the Pays de la Loire and a large part ofÎle-de-Franceincluding Yvelines and Val-de-Marne, risk suffering the same fate, thus weakening thousands of beneficiaries. In the northwest, Finistère and Morbihan could be impacted, while in the southwest, Charente-Maritime, Corrèze, Deux-Sèvres and many other departments of New Aquitaine are in turmoil. For Occitanie, Aveyron could be affected.
Overseas is not immune to this threat. HAS Reunionin Mayotte, in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, on the island of Saint-Barthélémy and in New Caledoniarecipients could also find themselves in great difficulty, victims of decisions that would weigh heavily on their daily lives. The destiny of the beneficiaries of these 71 departments thus remains suspended budget negotiations for 2025. At stake, a bill which plans to cut public spending, imposing savings in five billion euros to communities, including 2.2 billion payable by the departments.
