should beneficiaries worry about no longer receiving their benefits in the North?

During the Northern departmental council of this Monday, November 18, 2024, the thorny question of the RSA returned to the table, while the right-wing departments announced that they wanted to suspend the payment of this income in view of the budget voted by Michel's government Barnier. What about for beneficiaries?

The departments led by the right and the center, including the North chaired by Christian Poiret (DVD), have announced their intention to suspend the payment of active solidarity income (RSA) if the government does not reverse the budgetary cuts planned for 2025 .

Nicolas Lacroix (LR), president of the group of departments of the right, center and independents (DCI) announced that “from January 1, all departments of the right and the center will suspend their payments” from RSA to family allowance funds.

But what about the Northern department, should RSA beneficiaries be worried? We asked the question directly to Christian Poiret, president of the department. While the plenary session of the Departmental Council is being held on November 18.

Will the RSA still be paid to beneficiaries?

Oui. On this subject, Christian Poiret is very clear. “RSA recipients will in all cases have their RSA. There is no topic at this level“, he reassures.

This cessation of payments to Caf would only be “a means of pressure” on the government, because the latter would take over the payment of active solidarity income. Today, the RSA represents a budget of 620 million euros for the Nord department which has nearly 89,000 beneficiaries.

If Christian Poiret wishes to put pressure on the government, it is because today “we are not balancing the budget of the Nord department“, and that visibly, “there will be trade-offs to be made“, continues the president.

Should the RSA be managed by the department?

Raised during the departmental council, the subject of management of the RSA sows discord in the chamber. Christian Poiret wants the North to take part in an experiment giving management of the RSA to the department. Whereas currently, it is Caf which manages this income thanks to funding from the department.

You can't be an ATM.

Christian Poiret

President of the Northern Department

“Today, we need to extend a hand to those who need it, and I must allow those who are employable to work” he explains before saying: “you can't be an ATM”

The crux of the debate is the question of sanctions for people who do not show up for appointments for their RSA. At the moment there is an 80% remobilization section. In other words, a person who does not show up loses 80% of their RSA, but can be reimbursed if justified. For President Poiret, “remobilization is good, but we're playing cat and mouse.”

The exact terms of this experiment were not detailed by the president of the department, but raise questions among the opposition, who see it as a form of stigmatization of recipients. Christian Poiret notably explained on Ici matin that he was looking for 115 million euros.

Are RSA recipients an adjustment variable for the department's budget?

For Didier Manier, president of the Socialist, Radical and Citizen group in the department, “lBeneficiaries should neither be stigmatized nor be the variable of budgetary adjustment.“Stéphanie Bocquet, environmentalists, shares the same observation.”Since we have been departmental advisors, we have clearly seen the stigmatization of RSA recipients.”

Since we have been departmental advisors, we have clearly seen the stigmatization of RSA recipients.

Stephanie Bocquet

Departmental advisor, environmental group, Europe Écologie Les Verts – Génération.s

She adds, “Are we providing the means to support people who are entitled to it? We are more about employment coaching than social support. When we hear Christian Poiret asking that all RSA systems be returned to the departments, we wonder what the sanctions will be and on what criteria we are opposed to this.“

With AFP