Caf beneficiaries know this: the next transfer of their allowances paid by their fund will take place at the beginning of next month. Whether it concerns family benefits, housing assistance, RSA or the activity bonus, the transfer will take place on bank accounts from Thursday, December 5. Its amount will correspond to the benefits due for the month of November.
But exceptionally this month, many beneficiaries will be entitled to a second transfer from their fund one week later. According to an announcement made by the Minister of Solidarity this week, an exceptional payment is planned for next Friday, December 13. It will take the form of a transfer which will appear on the beneficiaries' accounts between December 14 and 16. The minimum amount paid will be €152.45. For beneficiaries with dependent children, it will be higher, reaching, for example, €381.12 for a couple with three children.
Unfortunately for injured beneficiaries, it will not be enough to have dependent children to benefit from this payment. This exceptional transfer corresponds in fact to the Christmas bonus paid each year to some of the beneficiaries of social minimums. This state aid is intended to help households with the lowest incomes finance their end-of-year celebrations. It is paid by family allowance funds to beneficiaries of active solidarity income (RSA). On the other hand, beneficiaries of other aid from Caf will not be entitled to it. This is particularly the case for beneficiaries of the allowance for disabled adults (AAH) or the basic allowance of the young child care benefit (Paje) who do not receive the RSA. These beneficiaries will not receive the December payment.
The transfer of the Christmas bonus will nevertheless concern nearly 2 million Caf beneficiaries. In addition to the latter, aid will also be paid by France Travail to certain beneficiaries of unemployment benefits. These are those who receive the flat-rate bonus for resumption of activity, the specific solidarity allowance (ASS) and the retirement equivalent allowance (AER), who will receive the minimum amount of €152.45. Job seekers receiving the return to work allowance (ARE), however, will not be entitled to it. And this regardless of their income or their number of children.
Other French people with modest incomes or in precarious situations will also not receive the Christmas bonus. These are beneficiaries of the solidarity allowance for the elderly (Aspa).
This difference in treatment between beneficiaries is not new in 2024: it has existed since 1998, the date of the creation of the Christmas bonus. And the rules will not be changed next December, with no member of the government or any parliamentarian having to date publicly expressed the hypothesis of expanding the list of beneficiaries of the bonus. Elderly people with low income, disabled people and most job seekers will therefore not be entitled to any “help” to finance their end-of-year celebrations.
