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Jade Lacroix
Published on
Dec 28 2024 at 9:13 a.m.
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Like every new month, there are many new developments concerning social assistance and even purchasing power. Even more so with the arrival of 2025 and government censorship in early December (which caused many backpedals).
We take an overview of everything that changes on January 1, 2025 and which may impact the wallet.
PURCHASING POWER
- Reduction of the list of products payable in meal vouchers in supermarkets
Since Covid-19, meal vouchers have been more widely accepted in supermarkets to do a whole bunch of food shopping. As a reminder, their use was previously limited to directly consumable products (such as prepared meals or sandwiches).
This expansion of the terms of use will no longer be relevant in 2025, a direct consequence of censorship and the fall of the Barnier government. As of January 1, 2025, it will no longer be possible to use your card or “restaurant” tickets at the supermarket for raw food products, such as flour or even rice.
A restriction which could however be reevaluatedas the measure is criticized. The Senate thus included on its agenda for January 15, 2025 a bill aimed at extending the use of meal vouchers for extended food shopping, at the supermarket.
- Increase in VAT on certain boilers
At the start of the year, VAT on gas boilers to “Very high energy performance” (THPE) will increase from 5.5% to 10%. An increase ratified by a decree published on December 24, 2024.
- Revaluation of retirement pensions
Good news this time. From January 1, 2025, basic pensions will increase in line with inflationor 2.2%.
They were not supposed to increase at the start of the year with the 2025 Finance bill, but it was not adopted with censorship.
- Increase in the price of letters and parcels
The price of package and lettres sent by La Poste must increase by almost 7% on January 1, 2025. This is due to inflation and the drop in the number of mailings.
- Increase in the price of mutual insurance
THE complementary health with mutual status increase their prices on average by 6% on January 1, 2025. This is what a survey by Mutualité Française, the federation that represents them, reveals.
The increase is lower than in 2024, when contracts increased by 8.1%. This increase varies depending on the contract.
- Increase in insurance prices
Same observation on the side of assurances. The Addactis firm, whose data was published at the end of September, is counting on an average increase of 6% automobile insurance premiums and the order of 8 to 10% in home insurance for January.
Same story from the specialist firm Facts & Figures. It reports an increase of 4 to 6% in automobiles and 10 to 12% in multi-risk home insurance.
On January 1, 2025, the price of tobacco will increase significantly, according to a decree published on December 10, 2024 in the Official Journal. According to the service-public site, the increase differs between manufacturers and products: “it can go up to one euro on a classic pack of cigarettes of 20 units.
ACCOMMODATION
- Prohibition on rental of G-rated accommodation
Housing with a class G energy performance diagnosis (DPE) will not be able to no longer be rented from January 1st.
This measure applies to new rental contracts and tacit renewals or renewals of contracts.
According to the Energy Regulatory Commission, the price of gas rises in January. The market reference price was 40.33 euros/MWh in December, it will increase to 44,61 euros/MWh from January 1, 2025.
Concretely, this means that the price of a kWh of gas increases from 0.141 euros to 0.146 euros for consumers using gas for cooking and hot water, an increase of around 2%.
For consumers using gas for heating, the price increases from 0.112 euros to 0.118 euros, or almost 4% increase.
- Obligation to inform about clearing
Here is information which concerns “owners of real estate, located near forest areas classified as at risk of fire”, lists the info.gouv site.
From January 1, 2025, these people must inform buyers or tenants of the obligation to clear their land. This measure was ratified by a decree last May.
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
From January 1, 2025, payment of active solidarity income (RSA) will be conditioned. Each recipient will be automatically registered with France Travail.
RSA beneficiaries will be required to sign an employment contract stipulating that they must work at least 15 hours per week, as provided for by the Full Employment Act.
Unemployment insurance rules are changing
The rules of unemployment insurance were modified by a decree published on December 20, 2024. This notably provides for raising by two years the age limits from which unemployed seniors benefit from a longer period of compensation . This measure only concerns those over 50. Another change is that allowances will now be paid on a fixed monthly basis.
Although the convention comes into force on January 1, 2025, these measures will only apply from April 2025.
- Changes to residency conditions
A decree of April 2024 published in Official Journal modifies the residence conditions for family benefits.
From January 2025, you will have to reside nine months a year in France (compared to six months currently) to receive family benefits such as the birth bonus or the back-to-school allowance.
From January 2024, “the duration of compensation for the caregiver's daily allowance (AJPA) can be renewed if a caregiver helps several people over the course of their life,” notes the info.gouv site.
He will be able to benefit from 66 days of compensation for each person helped, with a maximum of 264 days over the course of a lifetime.
BANQUE
The rate of remuneration for the housing savings plan (PEL) will be 1.75% if you open it after December 31, 2024, compared to 2.25% for PELs opened during the year 2024. Its rate therefore drops from 0. 5%.
- Free instant transfer
From January 9, 2025 this time, the instant bank transfers will become free. Banks will also have to allow all their customers to receive this type of transfer.
CAR
From January 1, 2025, the Low emission zones (ZFE) in France will see their scope widen to 42 townsaccording to the service-public.fr website. This is the case for Bordeaux, Rennes and even Pau.
Remember that to circulate in these ZFEs, vehicles must display a vignettethe famous Crit’Air. Mandatory and paid for, can be ordered online, it allows them to be classified according to their polluting emissions.
For metropolises that already have a ZFE, such as Paris, Lyon or Marseille, measures will be strengthened. For example, vehicles classified Crit'Air 3, including diesels registered before 2011 and gasolines before 2006, will be prohibited.
ENFANT
- A new health record
The health record will evolve from January 2025. New models will be put into circulation, including the list of compulsory exams and recommendations on screen time.
- A new health exam
A new examination is added to the 20 appointments already required. It only concerns children aged 6.
This new medical check-up includes a thorough assessment of several aspects: physical growth, oral health, vision, hearing, sleep quality, exposure to screens, physical activity and vaccination status.
As for health examinations carried out at eight days, eight months and 23 months, they will be simplified.
As we explained last December, the meningococcal infections have started to rise again. These bacteria can cause “very serious illnesses such as meningitis, which can be fatal or leave significant after-effects”, recalls Santé Publique France.
Faced with this resurgence, a new vaccination obligation against meningococcal infections will be applied to infants from January 2025.
- End of plastic in structures welcoming children
Establishments that welcome children, such as nurseries or leisure centers, will no longer be able to use plastic containers. plastic for cookingreheat or serve dishes.
“This concerns schools, nurseries and specific medical establishments in municipalities with 2,000 inhabitants or more,” specifies info.gouv.
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