Earning Power: Who Will Receive Exceptional Back-to-School Aid?

Deputies and senators have reached an agreement. Ahead of the final vote on amending the finance law on Thursday, the joint joint committee bringing together 14 elected representatives from the two parliamentary houses reached a compromise on Wednesday on the exceptional back-to-school aid announced by the government in July.

As part of the revision of the amending budget the day before, the right-wing majority in the Senate had provoked the ire of the left by voting, against the government’s advice, an amendment that eliminated this bonus for beneficiaries of social minimums (RSA , APL…) and scholarship students, before transforming it into a voucher of 150 euros for the sole beneficiaries of the activity voucher and the disabled adult subsidy (AAH). A way to value work, according to elected Republicans.

Finally, “the amendment of shame fell through a compromise” in a joint joint commission, greeted the socialist senator Rémi Cardon. The agreement reached between deputies and senators thus opens the exceptional back-to-school bonus to all recipients of minimum social benefits as well as to workers who receive the activity bonus. Some 8 million households representing 15 million French people would be affected.

100 euros

The exceptional back-to-school bonus will be paid in September “to those who need it most (…), to those who suffer most from the increase in food, fuel, and energy prices,” assured Bruno Le Maire this Wednesday this RTL. “It was not fair to deprive the most modest of this aid for the return to classes that is mainly intended to finance the purchase of food”, added the Minister of Economy.

In total, the system will cost the State 1,100 million euros. One billion will be allocated to beneficiaries of social minimums who will receive aid of 100 euros per adult. In its initial project, the Government also provided for an increase of 50 euros per child attached to the home. The remaining 100 million euros will go to workers who receive the activity bonus. It remains to determine the exact amount that each of them will be able to receive.

Finally, keep in mind that no action will be necessary to collect this exceptional bonus: the payment will be automatic.