The aid paid by CAF and MSA is subject to conditions, and not just resources. This allowance may be withdrawn partially or completely if the beneficiary does not respect this obligation.
In France, there are numerous aids to help low-income households. To benefit from it, you must meet certain conditions, for example not exceeding a certain income. Applicants are required to provide the correct information and, in the event of incorrect declaration, aid may be reduced or withdrawn. And for some, it is not just the fact of filling out the information form incorrectly that can result in a sanction.
This is particularly the case for the active solidarity income (RSA), paid monthly by the Family Allowance Fund (CAF) or the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA). This aid is a bit special, since it is a national allocation, but the departments which pay it can set certain conditions. In addition to providing a financial boost, the RSA comes with help in finding a job. This may involve group meetings, appointments with a counselor, etc., which are not optional. Thus, if the beneficiaries do not show up for summons, the department can partially or completely withdraw this aid from them.
In fact, since October 24, 2024, the Nord department has decided to increase the sanctions. Until now, a recipient was deprived of 100 euros of the RSA amount in the event of absenteeism, but they can now lose up to 80% of the aid. For the moment, the payment is given retroactively if the beneficiary begins to meet his obligations again, but the president of the Departmental Council, Christian Poiret, specifies The Voice of the North also want to change that.
Note that the North is not the only department to sanction RSA beneficiaries if they do not respect their obligations. The punishment depends on each individual, but it is generally a reduction or suspension of aid, or even deregistration. This is the case for example in Bouches-du-Rhône, Savoie, Corsica or even Charente-Maritime, as we can read on the dedicated sites of each department.
Recipients whose aid is reduced or eliminated have different recourses, and this is how, in June 2024, the Lyon administrative court reversed the decision of the Rhône department to eliminate the RSA of a woman who does not was not presented at an information meeting, reports News Lyon. It was considered that his absence was not justified by “legitimate reason”. However, the court considered that, even if she had not warned in advance, the reason for her absence was legitimate, since she was summoned to the children’s court at that time.