CHRISTMAS BONUS. 2.5 million households will receive the Christmas bonus this year. Conditions, amount, payment and simulation… We take stock a few weeks before the deadline.
[Mis à jour le 2 novembre 2022 à 09h26] The exceptional end-of-year bonus, known as the “bonus of Christmas“, is paid the week before the end of year celebrations to recipients of social minima, such as the active solidarity income (RSA), thespecific solidarity allowance (ASS) or the pension equivalent allowance (AER), among others. This bonus concerns more than 2.5 million households in 2022. It demonstrates the Government’s commitment against poverty and for the purchasing power of low-income households, in line with the national strategy for prevention against poverty 2018-2022.
This year, the amount has not changed one iota, as since 2009: €152.45 for a single person. The payment date is scheduled for December 15, 2022 for Caf (RSA) payments, and at December 16, 2022 for payments made by Pôle Emploi (ASS). For new beneficiaries in the month of December, the payment of the bonus should be postponed to January 2023. Don’t worry if you didn’t receive it at the same time as everyone else, it’s completely normal.
Since 2009, the amounts of the Christmas bonus have remained unchanged. They depend on your social situation and, possibly, on your family situation. Clearly, the amount of the Christmas bonus does not depend on your income. Do you benefit from the Pôle emploi Christmas bonus, being unemployed at the end of your rights? In this case, Pôle emploi pays a fixed amount, regardless of the family situation. He wakes up at €152.45. If you benefit from the CAF Christmas bonus (because you are on the RSA for example), in this case, the amount depends on your family situation. It is between €152.45 for a single person and €442.10 for a couple with four children (to which are added €60.98 per additional person). Here is the list of the amounts of the Christmas bonus according to your family situation:
- €152.45 : single person
- €228.67 : single person with 1 child or person in a couple without children
- €274.41 : single person with 2 children or person in a couple with 1 child
- €320.14 : person in couple with 2 children
- €335.39 : single person with 3 children
- €381.12 : person in couple with 3 children
- €396.37 : single person with 4 children
- €442.10 : person in couple with 4 children
This year, the payment of the Christmas bonus will take place on Thursday, December 15.
There may be a delay of three to five days, from one bank to another: you are therefore likely to see the payment of the Christmas bonus on your account between December 18 and 20. SIf the payment is made a few days before the holidays, it sometimes happens that the payment is not made until the month of January 2023. This concerns new recipients, for the month of December. The transfer is automatique. Also, you are never safe from a delay on the part of your payment organization. But in reality, the few days of beat correspond to the processing time practiced by your bank. So, no worries if the transfer does not arrive immediately on your bank account
The Christmas bonus concerns beneficiaries of certain social minima from the Caisse des Family allowances and employment center. These two organizations do not conduct an income test to determine if you are eligible. Consequently, there is no actual income ceiling for receiving the Christmas bonus. In total, 2.3 million households will pocket the Christmas bonus by December 2022. Here are the social benefits you must receive to benefit from it:
- RSA: the active solidarity income is reserved for the most precarious people, aged over 25, who receive very few resources. Its fixed amount for a single person is 565 euros, if the recipient does not receivehousing allowances APL type.
- SSA: the specific solidarity allowance concerns unemployed people at the end of their rights whose resources do not exceed a ceiling. It is also necessary to have exercised a professional activity for five years during the 10 years preceding the end of the last employment contract.
- RPS: it is awarded to people who follow training “as part of courses approved by the State or the Region”. It ensures an income for its trainees. Please note that the RPS is only paid for the hours of training carried out and is therefore only paid partially in the event of unjustified absence.
- RFPE: it is aimed at job seekers who wish to take training approved by Pôle emploi. Please note that you do not have to receive unemployment benefit (ARE) when you register. The amount of training compensation depends on your social situation and the duration of your training.
- Lump-sum bonus for resumption of activity
- EAR: this social benefit has not been granted since 1 January 2011! The pension equivalent allowance was intended for job seekers who have not yet reached the legal retirement age, but who have acquired enough quarters for a full pension.
- ASS-F: it refers to the specific training solidarity allowance. “[Cette dernière] is the maintenance of your specific solidarity allowance (ASS) during your training when it is not financed by Pôle emploi”, explained on the dedicated page of Pôle emploi last year. “It can also be for you granted (subject to fulfilling the conditions of attribution of the ASS) if you reach the end of your rights (AREF, RFF or RFPE)”.
- ACRE-ASS: Assistance for the creation or takeover of a business means support and partial exemption from charges at the start of the activity. Called ACRE, it allows total exemption for 12 months when your income is below a ceiling.
Do you want to know or check the amount that should be allocated to you on December 15th? Nothing’s easier, mes-aides.gouv.fr allows you to know your rights, and in particular to know if you are entitled to one of the aids giving right to the Christmas bonus such as the RSA.
The Family Allowance Fund pays the Christmas bonus to RSA (Active Solidarity Income) recipients. Unlike traditional social benefits such as the activity bonus, the CAF does not carry out a study of the situation of your household (income, social benefits received, alimony, etc.). The granting of the Christmas bonus is automatic. There is therefore no point in contacting the Family Allowance Fund to hope for the payment of the premium.
Are you currently unemployed? Pôle emploi is responsible for paying the Christmas bonus to certain unemployed people. The latter must have exhausted their unemployment rights and receive the specific solidarity allowance (ASS). This therefore means that unemployed people receiving traditional unemployment benefits, also called return to work allowance (ARE), are not eligible. As a reminder, the specific solidarity allowance concerns unemployed people at the end of their rights whose resources do not exceed a ceiling.
The accumulation of the Christmas bonus with the activity bonus is possible, subject to conditions. If you receive the activity bonus in November or December 2022, the sum of your basic RSA and your activity bonus must be less than or equal to the amount of the basic RSA corresponding to the composition of the family. If you find yourself in any other situation, it will be impossible for you to combine the Christmas bonus with the activity bonus.
The Christmas bonus and theAAH are not cumulative. The disabled adult allowance is not part of the aid eligible for the Christmas bonus. The regular revaluation of the AAH is the main reason why the two aids cannot be combined. The latter has been revalued by 25% in ten years.
Are you at RSA? In this case, you are one of the households concerned by the CAF Christmas bonus. The amount of the CAF Christmas bonus depends on the composition of the household. Here are the amounts that apply:
- Single person: €152.45
- 2 people (single with 1 child or couple without children): €228.67
- 3 people (single with 2 children or couple with 1 child): €274.41
- A single person with 3 children: €335.39
- couple with 2 children: €320.14
- A single person with 4 children: €396.37
- couple with 3 children: €381.12
- A single person with 5 children: €457.35
- couple with 4 children: €442.10
- Per additional person: €60.98