[PRIME DE NOËL 2022] Around mid-December, households considered to be the poorest will receive the Christmas bonus. In an inflationary context, will this allowance also be revalued?
[Mise à jour du 16 novembre à 15h08] Around mid-December, approximately 2.43 million French households will receive the Christmas bonus. 508.9 million euros are provided for by the 2022 finance law to finance this bonus, the average amount of which is around 209 euros. An amount calculated according to that of recent years, in a regulated economic context. But today that inflation is growing at breakneck speed (double-digit inflation is announced for 2023), is this amount still appropriate? Many allowances have been the subject of an exceptional revaluation since this summer given this context, but for the time being, no indexation has been announced for the Christmas bonus. Only once in 2008 was it readjusted by 2.8% in view of the then price rise. Having reached almost double today, the government will certainly specify as each beginning of December the possible contours of the Christmas bonus 2022. Several unions have already called for its increase.
Who is entitled to the 2022 Christmas bonus? Terms
The Christmas bonus is intended for households counted as the most precarious, those who already receive these social minima: the RSA (active solidarity income), the ASS (specific income allowance) or the AER (equivalent allowance retirement). Depending on individual circumstances, it is paid by the CAF, the MSA, or by Pôle Emploi.
Christmas bonus paid by Pôle Emploi
If your right to one of the allowances below is in progress for the month of November or December 2022, you will be able to receive the Christmas bonus which will be automatically paid to you by Pôle Emploi. Beneficiaries of social minima eligible for it are those who are entitled to:
- The specific solidarity allowance (ASS)
- The specific training solidarity allowance (ASS-F)
- Pension equivalent allowance (EAR)
- Public internship compensation (RPS)
- Remuneration for Pôle Emploi training (RFPE)
- Assistance in setting up and taking over a business (ACRE-ASS)
► The amount paid by Pôle Emploi remains fixed in 2022: 152.45 euros for mainland France and the overseas departments and 76.22 euros in Mayotte.
Please note: Beneficiaries of the allowance for disabled adults (AAH) are not eligible for the Christmas bonus.
Christmas bonus paid by CAF or MSA for RSA beneficiaries
The Christmas bonus is paid by the CAF or the MSA to beneficiaries of the Active Solidarity Income (RSA) the amount of which varies according to the composition of the family and the number of children. To benefit from the Christmas bonus, your right to one of these allowances must be in progress for the month of November or December 2022. If you are a new beneficiary, the Christmas bonus will then be paid to you in January 2023.
For ASS or AER beneficiaries
For people who receive the lump sum premium for resumption of activity, the ASS or the AER, the amount of the premium is fixed, regardless of the number of members in your household. The amount of the Christmas bonus for these eligible people is also 152.45 euros.
Will the Christmas bonus be increased this year?
Since 2008, the amount of the premium Christmas is always the same. At that time, to “compensate for the delay” on inflation, as announced by then President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Christmas bonus had been exceptionally increased to 200 euros. Is this on the table again today, in 2022, with inflation hitting a record high in October of 10.7%? The representatives of the CGT and the CFDT want it. According to the website thank you for the information, who recently interviewed them, the two unions are demanding that the Christmas bonus be increased. In detail, the CGT imagines a revaluation to 500 euros and that the aid be extended to “all unemployed persons”. On the side of the CFDT, it is estimated “that it would be logical for the Christmas bonus to be revalued taking into account the level of inflation”.
To date, the government has not announced any increase in the Christmas bonus. As a reminder, in recent months, in the face of galloping inflation, the back-to-school allowance, the family support allowance and many other social benefits have benefited from an exceptional increase.
Who pays the Christmas bonus?
Different organizations pay the Christmas bonus. Depending on your professional and family situation, it will be distributed by Pôle Emploi, the Caisse des Allocations Familiales or the Caisse centrale de la Mutualité sociale agricole.
To find out if you can claim the Christmas bonus, just do a simulation on the site mes-aides.gouv.fr ! After answering the questions, you will know your rights and the aid you can claim.
What is the amount of the Christmas bonus in 2022?
The amount of the Christmas bonus has remained unchanged in recent years. However, not all recipients will receive the same amount. An unemployed beneficiary, in particular at the end of his rights, will be entitled to the fixed amount of €152.45, paid by Pôle emploi. On the other hand, if you are eligible for the Christmas bonus paid by CAF, you can, depending on the composition of your family – and subject to receiving the RSA beforehand -, receive up to 442.10 euros.
| Family status (RSA) | If you live alone | If you live as a couple |
|---|---|---|
| Childless | €152.45 | €228.67 |
| 1 child | €228.67 | €274.41 |
| 2 children | €274.41 | €320.14 |
| 3 children | €335.39 | €381.12 |
| 4 children | €396.37 | €442.10 |
| Per additional child | €60.98 | €60.98 |
In Mayotte, the amount of the Christmas bonus is significantly lower. In this overseas department, the aid is set at 76.22 euros. For RSA beneficiaries in a 2-person household, the amount is 114.34 euros; for 3 people at 137.20 euros and for 4 people at 160.06 euros.
When will the 2022 Christmas bonus be paid?
This year, the payment of the Christmas bonus begins on December 15, 2022. But in a specific case, the payment of aid will be postponed. If in December 2022, you receive the RSA for the first time, you will only receive the Christmas bonus in January 2023. Note also that the payment deadlines can take several days depending on your bank but also according to the treatment of the CAF , Pôle Emploi or the MSA which grant the aid. Some people should expect to see it in their bank account between December 18 and 20.
Are the Christmas bonus and the activity bonus cumulative?
A single scenario allows the two bonuses to be combined. If in November or December 2022 you receive the activity bonus, you must respect this condition: receive the base RSA (regardless of the amount) + the activity bonus without ever exceeding the amount of the basic RSA which corresponds to the composition of your family
What are the steps to benefit from the Christmas bonus?
To request or obtain the Christmas bonus, it’s simple, no steps are required. If you are eligible and you receive the RSA, the Christmas bonus is automatically paid by the CAF or the MSA depending on your situation. Do you receive the ASS, the AER or the flat-rate premium for resumption of activity? It will then be Pôle Emploi who will take care of the payment, usually within 15 days before Christmas. In all cases, the payment of the Christmas bonus is made automatically to the bank accounts of the persons concerned. A word of advice: if you are a beneficiary of the Rsa in November or December 2022, make sure that the information communicated to your CAF is up to date to avoid any error or delay in payment.
Is the Christmas bonus taxable?
When filing your income tax return, you don’t need to mention the Christmas bonus. Indeed, the Christmas bonus is not taken into account in the calculation of the tax, being indeed considered as a non-taxable income.