RSA, activity bonus: the government somewhat limits the damage caused by the amount of the social network

Small improvements to the rights of RSA recipients and activity bonuses. AND Update published in the official Social Security Bulletin (Boss), Tuesday, November 14, plans to adjust the way it is calculated “social net amount”this new information, which gradually appears on the pay slips of employees and representatives of the public sector from 1 July 2023. As a reminder, the social net amount is calculated from all gross amounts corresponding to the remuneration paid by the employer to the employee (salary, bonus, overtime allowances, benefits in kind), from which social security contributions and allowances are deducted that apply to them.

The aim of this new wording on French payrolls is make it easier to apply for social benefits with Family Allowance Funds (Caf): from 1 January 2024 it will be COMPULSORY declare this social net amount when applying for RSA or activity bonus. A novelty intended to reduce the risk of errors on the part of recipients. Because today they have to declare the total amount of their resources every quarter. An amount they have to calculate… themselves.

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The social net amount increases the declared resources… and reduces the benefits paid

When they ask RSA or activity bonus, some recipients therefore report their gross salary, others the net payable amount (the amount actually paid by the employer to the employee) or the net taxable amount (the amount subject to withholding tax). income tax). The obligation to declare the net social value of your income is therefore intended standardize declaration of recipients of active solidarity income and/or activity allowance avoid mistakes.

The problem is that due to the way it is calculated, the social net amount greater than the resources declared so far many recipients. In detail, it was originally planned to include in the amount of the social network employer payments for social benefits and supplementary pension insurance, support paid by the company for childcare, a sustainable mobility package, holiday vouchers, or restaurant coupon. Under these conditions, it is mandatory to declare the social net amount when applying for RSA or bonus for activity from 2024 it will lead to an increase in the revenues reported by Cafs, and thus to an reduction in the amount of social benefits for certain recipients who, without attempting to defraud, but due to a pure lack of information, do not currently provide the correct resources. When asked about the number of beneficiaries who could benefit, the Ministry of Solidarity has not yet responded to our request.

Already this summer, several trade unions warned against this this planning of rights associated with the determination of the social net amount. According to a survey carried out by the CFDT among beneficiaries, a lawyer living alone with her 13-year-old son, who today declares a net monthly salary before tax of 1,708 euros and whose social net amount is 1,979 euros as a student, will see her activity bonus reduced by 80 euros per month from January 1, 2024 (from today’s 164 euros, it would increase to 84 euros next year). Another example : A receptionist who today declares a net payable amount before tax of €1,599 per month and whose net social security amount is €1,765 will lose 65 euros monthly activity bonus next year (falling from 144 euros today to 79 euros per month in 2024).

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Some elements of the reward have been removed from the amount of the social network

The unions have therefore asked the government to remove some elements taken into account when calculating the social net amount. And this Tuesday, they partially won their case. From now on, as stated in the official Social Security Bulletin, “all contributions corresponding to collective guarantees within the meaning of Article L. 911-1 of the Social Security Code are excluded from the calculation of the net social amount”namely the contract of foresight az supplementary pension.

But this fix remains “insufficient”regrets the Force Ouvrière in a press release, also published this Tuesday. This adjustment will not actually prevent some beneficiaries from having their RSA or activity bonus reduced, with other elements that increase the resources to be declared from 2024 still being integrated into the social network amount. That’s why the FO especially demands that “taking into account the salary part of the financing food stamps which applies to almost all workers as well as the participation of employers in holiday vouchers and during financing of personal services» are removed from the amount of the social network. However, we are not sure whether the government will respond favorably to this request.