- Select a language for the TTS:
- UK English Female
- UK English Male
- US English Female
- US English Male
- Australian Female
- Australian Male
- Language selected: (auto detect) - EN
Play all audios:
A NEW FORM OF INCOME SUPPORT, THE REVENU DE SOLIDARITÉ ACTIVE OFFICIALLY STARTS THIS MONTH. THE revenu de solidarité active income support scheme has come into force to streamline payments
made to the unemployed and to those starting work. Anyone over 25, or with a child, receiving less than €880 a month can benefit. The government says the RSA will immediately lift 700,000
people over the country’s poverty threshold of €880 per month – an estimated 7.9 million currently live below it. President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to reduce this by one third within five
years. The minister in charge, Martin Hirsch said: “The financial crisis has made the RSA more indispensible than ever.” The RSA affects three million households in France and replaces the
RMI ( Revenu Minimum d'Insertion (RMI). It has been financed since the beginning of this year through an extra 1.1% tax on capital revenues such as interest. Payments continue once a
person has found work and include transport and childcare costs to ensure a person will always earn more in work than remaining unemployed. While the CFDT union has welcomed the scheme, the
CGT union said it would “encourage employers to use more part time contracts, to lower salaries and not pay wages appropriate to the job”.
