Revenu de solidarité active

The Revenu de solidarité active (RSA) is a French form of in work welfare benefit aimed at reducing the barrier to return to work. It was implemented on 1 June 2009 by the French government.

RSA replaces Revenu minimum d'insertion; its goal is to provide a minimum income for unemployed and underemployed workers, with the aim of encouraging them to find work, and provide a complement for low-wage workers so that they do not suffer the perverse effects of earning less through employment than unemployment.

A worker may receive both RSA and the Prime pour l'emploi (PPE), but the PPE amount will be reduced depending on the amount of RSA collected.

RSA is also intended to replace Allocation de parent isolé (API), and ultimately various other government-sponsored back-to-work incentives and initiatives such as contrat unique d'insertion, contrat d'accompagnement dans l'emploi and contrat initiative emploi.^[1]

As of 1 January 2014, the monthly RSA allocation is 499.31 € for a single person and 1,079€ for a couple with two children.^[2]

Although the initial programme applied only to workers over the age of 25, "La loi de finances pour 2010 (article 135)"^[3] extended benefits to young people aged 18 to 25 having worked the equivalent of at least two years over the preceding three calendar years.

Calculation

If a persons revenue from work do not reach the RSA threshold then the state pays a "negative" income tax to the employee being the difference between the RSA and the persons own earnings. This guarantees that there is no disincentive to work.

Amount

The monthly RSA benefit decreases as revenue from work increases until revenue from work reaches a maximum amount equivalent to the Minimum wage, 17,451€ per person (2014).

References

External links and further reading

• Allegre, G. (2011) Le RSA: distribution vers les travailleurs pauvres et offre de travail. Revue de l’OFCE 118(Juillet): 33–62.

• Anne, D. and L’horty, Y. (2002) Transferts sociaux locaux et retour à l'emploi. Economie et Statistique 30(février): 357–358.

• Denis, A. and L’horty, Y. (2012) Revenu de solidarité active (RSA) et incitations au retour à l’emploi en France. Revue internationale de sécurité sociale 65(3): 85–112.

• Eydoux, A. and Tuchszirer, C. (2011) Du RMI au RSA: la difficile mise en place d'une gouvernance décentralisée des politiques d'insertion. Revue française des affaires sociales 4(4): 90–113.

• Mongin, P. (2008) Sur le Revenu de Solidarité Active. Revue d'économie politique 118(3): 433–474.
• Vlandas, T., 2013. The politics of in-work benefits: The case of the ‘active income of solidarity’ in France. French Politics 11, 117–142.

See also

• Revenu minimum d'insertion
• Guaranteed minimum income
• Poverty in France
• Working tax credit