Residence requirement for benefits proposed

The French government's Social Security budget proposal introduces a one-year residence requirement for non-European foreigners in regular legal status to access most family benefits and personal housing assistance. This applies to those without a work-allowing residence permit or coverage under a bilateral agreement.

Impact on beneficiaries limited

According to the impact study, the measure would affect about 400 people regarding family benefits, leading to annual savings of 1.8 million euros. Additionally, 25,000 households would have to wait for APL, resulting in 60 million euros in annual savings.

Political reactions mixed

Thibault Bazin (LR) noted the measure affects very few people and said the financial return is not significant. Sandrine Runel (PS) criticized the policy as a gesture to the far right, questioning whether foreign children need less support than French children for a year. Nicolas Turquois (MoDem) supported amendments to remove the article, backed by deputies from LFI, communist, and green groups.

Existing conditions for benefits

Some social benefits already require a residence period for foreign nationals. For example, the Active Solidarity Income (RSA) requires a work-allowing residence permit for five years, and the Solidarity Allowance for the Elderly (Aspa) requires ten years.

Constitutional considerations

In 2024, the Constitutional Council confirmed that residence periods could be linked to social benefits but deemed a five-year requirement excessive. The government reduced the period to one year in the Social Security proposal to align with constitutional requirements.