Fuel assistance expanded in France

The French government has doubled the fuel assistance given to workers who commute by car and extended the program to an additional 2.5 million people. This brings the total number of eligible citizens to 5.5 million. Existing recipients will automatically receive 100 euros starting October 16, while new beneficiaries must fill out a form on the government website starting October 22.

Existing recipients get automatic payments

David Amiel, the minister for Public Action and Public Accounts, confirmed that the assistance for "grand rouleurs" — a term used for long-distance commuters — will continue. The amount will increase from 50 to 100 euros by the end of the year. The 1.6 million people who had already received the assistance will automatically get 100 euros on their bank accounts starting October 16.

Low uptake of the program

The government launched the "grand rouleurs" assistance program on impots.gouv.fr on May 27. By mid-September, only about 1.5 million of the 3 million eligible workers had taken advantage of the program. Many did not complete the required online form to receive the money, with nearly half of the eligible individuals not claiming the assistance.

Eligibility criteria and income limits

The assistance is given once per vehicle and requires that the individual uses their personal car to commute to work and lives more than 15 kilometers from their workplace. This makes for a round trip of more than 30 kilometers and over 8,000 kilometers per year. Income limits have been raised to 2,050 euros net per month for a single person, 4,070 euros for a couple, and higher amounts for those with children.

Fuel prices and cost savings

On October 8, the average price of diesel was 2.35 euros per liter, according to Selectra, a company that calculates fuel prices using data from official stations. Deputy minister Maud Bregeon estimated the assistance would save about 40 cents per liter of fuel on average for two months. This is double the initial 20 cents per liter. A full tank of 50 liters would save a "grand rouleur" about 20 euros for five tanks.

Government action and criticism

The government also announced a reduction of 12 to 18 cents per liter of diesel, achieved by releasing 10 million barrels from strategic reserves. This would save 26 to 29 euros per full tank. Deputy Matthias Tavel from LFI criticized the approach, saying the government should have frozen fuel prices and oil company margins. He argued the assistance should be based on actual kilometers driven rather than a flat rate. Sebastien Lecornu is set to meet with fuel distributors at Matignon on October 12 to finalize the details of the operation.