Budget 2026: The government Wants to Eliminate the Christmas Bonus for Families Without Children

AUSTERITY: The government wants to reserve the Christmas bonus only for minimum social welfare recipients who have children, instead of paying it to all RSA beneficiaries and to unemployed people at the end of their rights as is currently the case

The government now wants to reserve the bonus of Christmas to minimum social welfare recipients who have children. The 2026 finance bill provides for a reduction in the budget dedicated to this end-of-year bonus. In the amount of 150 euros for a single person, it is usually paid to all beneficiaries of the RSA and to unemployed at the end of rights. The government now wants to reserve it for beneficiaries who have children.

“The French State has been very generous”, said Minister of Labor and Solidarity Jean-Pierre Farandou on France Inter on Tuesday to justify this proposal. “I am not sure that our country has the means to pursue these policies of maximum generosity. We must therefore accept a refocusing. ”

LFI evokes a “despicable” proposal

Recognizing that this type of measure could seem “a little aggressive”, the minister said he was “open” to reinstating the bonus for all beneficiaries, provided that the “balance” of Social Security accounts is maintained.

For the coordinator of LFI, Manuel Bompard, this proposal is “despicable”: “Even if they have no children”, these beneficiaries of minimum social benefits “have a family” and “it is on these people that we are going to save money”, he lamented Tuesday on France Info.

“Single people, isolated people, people who no longer have dependent children for example, will not be able to go see their loved ones, will not be able to give gifts, will not be able to invite them home, will be deprived of 150 euros”, denounces MP Hadrien Clouet.

Created in 1998 and continued since, the Christmas bonus has until now been allocated to more than 2.2 million households. Its amount was progressive depending on the composition of the family, for example a couple with two children received around 320 euros last year and a single person with three children 335 euros.