The single social allowance project withdrawn from the agenda of the Council of State

The government has just withdrawn the draft bill on the single social allowance from the agenda of the Council of State. This reform, announced by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu last fall, was intended to merge several existing benefits, such as the RSA (income support), housing benefits (APL), and the activity bonus, into a unified system. The bill was initially scheduled to be submitted in December 2025, but the Prime Minister's office has ultimately decided to suspend the process. This is another setback for this project, which is particularly important to the right wing.

A merger of social benefits suspended

The project aimed to simplify access to social benefits and reduce non-take-up of assistance, while streamlining public spending. The stated objective was to facilitate the application process for beneficiaries by consolidating several allowances under a single portal. However, questions about the technical feasibility and the financial consequences for recipients have steadily increased in recent months. Some observers feared that merging the benefits would lead to income losses for some current recipients.

A schedule that has become untenable

This withdrawal marks yet another postponement of a reform promised for several months. The initial timeline already seemed precarious given the administrative complexity and political resistance. Associations and experts questioned the government's ability to fulfill its commitments within such a tight timeframe. With no new date announced, the future of the single social allowance now remains uncertain.