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France doubles aid to help households get faster internet

State aid for households in France who do not have access to a good internet connection will double to between €300 and €600 depending on income, from next month.

Published: 11 March 2022 17:07 CET

France doubles aid to help households get faster internet

Photo: Philipp Katzenberger / Unsplash

The Digital Cohesion of Territories scheme has allowed eligible individuals and businesses in areas not covered by fibre internet and where the ADSL network is considered insufficient to benefit from a financial boost of up to €150 since 2019.

But, in February, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the additional help for those left behind in the push towards high-speed internet to cover part of the cost of buying and installing wireless solutions, such as 4G or 5G connections.

The new subsidies will take effect from April 1st and will be available to qualifying households in the 28,000 areas of France where internet speeds are considered to be too slow.

By accessing the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires website here, householders will be able to find out the contact details of operators of wireless, satellite or closed-loop internet services are available in their département.

It is up to the householder to then contact the service providers and make the necessary arrangements. Any subsidies will be arranged at this time in consultation with the service provider.

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Why you might get a letter about French benefits

In April, the French government passed a decree that will tighten up residency requirements for different types of benefits, including the old-age top-up benefit.

Previously, the rule for most benefits was residency in France for at least six months of the previous year to qualify, though some required eight months and others, like the RSA (a top-up for people with little to no income) requires nine months’ residency per year.

However, the government announced in 2023 its intention to increase the period to nine months for several different programmes – which was put into decree in April – in an effort to combat social security fraud, as well as to standardise the system.

The changes, which will go into effect at the start of 2025, do not affect access to healthcare – foreigners can still access French public healthcare as long as they have been resident here for a minimum of three months.

Similarly, the rules for accessing chômage (unemployment benefits) have not changed yet. Currently, you must have worked for at least six months out of the last 24 months to be eligible, as well as meeting other criteria including how you left your previous job.

This may change in the future, however, with the French government poised to reform the unemployment system again.

READ MORE: How France plans cuts to its generous unemployment system

Which benefits are affected?

The old-age benefit – or the ASPA – will apply the new nine month requirement. Previously, people needed to be in France for at least six months out of the year to qualify.

If you receive this benefit already, you will probably get a letter in the mail in the near future informing you of the change – this is a form letter and does not necessarily mean that your benefits will change.

If you are already a recipient – and you live in France for at least nine months out of the year – then you do not need to worry about your access to the ASPA changing.

If you want to access this benefit, it is available to certain foreigners, even though it is intended to help elderly (over 65) French citizens with low state pensions.

It is only available to foreigners who have been living legally in France for at least 10 years, and starting in 2025 you will need to spend nine out of 12 months a year in France. You can find more information at THIS French government website.

Otherwise, prestations familiales, or family benefits will be affected by the new nine month residency rule. These are available to foreigners with valid residency cards, as long as their children also live in France.

This includes the family allowance (given out by CAF), which is available for families on low incomes with more than two children, as well as the ‘Prime à la Naissance’, which is a means-tested one-off allowance paid in the seventh month of pregnancy to effectively help with the start-up costs of becoming a parent, will also be affected by the new nine month residency rule.

READ MORE: France’s family benefit system explained

If you receive these benefits already, then you will likely receive a letter explaining the changes shortly.

And finally – the RSA, which is the top-up benefit for people with little to no income, was already held to the nine month standard, so there will be no residency-related changes.

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