The Ministry of Culture has decided to relax the eligibility conditions of the aid scheme for freelance journalists whose income has been impacted by the health crisis.
The eligibility conditions for financial aid intended for freelancers affected by the health crisis have been broadened, the Ministry of Culture announced on Monday. In a decree of September 10, aid of 29.5 million euros over two years was allocated for freelance journalists who suffered a decline in activity and income between 2019 and 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis . A first campaign to submit requests for assistance took place between September 30 and November 15.
Of the 1,107 files submitted, 594 freelancers will receive a payment “Before the end of the year 2021”, assures the ministry, acknowledging however that nearly half of them could not benefit from this assistance since they did not meet the eligibility conditions. “This is why the Ministry of Culture has decided, in conjunction with the journalists’ unions and the Profession freelance association, to relax the conditions of eligibility of the device and the methods of calculating the base of the aid. “, explains the ministry in a press release.
Modified on December 23, the decree now allows “Remove any condition relating to the reduction in the reference tax income of the applicant’s household to determine the latter’s eligibility” and “Not to take into account replacement income (unemployment benefits, partial activities, daily allowances) in the calculation of the base”, specifies the ministry.
A complementary campaign will therefore be launched on the aide-pigistes-covid.fr online platform from February 1, 2022 in order to investigate the files of freelancers who were declared ineligible during the first campaign.