In Lyon, the first encouraging results of the youth solidarity income

While the Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, announced Tuesday, November 2 the creation of a “Young Engagement Contract”, the executive of the metropolis of Lyon welcomes, for its part, the first results of its experimentation of Youth Solidarity Income (RSJ), initiated five months ago. This aid, created from scratch by the second largest community in France, is intended to support young people in great precariousness. The new ecological and socialist majority wanted to translate the issue of minimum income for young people into reality by inventing a local device. Since June, more than 500 young people have benefited from the metropolitan allowance, amounting to 300 to 400 euros, reserved for those who have left the education system and escape all existing systems, such as the youth guarantee, the young adult contract or the contractualized support path towards employment and autonomy.

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Intended for young people aged 18 to 24, residing in the perimeter of the agglomeration for at least six months, the mechanism developed by the metropolis of Lyon is aimed at young people with low resources for activities, under 400 euros monthly, without financial support from their parents. The RSJ seeks to supplement other aid, by reaching young people who do not have criteria or who are isolated. The minimum income is accompanied by monitoring, thanks to the links of the Lyon associative network. The maximum duration of the RSJ is set at twenty-four months, in renewable three-month periods. About 200 beneficiaries, out of the 500, left the system after five months. For the promoters of the Lyon RSJ, this is proof of its relevance.

“A real boost”

“We wanted to fill the gaps in the youth aid system, and it works! To all those who make the eternal trial of the assistantship, on the right as well as in the current government, we can say that the solidarity income brings a real boost. The solidarity income helps to get young people out of the most precarious situations ”, defends Bruno Bernard.

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The Lyon experience provides lessons on the situation of precarious youth. Nearly one in five young people live below the poverty line, according to the services of the metropolis. Girls and boys are equally among the first beneficiaries of RSJ, and their difficulties are manifold. About 25% are rejected from the labor market because of a ” lack of experience “, 20% by “Lack of skills”. About 15% suffer from health problems, and 12% suffer from degraded family situations. Almost 80% of beneficiaries are referred to the metropolis by local missions, and 20% by associations. According to the designers of the metropolitan project, the diversity of stakeholders ensures a “Custom work”. With a total budget of 10 million euros, the RSJ could concern 2,000 young people in the agglomeration.

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