The National Assembly again said no, Thursday, December 2 in the evening, to an individualization of the allowance for disabled adults (AAH), demanded by the oppositions on behalf of the ” social justice “, but rejected by the majority, which evoked electoral aims.
The bill containing this sensitive measure was examined at third reading during a “niche” devoted to the texts of the French Communist Party (PCF) group. The “Deconjugalization” of the allowance for disabled adults consists in calculating the AAH without taking into account the spouse’s income, unlike what is done today.
Its supporters, from left to right through the Agir group, an ally of the majority, recalled that some disabled people have to choose between living as a couple, at the risk of seeing their allowance decrease, or keep it, but in legally renouncing their union. “This price of love is unacceptable” and the rule in force “Contrary to the most elementary humanity”, hammered the rapporteur, Stéphane Peu (PCF).
“We will not let go”, assured Aurélien Pradié (The Republicans, LR), who had also brought the subject in October before the Assembly.
” Dead end “
The majority La République en Marche-Mouvement Démocrate (LRM-MoDem) questioned ” meaning “ of this proposal on the AAH “A few months before the presidential election”, and invited his opponents to wear it in the campaign.
The government is against “Deconjugalization”, which he considers unfair, because it benefits the poor as well as the wealthy. He also presents her as a ” dead end “ likely to call into question “The entire French social protection system based on family and national solidarity”, a position repeated in the Hemicycle by Sophie Cluzel, the Secretary of State for disabled people. “I don’t see social justice anywhere”, she repeated, referring for example to people with disabilities financially supporting their families and who could lose the allowance in the event of de-maritalization.
The majority voted in the 2022 budget a formula considered “More redistributive” : a flat-rate allowance of 5,000 euros on the spouse’s income, i.e. an estimated average gain of 110 euros per month for 120,000 couples from the 1er January 2022. “This government sets up real rights, not incantation”, according to Mme Cluzel.
The bill, emptied of its flagship measure, can return for a third reading before the Senate, with a right-wing majority, which had voted in October very largely in favor of the “Deconjugalization”. But it would take an agreement from the Assembly for a final adoption of the measure. With a maximum amount of 904 euros per month, the AAH, intended to compensate for the inability to work, now has more than 1.2 million beneficiaries, including 270,000 couples.