Many young people should have benefited from this valuable aid, but only 42% received it in 2022. But few of them are informed.
The aid is beneficial in helping families cope with financial difficulties and the rising cost of living. The back-to-school allowance, paid each year to parents of school-age children aged 6 to 18, this year amounted to between €416.40 and €454.60 depending on the age of the children. But for children in child protection, this back-to-school bonus is paid into an account managed by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, which manages it until the child reaches the age of majority. When they reach the age of majority, these young people can then benefit from this “savings fund”, which is very practical when they enter adult life. In concrete terms, this savings fund is made up of all the back-to-school allowances (ARS) that the child’s family should have received during the years they were in child protection. The problem is that this money is not automatically received when they come of age.
Indeed, it is up to the young person to make a request in order to obtain their payment. And most of them are not necessarily well informed or do not take the time to carry out the administrative procedures. Result; only 42% of the young adults concerned received their nest egg in 2022 and 21.5 million euros were not claimed, according to the newspaper La Croix.
In a press release dated August 29, 2024, the collective Cause Majeur! calls for a simplification of access to this nest egg, in particular by proposing an automatic payment into the young person’s account as soon as they come of age. It also recommends better information on this system as well as awareness-raising among professionals to better support the people concerned.However, this financial aid is not sufficient on its own and must be supplemented for each young person by socio-educational support until their full inclusion in society.“, adds the collective.
