Details on the system in 2022→

In 2021, new measures were taken with regard to the purchasing power check, better known as the food check. Since last September, this food check has been given to families in need.

The food voucher is an aid provided by the State families with social minima (about 9 million people) in order to protect their purchasing power. These are the main measures taken by the government.

What is purchasing power check ? What is its amount? Who is it paid to? We explain all this to you in this article.

What is the purchasing power check?

Most modest French families (4 million families) found themselves in difficulty this year, and for good reason, the 5,5% inflation that there was. In order to help them, the State has announced that it is paying these families new financial assistance to improve and increase their purchasing power, and that's the food check.

The government had considered the food check since 2021 and studied this project well before implementing it. However, the food check will not fit into the purchasing power bill. Indeed, there was a vote in which the state decided to give this check in September.

The food voucher is very similar to the bonus which was paid in May 2020 as well as in November of the same year. All beneficiaries of the purchasing power check will be free in their food expenses.

In addition to the food check, in the coming months, other aid could be paid to facilitate the purchase of organic, local and fresh food products. This is to encourage people to improve their diet.

Who are the people affected by the purchasing power check?

The food check is reserved for:

  • recipients of the RSA (Active Solidarity Income);
  • people who benefit from APL (Personalised Housing Assistance);
  • people on the AAH (Disabled Adult Allowance);
  • students who receive the Crous scholarship;
  • ASPA people (minimum old age);
  • students in a precarious situation.

For the above-mentioned persons who benefit from other food aid, they will only benefit from the food check only once.

What is the amount of the purchasing power check?

The amount of the purchasing power check is 100 € per house. In addition, €50 will be added for each dependent child. For example, for a couple with 3 children, they will receive €100 for the food check then €150 for their three children.

According to what we know, the food voucher project cost around 1 billion euros. Moreover, if we notice carefully, the purchasing power check is lower than the Covid premium which was paid in 2020.

How will the purchasing power check be paid?

The food voucher is paid directly to those concerned in their bank accounts, they will not have to take any action to benefit from it. It will be paid in one go. Last September, it was the CAF who were responsible for paying the food check to the beneficiaries.

With regard to students who receive aid from the Crous or scholarship holders, it is the CROUS who takes care to pay them the food check.

What foods can I buy with the purchasing power check?

The government meets technical difficulties regarding :

  • the list of products concerned (vegetables, fruits, organic products, etc.);
  • places of purchase (markets, small shops, supermarkets, etc.);
  • the terms of allocation.

It would seem that the food check is inspired meal tickets, but that the favored products stand out from the others. This therefore encourages low-income households to consume more healthy products, especially fruits and vegetables.

So that the poorest French people can access the best food, we try to integrate local foods, which are of plant and animal origin, but above all not processed. We also take into account the existing opposition between the different agricultural sectors. Ideally, the foods concerned should include everything, from organic fruits and vegetables to minimally processed store-bought foods that we consume on a daily basis.