This research project aims to update estimates of, and identify the determinants of, non-take-up of the RSA (the French minimum income benefit) and the Prime d’activité (in-work benefit) in France. Non-take-up refers to situations in which individuals who are eligible for a social benefit do not claim it. To date, the extent and determinants of non-take-up remain only partially understood in France.
The project will contribute to a better understanding of how the informational, administrative, and psychological costs associated with claiming these benefits may reduce take-up and, ultimately, undermine the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion. Identifying these costs is particularly relevant in light of current policy debates in France surrounding the introduction of solidarité à la source (automatic benefit payment) and the implementation of the December 2023 Full Employment Act, which requires RSA recipients to undertake 15 hours of weekly work-related activities.
The second objective of this research is to provide the first description of the intra-annual instability of both primary income and disposable income in France. It will examine whether the French social protection system succeeds in stabilizing monthly incomes, particularly for individuals and households experiencing highly volatile earnings.
The project is conducted within the framework of a postdoctoral research agreement with the DREES.
A first study estimated the rate of non-take-up of the RSA in the fourth quarter of 2021 and profiled households that were eligible for the benefit but did not claim it. Among the estimated 1.51 million households eligible for the RSA in the fourth quarter of 2021, more than one in three did not receive the benefit. On average, households that did not claim the RSA were less socioeconomically disadvantaged than those that did. They were more likely to own their homes, had higher standards of living, higher educational attainment, and were closer to the labour market. They were also less connected to the social protection system and tended to remain eligible for the RSA for shorter periods than recipient households.