FOOD CHECK. The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau spoke about the payment of the food check. It could arrive in 2022, in the fall. Explanations.
[Mis à jour le 21 juin 2022 à 11h26] New twist on the food check? The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau spoke at the microphone of France Info this Monday, June 20 concerning the implementation of the food check with new elements: “lThe food check will come rather in the October-November period in the finance bill.” Rather expected for 2023, it could therefore arrive earlier than expected. However, its implementation remains extremely complex, because “we must bring together farmers, producers, the various sectors. There is also the question of the environmental impact of this or that product.” affirmed Marc Fesneau. “The question, is it organic or not organic? Fruits and vegetables, or not? The question is the food, not the place of distribution” did he declare.
But then, who will be able to benefit from the famous food check promised by Emmanuel Macron since 2020? One thing is certain, we will still have to wait, it will not be paid before this fall. Postponed due to its complexity of implementation in favor of the new inflation premium. Regarding the beneficiaries, students and 18-25 year olds could be favored by the executive, in the same way as the modest and middle classes. Finally, low-wage families with dependent children could also benefit from this new scheme. The food check does not seem to be one of the priorities of the executive after having lost the absolute majority in the National Assembly, it will still be necessary to wait several months before knowing the exact terms of payment, and the exact beneficiaries. Remember that the amount of the food check should be between 100 and 150 euros, depending on the number of dependent children in the household.
If Emmanuel Macron is re-elected and sets up this new aid, the food check should be a device aimed at the most deprived people. Emmanuel Macron spoke of “lower classes” and “middle classes” at France Bleu on March 22, 2022. What will be the criteria? Will there be a reference tax income threshold not to be exceeded? For the moment, these questions have not yet been arbitrated. At this stage, several leads are on the table. In 2021, the Ministry of the Economy defended the idea that the system be entrusted to the municipal centers for social action (CCAS), thus targeting 5 million beneficiaries, a track also presented by the citizens of the Citizens’ Convention in their report.
The Minister of Agriculture, he leaned more towards aid for “young people or families with children on low incomes”, in the form of a check or card. The idea is also carried by the deputy of Paris, Mounir Mahjoubi, who defends a project close to that of Julien Denormandie.
The payment of the food check was planned for the start of the 2022 school year, but its implementation proved to be more complex than expected for the executive. Budget Minister Gabriel Attal “hopes to be able to present this measure in 2023”. For the time being, no precise date has been communicated, and the food check is replaced in 2022 by a new inflation bonus of 150 euros, paid at the start of the 2022 school year.
The amount of the food check is not yet known but should be between 100 and 150 euros. “The total budget could then rise from a few hundred million to two billion euros,” said MP Mounir Mahjoubi in February 2021 in Ouest-France. “Afterwards, this will come into confrontation with other proposals, such as specific allocations for the Covid period. This is the whole subject of the discussions which are taking place at governmental level”, he added then. The powerful agricultural union FNSEA offers a device that would allow you to spend 5 euros a day. Invited by Jean-Jacques Bourdin on April 21, 2021, Julien Denormandie had advanced the amount of 50 euros per month.
The Family Allowance Fund does not currently allocate food vouchers nationwide but could be the body responsible for this system, linked to the social aid it already pays. At the local level, certain food aid schemes can already be put in place. It is advisable to contact the social action department of your fund. On its dedicated site, the Caf de Saône-et-Loire notably highlighted the implementation of one-off aid in April 2020, in order to help the most deprived to buy basic food products. The device was then aimed at beneficiaries of family benefits, APL, RSA and the activity bonus.
The priority of Emmanuel Macron and his government is fruit and vegetables. And French if possible, from short circuits, and organic! Products qualified as “healthy”. This food check could be used in the supermarket or on the stalls of your local markets.