Check energy, family benefits, gas prices : what is changing in April

The point about new developments that affect your budget this Monday, 1st April.

With the month of April occurs, in normal times, the upgrading of various family benefits and social in order to compensate for inflation. This year, several overriding rules apply, the government announced at the end of last summer that the rate of indexing different coexist in 2019 according to the nature of the aid. Households should, however, receive good news in their mailboxes : the check of energy 2019, which will provide, inter alia, to pay a portion of their bills for electricity or gas.

+ 0.3% for family benefits

The désindexation of pensions to retirees, decided in the framework of the budget of 2019 to the social Security, has caused much ink to flow. Another went more unnoticed : that of the family benefits. These are beautiful and well-adjusted on 1st April, but the increase will not be, as for retreats in January, of 0.3%, close to compensating for inflation (1.1% in march).

Among the services concerned, family allowances, premiums, birth and adoption, the supplement for free choice of childcare (CMG), the basic allowance of the Paje (prestation d'accueil du jeune child), etc., The premium of birth, for example, happens to 946,39 to 949,24€.

Your support is essential. Subscribe for $ 1 support Us

the Revaluation of the RSA

Unlike the family benefits, the income of active solidarity (RSA) should be indexed in a conventional manner, this 1st of April, that is to say, on inflation. The amount of the lump sum passes to 550,93 to 559,74 €, an increase of 1.6 %.

also new for the beneficiaries of the RSA : from this month, the annual renewal of the CMU-C (universal health coverage complementary) is now automatic.

What about the other social benefits traditionally uprated on the 1st April ? The AAH (allowance for disabled adult) and the premium of activity that have experienced exceptional increases recently (in November for the first, in January for the other), their amounts are not changed. In contrast, the ASI (additional allocation of disability) increases by 1.6%.

The check of energy in the mailbox

The sending of "cheques" energy to about 5.8 million households have begun at the end of march and will continue until the end of the month of April. Amount : between 48 and 277€, depending on resources and the composition of the household. These vouchers can, as the name suggests, be used to pay the energy bills (gas, electricity, heating oil, etc), but also, under certain conditions, for an expenditure of energy renovation in housing.

No action is required to receive this yearly check, it is assigned depending on the last income tax return. But be careful not to forget to use it : you have in general a year to do it. According to the minister of the action and of the public Accounts, Gérald Darmanin, 560, 000 households, having received it in 2018 have left to sleep at the bottom of a drawer.

This device, which is widespread in 2018, has been expanded this year to 2.2 million new households, with the result of the contestation of the yellow vests. The amounts have been increased - the maximum aid last year amounted to 227€. You can check on the official website if you are eligible, as well as the shipping dates, which vary depending on the departments.

New reduction sensitive to gas prices

For the households affected by the regulated prices of gas, which are marketed by Engie, this month of April is marked by a decrease of 2.1% in average prices excluding taxes. They had already recorded three months of declines in consecutive December to February, before stagnating in march. Upcoming changes planned : 0.7% on may 1, and 0.5% in June. If these figures, normally releases month-by-month, are already known, it is that the government had asked the end of 2018 to Engie to perform hedging transactions on the wholesale markets, to be able to promise that the price would increase more before the summer.

The winter break is over

from the 1st of April, the winter break is over. Evictions of tenants and cuts of energy suspended the last five months will therefore be applied again. The next truce will begin on November 1, 2019.

Read our complete file

Your Budget

Fuels : why pump prices have not decreased a lot, Fruits, vegetables, products of first necessity... runaway Inflation in the hypermarkets child Care, gas, drones... What changes the 1 may 2020 for your budget

According to figures released at the end of march by the energy Ombudsman, the suppliers of electricity and natural gas reported last year, 4.2% of the interventions for unpaid more than in 2017 (572 440) - interventions resulting in cuts and/or reductions in power into electricity.