Spending power in France: general inflation aid to replace food cheque
The much-promised cheque had been intended to help lower-income households buy better quality food, but will now be paid as a bank transfer for any purpose
The food cheque had been intended to help recipients buy healthy, local, sustainable, and organic items, but it will now be a simple bank transfer
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France鈥檚 much-talked-about 鈥榝ood cheque (ch猫que alimentaire)鈥� is now set to be delivered as a simple bank transfer to the least well-off households, it has been confirmed.
The food cheque, which had been intended to specifically help lower-income households buy healthy food despite rising supermarket prices, was a key pledge of President Macron鈥檚 election campaign, and had since been promised again by new Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
Read more: End of TV licence fee, food cheques: Macron's promises if re-elected
It is one of a series of measures that the government is set to bring in to help consumers with the rising cost of fuel, and food, as inflation reaches record levels (4.2% in May, said statistics bureau INSEE).
The food cheque had been intended to help recipients buy healthy, local, sustainable, and organic items.
Read more: New food cheque should only cover healthy products, say French MPs
However, the new bank transfer will no longer be a 鈥榝ood cheque鈥�, and will instead be a simple inflation aid that recipients can technically spend on whatever they choose.
It will be transferred to eligible bank accounts at 鈥�la rentr茅e鈥� (early September), Ms Borne .
Read more: France confirms extra aid for frequent drivers as fuel prices soar
The exact details of the aid are not set to be revealed until June 29, when the proposed law on purchasing power will be presented to the Cabinet. It will then have to be passed by Parliament.
The change from 鈥榝ood cheque鈥� to 鈥榠nflation aid鈥� has come about because it is 鈥渄ifficult to implement鈥� a cheque for a specific item, said Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.
He told Le Grand Rendez-vous programme by Europe 1, Cnews and Les Echos: 鈥淲e cannot make a single cheque that can only be spent in such or such a shop, or on such or such a product.鈥�
Ms Borne said that the amount would be paid in as an 鈥渆mergency, due to inflation鈥which would] take into account the number of children in the family鈥�.
However, she added that the government would later launch a process to consider how to improve access to 鈥渜uality and organic [food] products鈥� for everyone in France.
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