FFFed over and Frustrated

I know I shouldn't complain because already, we're getting a lot more than many people do just for having kids, but let me just use this post to show a beautiful example of the French administration.

Anyone in France who has two or more kids, regardless of your yearly income, gets money from the government to raise the kids. Right now, we get about 200 euros each month just for having two kids. With 3, we'll get around 300 euros.

On top of that, if your yearly income is below a certain level, you get another supplement of 170 euros per month when a baby is born until the baby's third birthday plus a 800 bonus during the 7th month of pregnancy.

We got the supplement with Gab and part of the time with Louise, but then when my employer at the time paid all of the salary he owed me from 2005, our income for 2006 actually went up way higher than it actually is because we won our court case that year. So, we lost the supplement due to our income.

For 2007, our yearly income went back to its regular amount- not much- and I was thinking that we'd get the supplement again last January. Well, we got a letter in the mail saying that the office that manages these monthly handouts was undergoing a change in its system, so for 2007 and 2008, they were going to base their monthly subsidies on our income from 2006. 

This means that for the past year, we've been paying for the daycare an amount that doesn't correspond to our current salaries, but our salaries from 2006, which were way higher than what we actually make now. This also means that now, in my 7th month of pregnancy, I will not get the 800 euro bonus. I WILL get the monthly 172 euros supplement in January, when they start taking our 2007 incomes into consideration. But, the 800 euros that goes along with that I won't get because we're still in 2008 and the rule is that in 2008, they still go by 2006 incomes.

Basically, we lost 800 euros by me becoming pregnant in May. If we would have waited a month, I would have been fine.

We waited in line for an hour to argue a case to a woman who wasn't about to help us: rules are rules.

So not fair. Just because they decided to change their system last year, we have to pay for it.

We're still going to try and write a letter, but I'm not counting on winning the case.

Comments

[Betty C.]

Those child subsidies are a rather amazing feature here in France. I feel a little guilty about ours.

I agree with you totally on the crazy system of going back one or two years to set income levels. My husband runs his own business and this type of calculation drives him crazy, and can drive some to ruin.

[La Rêveuse]

Something is better than nothing.

[Pauline]

I think 99.9% of the French population feel they pay too much tax and don't get enough in return.

Our family with 2 incomes and one child has never received 1€ for our son who is 10 : rien, zilch, nada. Not even the prime at the beginning of the school year and I don't think we ever will.

So yes in my case something would be better then nothing.

I am just thankful that we are in the priveledged position to not need this aid, but I'd still prefer to pay less tax.

[Andie]

I don't feel like we pay too many taxes without getting anything in return. Like I said, just for having 2 kids, we get some money, and that's regardless of your income (anyone gets 'allocations familiales'), which is nice.

We're just frustrated that just because they decided to change their computer system last year, they are still using our incomes from 2006 when they should be using our incomes from 2007 (usually they use the year before) and that if I would have gotten pregnant just one month, ONE month later, we would have gotten 800 euros, which isn't a lot of money, but sure could have helped us out- it buys a couple of kitchen cabinets!

But, I shouldn't complain. Some is a lot better than nothing and she did confirm yesterday that in January we'll be getting the one we don't qualify for now plus the 'allocations familiales' for having 3 kids, which comes out to be around 500 euros per month, and that will be nice.

[Susan]

that is so confusing. How arbitrary! Why base something off of your income from two years ago! How bizarre.