Govt payments and charges change
July brings increases in rail fares, minimum wage and benefit payments.
The start of July sees many increases in health charges, rail fares and benefit payments. Here is a summary:
The minimum wage Smic rises 0.9%; gross pay is now €8.71 per hour – up to 35 hours per week. The minimum wage has already risen once this year in May to cope with the rising cost of living.
Unemployment benefit rises 2.5%, below the rate of inflation. There are currently 1.7 million people receiving payments from the Assedic – the organisation that deals with the benefit.
The RMI revenu minimum d'insertion - the equivalent of income support – will remain the same as will allocations familiales.
The costs of a visit to the doctor stays the same at €22. After discussions with medical unions and the health service it looks set to rise by one euro in mid 2009.
Depending on the destinations, the cost of a second class train ticket on Corail Intercités, Corail de Jour, Téoz and Trains Express Régionaux (TER) goes up between 10 centimes and €2.20 – less than inflation according to the SNCF.
The cost of the Carte Senior and Cartes Enfant rises one euro each to 56 and 70 euros respectively. The following cards stay the same: Carte 12-25 (€49) and Carte Escapades (€85).
TGV tickets remain unchanged but the SNCF has warned of future rises due to the increase in charges to use the high-speed lines from the railway line owner Réseau Ferré de France.
In Paris and the Île-de-France the tariffs of the RATP (local transport network) rise 3%. The Carte Orange/Navigo Deux Zones rises by €1.60 to €55.10. The price of ten tickets goes up to €11.40 while a single rises 10 centimes to €1.60.
Photo credit sxc Steve Woods
