France’s 2024 Christmas bonus: who is eligible and how much is it?

Millions of households in France will receive the state's annual Christmas bonus on December 13, which is a one-off payment intended to help people who receive income support benefits.

The one-off prime de Noël, or Christmas bonus, will be paid to 2.2 million households that received certain income support benefits in November or December 2024.

The bonus is exactly the same amount as last year and has not been adjusted for inflation.

Note that jobseekers are the main beneficiaries of the Christmas bonus. 

People on other benefits or income support, such as the prime d’activité (employment bonus) or the allocation aux adultes handicapés (disability allowance) are not eligible unless they also receive one of the eligible types of income support benefits.

Read more: How much do people in France spend on Christmas on average?

The bonus is paid out automatically to people who are eligible via the Caisses d'Allocations familiales (CAF).