Help available for struggling self-employed workers in France
Three specific schemes launched for individuals running their own businesses who have run into difficulty
France’s social security system was set up around the idea of most workers having salaried jobs, and for many years independent workers were largely overlooked
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A little known and relatively new part of France’s social security system is starting to advertise the financial help it can give to struggling self-employed workers.
The Conseil de la protection sociale des travailleurs indépendants (CPSTI) was set up in 2019, just before the old Régime social des indépendants (RSI) was absorbed into the Régime général de la sécurité sociale (RGSS) at the start of 2020.
It is now offering three specific schemes for individuals running their own businesses who have run into difficulty:
Aide au maintien dans l'activité can help to fund a replacement to keep the business running if you are unable to do so after an accident or other reason.
It can also help if your work environment has to be changed (special workbenches installed, new premises or vehicles), and if necessary fund counselling for someone to find different work.
Aide financière exceptionnelle aux invalides actifs is designed to help you overcome events that might otherwise threaten your business and leave you without resources, such as fires, accidents, the loss of markets or a client not paying a large bill.
Aide au répit can help when someone close to you (usually a family member) loses their autonomy, and you have to look after them.
It covers situations where revenues fall as a result, or when your expenses rise – because you have to hire a carer while you are at work, for example. It can also fund care while you have some respite.
In each case the first contact for applications is the caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM) to which you are affiliated – usually it is the CPAM for your department although there have been some consolidations into multi-department units.
The CPAM will direct you to fill out standard forms, for your request to be processed on a case-by-case basis.
The support offered by CPSTI is part of a growing effort to better help self-employed workers.
France’s social security system was set up around the idea of most workers having salaried jobs, and for many years independent workers were largely overlooked.
There have been a number of initiatives to improve the situation, the best known of which being the creation of the RSI in 2005.
However, the new system was drawn into disputes over funding and whether micro-entrepreneurs could be included. In 2020, the RSI was absorbed into the RGSS in a bid to establish parity.
The perceived injustice felt by many independent workers regarding their level of social security protection compared to salaried employees, despite contributing more, was one factor behind the gilets jaunes protests of 2018 and 2019.
