As at the beginning of each year, the French will have to get used to different changes in their daily lives. Duration of unemployment benefit, price of motorway tolls, electricity… certain measures will have an impact on their portfolio. Here’s a roundup of what’s changing this Wednesday 1er february.
• Reduction in the duration of unemployment benefits
The unemployment insurance reform provides for a 25% reduction in the duration of compensation for all jobseekers who open rights from 1er february. An unemployed person who would have been entitled, for example, to twelve months of compensation under the current system will only be entitled to nine months. A minimum floor of six months will be preserved.
One “end of rights supplement” (an extension of the duration) is provided in the event of a deterioration in the labor market – if the unemployment rate exceeds 9% or if it increases by 0.8 points or more over a quarter.
• Increase in motorway toll prices
Drivers must be ready: the toll rates of the main motorway networks will increase by 4.75% on average, a stronger increase than in recent years (+2% in 2022, +0.4 in 2021, +0, 8% in 2020, +1.9% in 2019). Announced by the Ministry of Transport on December 2, this increase remains lower than inflation.
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This annual increase, provided for in the contracts of the various concessionaires according to a calculation which takes into account a share of inflation and possible work, will be accompanied by commercial measures at several motorway companies. Electric vehicles will thus benefit from a 5% reduction for one year, on all their journeys, on the Sanef/SAPN and APRR/AREA networks.
• End of systematic isolation for people who test positive for Covid
Created at the start of the health crisis in 2020 “in order to limit the spread of the epidemic”, derogatory work stoppages, without a waiting day for these people, will no longer be possible. Until now, people who tested positive had to self-isolate for at least five days.
Fallen into disuse against a background of falling cases, “systematic isolation” positive cases and “taking a test” after two days for their contacts will no longer be required.
Finally, the follow-up of contact cases, by the Contact Covid service managed by Health Insurance, will cease definitively.
• Evolution of the tariff shield for electricity
Limit the increase without canceling it. After the gas prices in January, regulated electricity prices will increase: the freeze on the regulated electricity tariff ends for 23 million subscribers, including 1.45 million small professionals.
They will be subject to an average increase contained at +15% by the government as part of the tariff shield.
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• Taxi fares are increasing
Taxis will see their prices increase by 4% at most, the minimum amount of the race remaining fixed at 7.30 euros.
On the VTC side, drivers will have a guaranteed minimum amount of 7.65 euros per trip, which will increase the price of the smallest ride to around 10.20 euros for the passenger on an application like Uber, including the fees.
• New rates for the Livret A and the LDDS
The interest rates for the Livret A and the Livret de Développement Durable et Solidaire (LDDS) increase to 3%, against 2% currently, a level not reached since 2009, but still significantly lower than inflation.
Livret A, funds in euros…: what is the impact of the rise in interest rates on savings products?
As for the rate of the popular savings account (LEP), reserved for people with modest incomes (maximum 21,393 euros per year for a single person), it goes from 4.6% to 6.1%.
• The SNCF tightens the conditions for exchanging train tickets
Travelers who wish to change their ticket at the last moment will have to put their hands in their pockets. As announced in November, SNCF is updating its ticket exchange and refund procedures. From Wednesday, the exchange free of charge will be possible up to a week before departure, against three days currently. After this time, it will cost the TGV traveler 19 euros.
