Social protection in France
These are situations that could jeopardize the economic security of the individual or their family (defined as a group of people bound by ties of lineage and alliance), causing a decline in its resources or increase its expenditure (old age, sickness, disability, unemployment, maternity, family responsibilities, etc.).
The origin of social protection in France dates back to medieval times, with fraternal benefit societies.
When creating Social Security, France imitated more the Bismarckian system (insurance for workers) than the Beveridge one (widespread solidarity).
Insurance was tied to the exercise of an occupation and the benefits were provided in case of the risk of loss of income due to the forced inactivity (accident, sickness, unemployment, old age).
Non-employees, or individuals who have not contributed during their occupation, were entitled to welfare, reserved for cases of extreme distress.
Each member of the national community has now the right to benefit a minimum standard of living, whether exercising a profession and regardless of the ability to contribute.
Social assistance includes welfare benefits defined by law, and is therefore provided when conditions are met.
They are provided and funded mainly by departments, but also by the central government (RMI or allowance for disabled adults).
In particular, revenue from the General Social Contribution (CSG), created in 1991, has increased considerably to become the second most important fiscal stream in France (after VAT).
This development has arisen from the need to finance social protection not only with deductions from earnings, but also from a broader base.
France has thus come closer to the average European Union member's social protection financing structure, although it remains among the countries having the highest percentage of direct contributions relative to earnings.
The Social Welfare Report, published annually distinguishes five categories of benefits for as many risks: The 1789 the French Revolution replaced the solidarity performed in the home or business (corporations) by a national solidarity based on assistance, made official in the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Private societies had long existed, catering to small groups of middle-class families who sought death and burial insurance.
In the Third Republic, especially between 1895 and 1914 “Solidarité” ["solidarism"] was the guiding concept of a liberal social policy, whose chief champions were the prime ministers Leon Bourgeois (1895–96) and Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau (1899-1902).
The fraternal benefit societies, succeeding the corporations of the Old Regime abolished in 1791, based on voluntary collective foresight and limited to some activities or some businesses.
They were legally recognized in 1835, and obtained full freedom of establishment and encouragement of the State in 1898, leading to hundreds of mutual aid societies with voluntary membership .
In 1898 was recognized the responsibility of the employer in case of accidents on the workplace, with the possibility to ensure to cope with that risk.
Laws in 1928 and 1930 set up insurance for the risks of illness, maternity, invalidity, old age and death for employees, plus a special scheme for farmers.
On the eve of World War II, France had a comprehensive protection system but its coverage lagged far behind Germany, Britain and smaller countries.
More attention was paid to industrial labour in the mid-1930s during a short period of socialist political ascendency, with the Matignon Accords and the reforms of the Popular Front.
The 4 October 1945 Order provides a coordinated network of caisses replacing the multiple previous agencies.
According to a survey published by the CREDOC, a third of people between 25 and 59 had difficulty of insertion (unemployment during more than a year, beneficiaries of minimum social assistance or helped contract).
On 2 October 2007, the newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the organization of a Grenelle Insertion dedicated to the transformation of integration policies.
The RSA is intended to offset the loss of certain social benefits when resuming employment and provides additional income to the working poor.
