Spread the Wealth Around

The French government owes me money. Through the CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales), a social-aide program, I am entitled to financial support each month. They calculate how much to give you based on a variety of things, including age, cost of housing, annual income from two years ago, current salary, and number of dependents. There’s more to it than that, but when all the paperwork is in, one’s aide is calculated and given monthly. Except I never got my money.

CAP aide is far more prevalent in France than welfare in the US. Taxes are higher here, but the government gives more money via programs such as the CAF. I was surprised when I found out that I qualified for government help with my rent. Many university students get monthly government checks, in addition to CAF aide. My friends were a bit shocked when I explained that I have loans with interest to pay back.

Using information from sources including the CAF, the government has designated certain neighborhoods in France as Zones Urbaines Sensibles. When I asked my friends to explain what the ZUS are, they said it’s basically the ghettos. Apparently the designation has corresponding legal and economic effects. For example, someone opening a business in the designated zone may have government aide for rent. Teachers have different incentives to work within the areas. Whether all this aide works, on a large scale, is still unclear to me.