The French Senate adopted amendments to retain the disability allowance for adults (AAH) as income in calculating the activity bonus, rejecting a government measure for budget savings. This decision, made on December 6, highlights tensions over the professional integration of disabled people. The government anticipated savings of 90 million euros in 2026.
During the review of the 2026 finance bill, the Senate voted on Saturday, December 6, to remove Article 79, which proposed excluding the AAH from the special calculation of the activity bonus. This bonus aims to supplement the income of low-wage workers to encourage them to take up employment.
The finance and social affairs committees issued favorable opinions on these amendments, in contrast to the government's opposition. Arnaud Bazin, special rapporteur for the finance committee, voiced the senators' shock: “We have all been approached, even shocked, by the exclusion of disabled workers from the activity bonus.” He deemed the measure “completely inconsistent with what we want for disabled workers, that is, to insert them as much as possible through work.”
Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou defended the executive's stance, arguing that this exemption could prove “counter-productive in terms of income.” He added: “We know very well that from a certain point, the activity bonus mechanism actually plays unfavorably.”
According to 2024 official figures, 108,000 people combined AAH and the activity bonus, with 67% in sheltered employment workshops (ESAT) and 33% in mainstream settings. Senators argued that the anticipated savings—90 million euros in 2026 and 225 million in a full year—did not justify impoverishing the most vulnerable workers.