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Latest update: 07/02/2012
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The faces of French poverty
According to a recent survey, almost a quarter of French people have little or nothing left to live on at the end of the month. These "nouveaux poor" are students, single parents, casual workers and the elderly. Our reporter went to meet them.
With the rise in fixed expenses such as rent, public transport, electricity and healthcare, French people on small salaries are having difficulty making ends meet. Twelve to fifteen million of them, who live just above the poverty line of 954 euros per month, are struggling by the end of the month.
For various reasons -- including shame and embarrassment -- it was not easy to find people who would talk to me about their difficulties. Loriane, Régis, Juliette and Agnès were the four who did accept.
All of them have two things in common: they have to cover all of their expenses on their own, and do not own a home.
I was surprised by their feeling of guilt. They blame themselves much more than the government for their sometimes chaotic paths, for making the wrong decisions, or for not making the right choices at school.
But there is an unavoidable fact their stories illuminate: the minimum wage of around 1,100 euros a month is no longer enough to make ends meet. Like Juliette, 2.2 million workers have to combine several jobs in order to survive.
Elderly people find themselves in the same situation. The average state pension of France’s 15 million pensioners is only 1,200 euros.
In this context, it comes as little surprise that one prominent French charity -- the “Restos du cœur”, created by the late French comedian Coluche -- has seen a 25% increase in demand for food in the space of three years. For many French people the crisis is so severe that they are no longer ashamed to ask charities for help.
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(2) Reactions
french poverty
by Anonyme - 08/02/2012 - 02:27
i blame URSAFF CARMF they charge what they want and take from your account no permission needed they are sharks millions of people will see there savings gone english and french to save the french economy they dont even need permission as in the case of us we found out our mortgage money had all been taken after 5 years battling and explaining they had over charged us and they owed us. france is a proud and wishes to remain that why by taking from the people not their own pockets Things are tough here not such a rosy picture the bubble will pop and like london and greece riots and poverty will worsen peoples money for the months food or morgage will have been taken by URSAFF no permission needed as in the case for us. my husband had a cabinet we where riped off by taxs and shut down due to the unorganised taxs and a french accountant who could not handle the hostility given by CARMF and now URSAFF 5years down the line doctors are been creamed off by the government so closing their cabinets believe me france is the next to go and has been declining these past 5 years starting with health care
french health care and your local gp down the road is collasping i also believe the government is taking from the english and charging more because of the language barrier and the i dont know what i am dealing with be warned stay in england
World's Poor
by Anonyme - 05/02/2012 - 13:23
It's not only French pensioners and younger people living below the poverty line, White South Africans do the same but we are not interviewed for television reports. Somehow we survive the ever-increasing cost of living. It's very hard. Tell that to your French people that they are not alone!
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