France considers cuts to family benefits and tax breaks

A report by the Inspection Générale des Finances (IGF) and the Inspection Générale des Affaires Sociales (Igas) has proposed several measures to reduce public spending on family policies, aiming for savings of 4.2 billion euros over ten years.

The recommendations include potential reductions or removals of various historical social supports, such as housing assistance, taxes, and family allowances. One specific proposal involves the suppression of tax reductions for families with children in secondary or higher education, which currently provides between 61 and 183 euros per child depending on the level of schooling.

While these measures could generate 2.5 billion euros in short-term savings, they currently remain recommendations and have not yet been adopted as government decisions. Any implementation would require the government to include them in the 2027 finance bill and secure parliamentary approval.