Beyond the AAH, what do Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen offer on disability?

“One and the other, we can move forward,” quipped Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday evening from the ninth minute of the televised debate between the two rounds. Few subjects have agreed the two presidential finalists. But the possibility of deconjugalizing the Disabled Adult Allowance (AAH) is ultimately part of the programs of Emmanuel Macron as of Marine Le Pen.

It must be said that with twelve million people with disabilities in France and eleven million caregivers, this represents a significant potential electorate. Beyond this emblematic question of the AAH, 20 minutes summarized the proposals of the two candidates on disability.

The emblematic question of the Disabled Adult Allowance

Why is demaritalization of the AAH attracting all eyes? This allowance, created in 1975, is intended to compensate for the inability to work. With a maximum amount of 904 euros per month, it is paid on medical and social criteria. It now has more than 1.2 million beneficiaries, including 270,000 couples, for an annual expenditure of around 11 billion euros. The measure therefore concerns only a small proportion of people with disabilities.

In October, the majority had rejected the individualization of this aid, while from LR to LFI, the opposition demanded in unison its “deconjugalization”. That is to say, calculate it without taking into account the income of the spouse. All the candidates in the first round were considering deconjugalizing her… except Emmanuel Macron. Who has since amended his project. He confirmed it on Wednesday evening. “The AAH was, in accordance with my commitments, revalued during this five-year period by 90 euros per month, and I am in favor of correcting this “side effect”. It is true that the government did not support this measure. You yourself, moreover, he launched to Marine Le Pen, you were not there at the time of the debates, you did not oppose it. »

“This is the good news of this debate, welcomes Arnaud De Broca, president of the disability group. We now know that the two candidates are in favor of it. But if Emmanuel Macron confirmed his desire to deconjugalize, he did not undertake to raise the amount, contrary to what he had done in 2017.

Wednesday evening, there was no question of anything else on the disability side… “They devoted five minutes to ecology, not even to disability”, laments Arnaud de Broca. Which underlines that beyond the debate, the two programs lack ambition. “It’s a great disappointment on the political vision of disability. We are pleading for a policy of transversal autonomy, since there are common subjects for the disabled and the elderly: home help, accommodation planning…”

Improving access to employment

Precisely, what do the two rivals offer to improve the daily lives of people with disabilities and their families? To facilitate the employment of people with disabilities, Marine Le Pen undertakes that the State strictly respects the obligation to employ 6% of people with disabilities in the administration, its public bodies and the companies in which it has holdings. The State will also take the most likely measures to ensure that all employers comply with the 6% threshold. »

The candidate does not specify what order would be the possible sanctions for companies that do not fit into the nails. On the other hand, it promises a three-year tax credit for those who go beyond their legal obligations in terms of recruitment.

School and studies

The candidates have understood that school remains a big problem for many families affected by disabilities. This is why Marine Le Pen assures that “the number of accompanying persons for students with disabilities will be adapted to the needs. These new recruitments will be facilitated thanks to the upgrading of their status. Without explaining by how much the staff, salaries, or how all this will be financed.

For his part, the outgoing president wants the contracts for those accompanying students with disabilities (AESH) to go from 24 hours on average today to 35 hours. The goal: that the children are also accompanied outside of school time and that the AESH earn at least the minimum wage. “Solving the question of precariousness is not limited to working time, nuance Arnaud de Broca. There is a question of salary, working conditions, number of AESH, contracts, the sustainability of the contract. But it is to recognize that it has not been done enough in this five-year term. This will allow us to come back to it. We will have to work on this measure…”

Among the novelties, Emmanuel Macron proposes “that students with disabilities benefit from a study income of up to 500 euros per month” in his program.

Accessibility of public places and services

Marine Le Pen promises that “all public establishments will be accessible to people with disabilities. Public transport operators and local authorities will have to substantially improve transport accessibility and make roads, particularly sidewalks, compatible with the movement of people with disabilities. Public service websites will have to be adapted to allow people with disabilities to use them.

Emmanuel Macron is less ambitious and more concrete. He wants to provide the French with a public platform listing the offer of inclusive housing, plans to continue financial aid that allows owners to make their homes more accessible. Finally, it provides for a territorial fund, piloted by the prefects, to accelerate the accessibility of shops, schools, transport, etc.

Support caregivers

They are the ones who, on a daily basis, accompany the children to the physiotherapist, the parents to the doctor… To relieve these carers, who do an invisible and free work of “care”, Marine Le Pen suggests a caregiver leave which could last for maximum one year over the entire career, against three months today. But the RN candidate is not inventing anything: according to the legal textsthe existing caregiver leave is renewable and can already reach twelve months.

On the other hand, it wishes to increase the amount and duration of financial aid for caregivers. In addition, she wants to create a specific allowance of 300 euros per month “for anyone who chooses to live in the home of a dependent relative or to welcome them to their home to devote themselves fully to their support”.


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