At the start of each month, new laws and other measures come into force. Review of the various upcoming changes, applicable from this Sunday, October 1, 2023.
The less salty baguette
The global emblem of the daily life of the French will undergo a touch-up. The bakery sector is committed to lowering the salt threshold in bread again from October 1, certainly in an imperceptible manner: from 1.5 grams of salt per 100 grams of common or traditional bread, the objective increases to 1.4 grams. In France, salt levels in common breads such as baguettes have decreased by more than 20% since 2015, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The advantage of eating less salty: lowering blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and myocardial infarction.
Housing less than 2.20 meters high is considered decent and healthy
It is an article with vague contours of the public health code, which comes into force today. It relates to the characteristics of premises specific to housing and the rules of hygiene and sanitation, and sets a minimum ceiling height of 2.20 meters. Except “if they respect the provisions of article 4 of the decree of January 30, 2002 relating to the characteristics of decent housing. Gold, this decree of 2002 specifies that, to be decent, “the accommodation has at least one main room having either a habitable surface area at least equal to 9 square meters and a ceiling height at least equal to 2.20 meters, or a habitable volume at least equal to 20 cubic meters”.
According to the specialists summoned by CheckNews on the subject, are now considered both decent and healthy housing whose ceiling height may vary between 1.80 m and 2.20 m, provided that they reach a total of 20 m³. This will be the case, for example, for a room with 11 m² on the floor and 1.80 m under the ceiling. The minimum limit of 1.80 m is set by the decency decree.
The LEP ceiling raised
The ceiling of the Popular Savings Booklet (LEP), reserved for the most modest households, increases from 7,700 euros to 10,000 euros. Since this Sunday, its interest rate is also at 6%, compared to 6.1% previously. Only people declaring less than 21,393 euros of income for a single person or 32,818 euros for a couple (two shares) are eligible. 9.7 million people have one, or a little more than half of those who are entitled to it.
Raising the ceiling to 10,000 euros should above all benefit those who have already reached the previous ceiling of 7,700 euros on their savings account – or more with accumulated interest, or around one in two holders, according to data from the Banque de France. , end of 2022.
The allowance for disabled adults no longer takes into account the spouse’s income
With the deconjugalization of the Allowance for Disabled Adults (AAH), paid to 1.29 million people in 2022, the spouse’s income will no longer be taken into account in the calculation of this allowance, a long-standing request from associations . This measure should benefit 120,000 people.
This allowance is awarded under both medical (the level of incapacity) and social (household income) conditions. Promised in 2022 by Emmanuel Macron, then candidate for a second term, deconjugalization was adopted by Parliament in July 2022 for entry into force no later than October 1, 2023, the time to put in place a mechanism which does not of losers.
The APL revalued
Another aid system will undergo a slight adjustment: personalized housing assistance (APL) is increased to +3.7%, in line with the capping of rent increases. Another change, the amounts of the solidarity rent reduction (RLS) are modified. A decree published in Official newspaper on September 21, 2023, sets the new amounts of this aid until December 31, 2023.
Real estate loans: the usury rate increases further
Since 2023, the wear rate has been revised monthly, and no longer every quarter. This indicator, designed to protect households from abusive rates since it corresponds to the maximum ceiling at which a bank is authorized to lend, is calculated by the Banque de France by averaging the rates charged by a sample of 10% of the most competitive banking agencies. three previous months, then an increase of one third. Since January 1, it has been set at 3.57% for property loans of twenty years or more.
With the general rise in rates, this usury rate has continued to increase since mid-2022. This October 1 is no exception to the rule: it increases from 5.56% to 5.80% for real estate loans taken out by households over twenty years or more. And from 5.28% to 5.55% for loans over at least ten years but less than twenty years.
My Renovation Bonus
Since 2020, this bonus created to replace the tax credit for the energy transition allows often low-income owners to receive up to 20,000 euros in assistance upon presentation of an energy renovation invoice. Until now, this system could finance a maximum of 35% of the work for low-income households and 50% for very low-income households. It will now be more: 50% and 65% respectively.
It was the board of directors of the National Housing Agency (Anah), which increased the rate of support at the beginning of September due to “direct impacts of inflation on the cost of works”.
Holiday vouchers for retired state civil servants are over
Holiday vouchers for retired state civil servants are over. Retired state civil servants are no longer entitled to this personalized assistance, accessible subject to means conditions, now exclusively allocated to active civil and military public employees, in accordance with a circular published on August 2.
The official website Service-public.fr further indicates that retirees who have “submitted a request before this date will still be able to obtain the Holiday Vouchers linked to this request”. Retirees from other public functions (territorial and hospital) retain their access to the system, confirmed to World the National Agency for Holiday Vouchers.
More expensive delivery for books ordered online
Shipping costs on book orders will be 3 euros for all orders under 35 euros from October 7. This increase, resulting from a law passed at the end of 2021, aims to encourage buyers to favor physical bookstores for their book purchases, in order to avoid these fees. Beyond 35 euros, the cost of delivery will be set at one euro cent.
The online commerce giant Amazon – which until now only charged one cent for the delivery of books – attacked this measure at the end of June before the Council of State which has not yet ruled.