2026 Budget: What are the concrete consequences of a "blank year"?

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Retirement pensions frozen for a year. This is one of the consequences of the blank year envisaged by the government. With 1,900 euros net per month, Martine Blin's pension would not be increased by 20 euros: "As a retiree, it doesn't bother me. Okay, I agree to participate in the effort, but the effort must be made everywhere." In principle, when inflation rises, pensions and certain social benefits are automatically revalued.

But in the case of a gap year, there is no indexation to inflation; the amounts remain unchanged. This is difficult to understand for this retiree whose pension is €1,600 per month: "The rent is already expensive. I do my shopping, and it costs me €150." Also affected by the gap year are the RSA, housing assistance, and the activity bonus. This is unacceptable for a resident of Hauts-de-Seine: "We are in a model where inequalities are increasing and where, unfortunately, we are always trying to save money on the same type of people."

On average, the shortfall would be €105 per year for a couple where one of them receives this assistance. This year, inflation is low, so the loss of purchasing power would be limited according to Mathieu Plane, an economist at the OFCE: "Households that receive these benefits will lose purchasing power to the extent of this inflation. So, if inflation is low, they will lose according to this inflation. If it is between 1 and 1.5, they will lose roughly that much in terms of purchasing power. So, this effectively limits the negative effects on purchasing power. It's not zero either. On the other hand, the budgetary gain for the State is also relatively small." The blank year concerning revaluations could bring in around €5 billion to the State coffers.