Like every beginning of the month, a new wave of measures will come into force on March 1. With direct repercussions in the daily life of the French for some of them. General description.
• The liter of fuel capped at 1.99 euros at Totalenergies
In force from February 25 at motorway service stations, the fuel price cap of 1.99 euros per liter will be extended to the 3,400 Totalenergies service stations from March 1.
The measure, which will apply until the end of the year, is valid for all fuels (gasoline and diesel), with the exception of high-end diesel products Excellium and 98 unleaded.
This new push put in place by the oil group comes as the government pressured the oil group to make a gesture for motorists after posting staggering earnings by 2022.
• Telephone scrutiny is prohibited at night and on weekends.
In application of a decree of October 2022, cold calls will be prohibited on weekends and holidays from March 1. Telephone surveyors will no longer have the right to call prospects outside of the hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In addition, a person may not be requested “by telephone for commercial prospecting purposes more than four times a month by the same professional or by a person acting on their behalf,” it is specified. Finally, “when the consumer refuses this interpellation during the conversation, the professional will refrain from contacting him or trying to contact him before the period of sixty calendar days elapses from this refusal.”
Violation of these rules may be sanctioned with an administrative fine of 75,000 euros for a natural person and 375,000 euros for a legal person.
• The State reduces the reimbursement of Covid tests
The covid tests will no longer be fully and systematically covered by Social Security for the vaccinated French, although this full reimbursement will be maintained for certain categories, such as the elderly, for example, the Government announced on Tuesday.
“The significant slowdown in the circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus makes it possible to adapt the screening strategy, bringing it closer to the care standards of common law”, estimates the Ministry of Health in a decree published in the Official Gazette (DO). Consequently, the ministry will limit, as of Wednesday, the possibility of carrying out a Covid test fully reimbursed by Social Security. Until now, all vaccinated Frenchmen could benefit from it, since the government excluded the unvaccinated from this free treatment at the end of 2021.
From now on, this will only benefit certain categories of the population. On the other hand, the distinction between vaccinated and non-vaccinated will disappear. Among those who will still be able to get tested for free and without a prescription are those over 65, minors and caregivers. This will also be possible for people who suffer from a condition that requires long or expensive treatment, known as long-term conditions (ALD). Finally, the non-prescription test will logically remain free if a screening campaign is organized locally.
• Evolution of complementary pensions
Some retirees from the Agirc-Arrco supplementary scheme could see their pension modified this month. In fact, the regime for private sector employees will update the CSG rate applied to complementary pensions on March 1. This will be determined in accordance with the 2021 Reference Income Tax (RFR) communicated by the tax authorities to Agirc-Arrco from the tax return made in 2022.
The evolution of the RFR may, in certain cases, lead to an increase or decrease in social contributions on the complementary pension. If the increase in income leads to an increase in the CSG rate, this new rate will be applied for the first time to the March pension. In addition, having paid the pensions for January and February without taking this increase into account, “an adjustment will also be made when paying your March pension,” stresses Agirc-Arrco.
“There will then be a reduction in the amount of the pension that is explained by taking into account the social security contributions applicable in 2023 and the regularization of the months of January and February,” continues the complementary fund. For the following months, “only the Social Security contributions owed in the current month will be deducted from your supplementary pension.”
On the contrary, pensioners who saw their CSG rate decrease benefited in February from a transfer to their bank account corresponding to the reimbursement of social contributions deducted in excess from pensions for the months of January and February. “From March your pension should increase since the social security contributions applicable in 2023 will be deducted,” adds Agirc-Arrco.
• Attrition rate increases to 4%
The usury rate, the maximum rate at which a bank can lend money (all costs combined), will increase again on March 1. It will rise to 4% for loans of 20 years or more, from 3.79% last month.
Since February 1, the attrition rate is reviewed every month by the Banque de France and no longer every quarter. An adjustment that allows you to adapt more quickly to changes in interest rates.
• Increase in the price of tobacco
New rates will apply to certain cigarette brands starting March 1. The price of certain packages of 20 units will thus exceed 11 euros. This is for example the case of Philip Morris and some Marlboro packages.
• Dematerialized restaurant vouchers expired in 2022
The dematerialized food vouchers 2022 will expire from March 1. Don’t panic, though: Issuers will transfer your 2022 unspent balance to your 2023 balance. In most cases, the transfer is automatic unless your employer has opted for a manual balance transfer, in which case the cardholder must request the transfer of his balance to the issuer.
Please note that while you wait to be transferred, your unused balance from 2022 will be temporarily unavailable between March 1 and March 15.
The 2022 food vouchers in paper version have expired since January 31. Their beneficiaries had until February 15 to return them to their employer, who in turn has until March 31 to return them to the issuer to exchange them for new tickets valid in 2023.
• Publication of the professional equality index
As every year since 2019, companies with at least 50 employees have until March 1 to calculate and publish the professional equality index on their website.
This score between 0 and 100 is intended to measure wage inequalities between men and women. Businesses that score less than 75 points must take corrective action within three months or face financial penalties.
• The Acción Logement loan rate becomes 1.5%
Assigned to the most modest employees of the private sector, the Action Logement loan will see its rate increase to 1.5% on March 1, compared to 0.5% until then.
This loan of a maximum amount of 40,000 euros can be contracted to accompany a project such as the acquisition or construction of a habitual residence in the new one or the purchase of an old HLM home.
Source: BFM TV
