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In Monaco, the reform on the payment of family allowances

In the file of social evolutions, there are family allowances. Until recently, they were paid only to heads of families, who could only be a man.

In other words, in terms of gender equality, it was a bit of a task. So again, the reforms are underway. “I consider that it is not normal that the woman is not, as far as the subject of the payment of the family allowances, in all points the equal of the man”, says Didier Gamerdinger, adviser of government- Minister of Social Affairs and Health.

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But here again, the family allowance system is a complex structure that involves several factors.

“For the ladies who work in the administration, the necessary work has been done. And thanks to a sovereign order, since January 1st, the woman can be head of the home, if she resides in Monaco. And the allowances are from now on poured to the mother, except in case of alternating custody where the benefits are distributed,” explains the counsellor.

“To continue to advance on this subject, I proposed to work on the benefits for the self-employed who reside in the Principality and who, until then, did not receive it. We consulted all the necessary organizations and allowances. For the self-employed, there is no notion of a head of a household, and women can open the rights in the same way as men,”  he continues. The bill has now arrived at the National Council for debate.

The next step will be to work on the situation of private employees. But there is a complexity: “The European regulations all say that the benefits are paid in the country of residence of the worker. But under the bilateral convention that unites Monaco to France, the rights acquired by workers in the private sector resident in Monaco are automatically transposed to employees residing in France.”

For this reason, a salaried man in Monaco living in France may receive family allowances. And extending this right to resident women would extend it indirectly to women residing in France. “It’s not the same cost,” says Didier Gamerdinger, “that’s why we need to rediscuss the terms of the Social Security Agreement first.”