Understanding the support measures available for people facing financial hardship

Banks identify customers in financial difficulty based on several criteria, including:

• Income level : Each bank sets its own income threshold below which a customer may be considered financially vulnerable ;
• Irregular account activity such as repeated payment incidents or irregularities observed over three consecutive months ;
• Registration in the Banque de France Database for three consecutive months due to a bounced cheque or bank card withdrawal ;
• Over-indebtedness procedure Customers who have filed a debt relief application that has been declared admissible.

Good to know: Each bank applies its own assessment criteria. Contact your bank branch or visit its website to learn more.

To support these customers, banks must offer a specific package costing a maximum of €3 per month. This package includes :

• Day-to-day management, account closure, and if necessary, the opening of a deposit account ;
• A payment card with systematic authorisation to prevent overdrafts ;
• Free cash deposits and withdrawals at bank branches ;
• 4 SEPA credit transfers and unlimited direct debit per month ;
• 2 bank cheques per month ;
• Remote access to the account as well as the ability to carry out account management operations on another account held by the same customer within the same bank ;
• An account balance alert system ;
• Bank account details (RIB/IBAN) are provided ;
• A cap on overdraft intervention fees ;
• One free address change per year.

This package is designed to reduce the risk of banking incidents and support better management of personal finances.

Since February 1, 2019, caps on bank incident fees have been introduced. If you are identified as financially vulnerable, your bank must automatically apply these caps.

• Fees are limited to €25 per month for all customers identified as financially vulnerable. ;
• A lower cap of €20 per month and €200 per year applies to customers who have the specific banking package.

Furthermore, since November 1, 2020 :

• Once five banking irregularities occur in the same month, fees are automatically capped ;
• The €25 or €20 fee cap, as described above, must now be applied for a minimum of three months, whereas previously, the application period varied between banks and was often shorter.

Supported microcredit is a suitable solution for individuals excluded from the traditional banking system due to low income and/or precarious social circumstances.

It can be used to finance personal projects, particularly those aimed at facilitating a return to employment (e.g. training or purchasing a vehicle), improving the borrower’s situation overall, or launching professional initiatives, such as starting a business.

This type of loan is often granted alongside personalised support to help borrowers manage their budget and repay the loan.

Access to microcredit is subject to certain conditions. In particular, the borrower must demonstrate repayment capacity, which must be deemed sufficient by both the support organisation and the lending bank.
Applications can be made through institutions such as l’ADIE (l’Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Économique) or Créa-Solor any other microcredit providers listed in l’annuaire de la Banque de France.

To find out more, visit the websites of the Banque de France and Mes questions d’argent.