Importance Score: 85 / 100 🟢
French Influencers Advise Youth on Exploiting Unemployment Benefits System
Social media influencers in France are instructing young individuals on methods to intentionally get fired from their jobs to claim unemployment benefits, capitalizing on the nation’s robust welfare system. These online personalities are disseminating advice on how to manipulate the system, even as France grapples with a significant 7.3 percent unemployment rate. Videos demonstrating strategies like arriving late to work and embodying the ‘worst colleague imaginable’ have garnered millions of views across various platforms.
Social Media Tutorials on Obtaining Unemployment Benefits
Under France’s unemployment benefit program, known as “chômage,” the government provides displaced employees with up to 75 percent of their prior salary for as long as 18 months. A key requirement for eligibility is that employees must have been terminated from their position, a loophole some influencers are keen to exploit.
Influencer Laurène Lévy’s Perspective
Laurène Lévy, a former employee who transitioned to a full-time advocate for “wellbeing at work,” asserts to her followers that “work in France doesn’t pay adequately.” Lévy, who uses her TikTok account with over 357,000 followers as a platform for her commentary on contemporary work culture, highlights to her primarily Generation Z audience that even dismissal for serious misconduct still allows individuals to access unemployment benefits “like anyone else.”
Despite claiming she has never explicitly encouraged job abandonment, Lévy challenged her critics, suggesting they experience “working as a dishwasher in a restaurant” before judging her viewpoint. However, she is not alone in promoting the exploitation of France’s social safety net among young citizens.
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Tactics for Securing Unemployment Benefits Shared Online
Numerous content creators on social media advocate various tactics, including deliberately arriving late for work to provoke dismissal and strategically timing benefit claims to finance leisure activities. Some even suggest ‘shopping around’ with state officials to negotiate for a more favorable monthly payment. One TikTok influencer, Célia, offered a succinct list of instructions:
- Consistently be late.
- Act unprofessionally and demonstrate a lack of willingness.
- Be the least cooperative colleague.
- Ignore meeting requests related to potential dismissal.
Célia’s video, viewed over 144,000 times, concludes with the assertive statement: “The unemployment benefit is rightfully yours.”
Aly Sonne Désirée’s Benefit Claim Strategy
Another influencer, Aly Sonne Désirée, recounted in a TikTok video, viewed 120,000 times, how she successfully increased her monthly unemployment payment. Initially offered €1,200 per month based on her French employment history, she reportedly negotiated for €1,800 monthly by requesting consideration of her higher salary from a previous job in Luxembourg. She advised viewers: “So please guys – don’t hesitate to exercise your right to choose, at the job centre. It’s a rip-off if not.”
France’s Persistent Unemployment Challenges
France has faced substantial unemployment issues since the 1970s oil crisis, with rates consistently remaining above seven percent since 1977. Unemployment reached its zenith between 2012 and 2016, exceeding 10 percent, but had been declining until recently, reaching a historic low of 7.1 percent in 2022 before stabilizing around current levels.
However, recent data indicates an increase in unemployment. Last year, the number of individuals registered for “chômage” increased by approximately 100,000 to 6.26 million, with the most significant growth among individuals under 25. The 2023 Employment Survey from INSEE, France’s national statistics bureau, reveals that 17.2 percent of benefit recipients are aged 15 to 24, compared to 6.7 percent for 25-49 year olds, and only 5.1 percent for those over 50.
Political Criticisms of Welfare System Exploitation
Pierre Lellouche, a former minister under President Nicolas Sarkozy, attributed the situation to current policies, stating, “These are the consequences of [French President Emmanuel] Macron. Macron plus Covid. We’re a country that has completely stopped working. There is no one left to work in France.”
Lellouche further elaborated, “Restaurants in tourist areas are closed in August because no one wants to work. Finding a young person today, how is it? You can’t find anyone. People are used to staying at home and receiving benefits.”
UK Parallels in Online Benefit Advice
The United Kingdom is experiencing a similar trend in online benefit “advisors.” Influencers in the UK are also providing guidance on maximizing welfare payments. These influencers share specific keywords for applications, offer claim templates, and advise on avoiding perceived “trick” questions during benefit interviews.
UK Influencer Whitney Ainscough’s Benefit Strategies
Whitney Ainscough, with a substantial following of 954,000, instructs her audience on strategies to leverage the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) system. Her advice aims to maximize payments, access Motability vehicles, and even obtain complimentary mobile phones. Ainscough has reported receiving as much as £1,151 weekly from DWP, encompassing housing benefit, child and adult allowances, and additional child benefits. She ceased claiming Universal Credit in November 2023 as her social media earnings surpassed the eligibility threshold.
UK Support Networks and Online Guides
Organizations like Supporting People UK, with over 18,000 TikTok followers, regularly provide advice on applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). YouTuber Charlie Anderson’s video titled “Unlock The Secret Steps For WINNING Your PIP Claims – Step By Step Guide” gained significant traction. Anderson, who identifies as having a chronic illness, asserts a “100% success rate” in securing PIP claims, appeals, and reviews, alleging insider knowledge of the PIP scoring system.
DWP Response to Benefit System Concerns
A DWP spokesperson previously stated: “While we cannot comment on specific cases, any support provided is vetted by trained staff to ensure it is appropriate and proportionate. We recognise that the benefits system needs reform which is why we are expecting to publish major proposals to reform health and disability benefits this Spring, so those who can work, do work, and those who need support get it in a way that’s fair on the taxpayer.”