Social Security last year recorded a historic deficit of 38.6 billion euros, most of this amount being charged to the health branch, while the retirement branch shows a loss three times less than expected.
Read also: The Social Security deficit will remain abysmal for many years
As a result of Covid-19, this deficit is
"the highest ever recorded in the history of Social Security,"
recalls the government in a
press
release released this Monday evening.
But, as the Minister of Public Accounts, Olivier Dussopt, announced last week, the abyss is less abysmal than the 49 billion euros voted at the end of the year in the Social Security budget.
Good news at more than 10 billion euros, thanks to better income from contributions and taxes.
But Health Insurance benefits little, with a deficit revised from 33.7 to 30.4 billion euros.
Its expenses "
have sharply increased to face the health crisis"
, justifies the government, stressing the cost of
"exceptional measures"
financed by the Social Security: purchases of masks, tests, work stoppages, salary increases at the hospital ... The Covid bill will continue to grow in 2021, especially with vaccination
"which should represent an expenditure of at least 5 billion this year"
, warns the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, in an interview with the daily
Les Échos
.
The retirement branch in better shape than expected
On the other hand, the retirement branch is doing much better than expected, with a loss reduced from 10.3 to 3.7 billion, to which must be added the 2.5 billion deficit of the Old Age Solidarity Fund (which finances in particular the minimum old age).
"The branch benefits fully from the resistance of economic activity"
, explains Olivier Dussopt in the same interview, while defending the pension reform interrupted by the health crisis, which remains according to him
"useful and necessary"
to
"build a system fairer ”
, but also
“ to cope with the large-scale forecast deficits of the pension system ”
.
Read also: The pension reform suspended due to the health crisis
The balance of the family branches (-1.8 billion) and work accidents (-0.2 billion) is also half less in deficit than expected.
In view of these results, and even if it is
"a bit early to set a new forecast"
, Olivier Dussopt estimates that the Social Security deficit in 2021
"should be less than the 35.8 billion euros forecast"
.