The French social security system

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  FR
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  EN

The French social security system is essentially made up of a number of statutory schemes which are as follows:

• The general scheme, which covers most salaried workers plus members of other categories (students and claimants of certain benefits who joined the general scheme at some point in time),
• The self-employed (non-agricultural) workers' scheme
• The agricultural scheme, which covers salaried and self-employed workers for all risks,
• The special schemes for certain non-agricultural salaried workers. These schemes cover either certain specific risks (generally old-age with the other risks being covered by the general scheme) or all risks,
• The independent basic old-age schemes, which are topped up by compulsory supplementary schemes,
• The unemployment scheme, which covers all salaried workers and is administered by joint organizations,
• The supplementary pension scheme AGIRC-ARRCO, which is mandatory for all private-sector general or agricultural scheme salaried workers and tops up the basic schemes.