At 36, Samuel was quickly plunged into a very difficult financial situation because of the confinement.

Catering professional, he found himself at the RSA and had to push the door of the Secours populaire to get out.

He is one of the association's many new beneficiaries. 

TESTIMONY

"It was completely insurmountable financially, I had nothing."

Samuel is 36 years old, and after 22 years in the restaurant business, he found himself unemployed overnight at the end of February.

He is in fact one of these new beneficiaries of Secours populaire since confinement.

On Wednesday, the association warned of an outbreak of poverty unprecedented since World War II in the country.

She noted not only an increase in requests, but above all that 45% of these new beneficiaries were previously unknown.

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"I was still on a probationary period and my boss retracted"

François, a volunteer at Secours populaire, explained this Wednesday morning at the microphone of Europe 1 that there were in particular "catering professionals", like Samuel.

At the start of 2020, the latter resigned from one CDI for another, but the coronavirus hit France, the economy paralyzed, restaurants ended up closing.

“Unfortunately, I was still on probation and my boss retracted,” he said.

"Knowing that I could not benefit from unemployment since I had resigned, I received the RSA, or 500 euros per month, with a rent of 700 euros." 

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A situation "completely insurmountable financially"

Samuel then finds himself caught in a spiral "completely insurmountable financially".

"I had nothing, my fridge was emptied more and more, I had to borrow money and I have 3,000 euros in debt today."

A sum that "just allowed him to get his nose out of the water to be able to breathe."

Several months later, Samuel still benefited from the Secours populaire.

"I need cartons of milk or butter, there are no small savings in my situation. So unfortunately and fortunately, I still go to the Secours populaire."