Is the back-to-school allowance only used to buy supplies for children?

From 423 euros to 462 euros depending on age: the back-to-school allowance (ARS) was paid this Tuesday, August 19, to three million low-income households, for approximately five million children. A breath of fresh air for these families as the start of the school year approaches and its share of compulsory expenses... Accompanied by the eternal debate on its use, which, according to its detractors, is misused by unscrupulous beneficiaries who prefer to buy high-tech equipment rather than replace their child's schoolbag with this social assistance.

Paid subject to means-tested conditions, the ARS is transferred directly by the CAF to the beneficiaries' bank account, generally in the second half of August. While it is supposed to "help families finance back-to-school expenses," according to the Ministry of National Education, this method of payment makes it impossible to supervise and monitor how this allowance is spent. Parliamentarians have already attempted to table...