Despite a lack of computer equipment and less autonomy in the use of these tools, the majority of financially insecure households have taken advantage of digital tools to monitor their accounts or carry out remote transactions. The poorest people are also vulnerable: they keep track of their accounts on the Internet (64% do so, compared to 77% on average), carry out online transactions such as transfers (55%, compared to 70%), among other reasons because they have fewer current accounts and savings accounts; they have an account with an online bank less often (9%, compared to 13%) and make online purchases less often (68%, compared to 74%)
This is one of the main findings of the survey on conditions of access to financial services for households living below the poverty line conducted by Crédoc for the Comité consultatif du secteur financier (CCSF).
This survey focuses on access to financial services by households living in poverty or those receiving a minimum social benefit: bank accounts, savings accounts, means of payment (checkbook, bank card, contactless payment, access to cash, transfers, money orders) and credit.
The 2019-2020 edition of this survey (previous ones date back to 2001 and 2010) includes a significant component devoted to financial uses that rely on digital.
A slightly less easy relationship with digital tools for populations in financial difficulty
This survey complements the results of the Digital Barometer with new data on the relationship to digital technology of households below the poverty line.
We learn that recipients of minimum social benefits are relatively well equipped with an Internet connection (80%), as are poor households (85%). However, these equipment rates remain well below those observed for the population as a whole (92%).
Références :
The difference in equipment concerns both the fixed connection (-14 points among recipients of minimum social benefits compared to the general population and -7 points among poor households) and the mobile connection (-12 points and -9 points).
On the whole, welfare recipients and the poor are autonomous with respect to computer and digital tools, since 63% of the former and 64% of the latter have no particular difficulty or manage on their own."However, the relationship with digital tools is less easy for these groups than for the general population. While 42% of people in the general population believe they have no particular difficulty with computer and digital tools, this same proportion is only 30% among recipients of minimum social benefits and 32% among the poor. On the contrary, these two populations are almost twice as likely as the general population to never use computer and digital tools (11% vs. 6%). On this subject, recipients of minimum social benefits and people living below the poverty line have the same profile.
9% of households living in poverty and those receiving minimum social benefits are online banking customers.
Among French people who have at least one bank account, 13% are customers of an online bank. This proportion is only slightly lower among recipients of minimum social benefits and poor households (9%).
The concern to limit expenses is the main reason for choosing an online bank.
"The interviews conducted as part of the survey reveal, " among people with modest incomes, a greater interest in free online services (no account maintenance fees, the possibility of withdrawing cash from all ATMs) as well as the commercial offers proposed at the opening of the account in case of sponsorship. Some people, whether poor or not, are also very reluctant to subscribe to the offers of an online bank. The impossibility of having a human contact in case of a problem is systematically mentioned, including by people who say they only (very) rarely contact their bank. Other people living in poverty mention the impossibility of opening an online account because of their low resources and lack of savings. Being overdrawn is also cited as an argument for not opening an online account.
Two-thirds of financially insecure households consult their account online at least once a week
64% of households in poverty and 62% of those receiving minimum social benefits look at their financial situation at least once a week, compared to 69% of the general population.
Eight percent of poor households and recipients of minimum social benefits even consult them on a daily basis (11% in the general population).
Extensive use of digital technology to consult the bank account
The Internet and mobile applications are the most frequent mode of consultation for 64% of poor households and 60% of recipients of minimum social benefits (77% in the general population).
17% of poor households and recipients of minimum social benefits keep track of their accounts from paper statements sent by the bank, compared to an average of 12%.
There is a very strong age effect when it comes to checking accounts: younger people, regardless of their financial situation, use digital and computer tools much more frequently
Low-income households bank slightly less online
55% of poor households and 51% of recipients of minimum social benefits carry out such operations remotely (70% in the general population). It is true that, on average, they have fewer accounts and also fewer savings, "which can mechanically limit the number (and therefore the frequency) of operations to be carried out.
This survey is based on telephone interviews with:
- 809 households in monetary poverty, i.e. receiving less than 1,041 euros per month per consumption unit (i.e. 60% of the median income)
- 803 households receiving minimum social benefits (RSA, AAH, ASS, ASPA)
- 1,005 households representative of the entire population.
