800+ already sure? A draft law on amendments to 500+ has been submitted to the government

The Council of Ministers has published a draft law amending the law on state assistance in the upbringing of children. This is a document according to which the Family 500+ allowance will be indexed up to PLN 800.

500+ will turn into 800+

As we read, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, which is the author of the draft amendments to the law, recommends that the government introduce, from January 1, 2024, the amount of the allowance in the amount of not PLN 500, as it has been until now, but PLN 800.

Benefit changes, if accepted, will be made ex officio. Thus, parents and guardians will not need to send any letters or fill out applications. The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy plans to pay the first benefit in an increased amount until February 29, 2024.

“The child care allowance, introduced in 2016 by the Law of February 11, 2016 on state assistance in raising children (Journal of Laws of 2023, art. 810), commonly referred to as the “Family 500+” or “500+” program, was satisfied with the extremely positive reception, especially given that the Family 500+ program is addressed to a wide range of eligible individuals. This allowance is in many cases crucial, especially for families with many children, in order to provide the necessary financial assistance in the upbringing of children. Since the introduction of the child care allowance, its size has not changed. Given the current economic and economic situation, it is time to increase the amount of the allowance in question, according to the rationale, published in the government’s list of legislative works.

Why 800 only since January?

Why the ruling group does not want to agree with the opposition’s calls for immediate valorization, discussed in an interview with RMF FM prof. Norbert Maliszewski, head of the State Analytical Center. “Everything has to be calculated. The right time to introduce 800+ is when inflation comes down, when things stabilize in terms of markets and inflation. Then we will be able to give an additional 2 billion zlotys a month into the pockets of the Poles - Maliszewski said on RMF FM’s Guest Krzysztof Zemetz, adding that “this will not be a significant inflationary impulse.”

To Krzysztof Zemetz’s remark that we are not sure that inflation will decrease from the new year, the head of the Governmental think tank replied that “most people are very consistent in their forecasts.”

– You see well what causes such inflation. Mostly imported. Inflation was caused by high prices for energy, fuel, and food. We see that if these prices fall, then inflation in Poland also falls, until finally it becomes single-digit - Malishevsky explained.