Child benefits enhance dignity of Polish families: gov’t minister

The Polish government’s flagship child benefit programme has helped enhance the dignity of families across the country since it was launched in 2016, a government minister has said.

Poland's Family and Social Policy Minister Marlena Maląg (left) speaks at a debate focusing on the government's child benefit programme on Wednesday.

Photo: PAP/Tomasz Gzell

The "Family 500+" programme, which benefits more than 6.6 million children nationwide, has also helped reduce poverty and contributed to an increase in the fertility rate, Family and Social Policy Minister Marlena Maląg said.

Thursday marks exactly five years since the "Family 500+" initiative was launched by Poland’s ruling conservatives, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

Poland’s socially conservative Law and Justice government, which came to power in late 2015, aims to ease the burdens of child rearing by giving families with children a handout of PLN 500 (EUR 108, USD 126) a month per child.

Payouts to parents have exceeded PLN 141 billion (EUR 30.4 billion, USD 35.7 billion) since the programme was launched on April 1, 2016, according to officials.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR