Value increase from over 500 to over 800
Polish lawmakers debated raising the child allowance. Beginning January 1, 2024, the monthly payment is set to rise from 500 PLN to 800 PLN as part of amendments to the state aid for raising children law. The higher amount will take effect automatically, without a separate family application.
In a recorded vote, 406 members backed the amendment, 45 opposed, and no one abstained. Support came from 228 deputies from PiS, 121 from KO, and 42 from leftist groups. Coalition partners and several other factions supported the measure, while members from the Polish People’s Party and allies voiced opposition, including one KO representative, Klaudia Jachira.
Earlier, the Sejm rejected a motion from Confederation to scrap the bill entirely. Opposition amendments sought changes to the timing of payments and annual indexation. The left pressed for the new amount to start on September 1, 2023, while KO proposed a later date with compensation beginning June 1.
The Sejm also rejected a Polish coalition amendment that would raise the benefit by 300 PLN for households with at least one earner.
PSL’s tensions with the Hołownia Party
A PSL member, Paweł Bejda, commented on a post by coalition partner Szymon Hołownia. Hołownia criticized the plan as a pre election move that could spur inflation. Bejda argued the wording was unclear and that the PSL stands for prudent economic stewardship.
Bejda stated the party does not back a 300 PLN uplift for nonworking individuals and argued the increase should help families with at least one working member. He positioned PSL as a voice for economic responsibility against what he saw as unnecessary expenditures.
When asked why Hołownia spoke for the broader Third Way, Bejda attributed it to a stated philosophy rather than a formal position.
Bejda questioned whether the original 500 plus policy from 2015 produced any demographic gains, noting that current data from the Central Statistical Office show about 1,000 workers supporting 770 unemployed people. He added that roughly 16 percent of Poles are not registered and neither work nor contribute to the economy. The goal, according to Bejda, is to reward those who work.
Fighting poverty
Government spokesman Piotr Muller joined the discussion, highlighting that unemployment figures under the previous government showed about 16 million employed, rising to around 17 million. He cautioned against relying on absolute numbers alone and stressed demographic progress. Muller argued that the 500 plus program aimed to lift living standards and level social opportunities, and he suggested critics simply did not favor the measure.
Beda, a PSL member, countered that the government lacks credibility due to promising gradual indexation from 500 plus to 800 plus while suggesting it would not influence outcomes. He framed the policy as a political tool, contending it would not benefit all citizens equally and expressing concern about funding.
Muller responded that the policy remains in force and compared the current approach to reforms implemented in the early 1990s, noting that the outcomes benefited a broad segment of society and the broader economy. He added that PSL members have disagreements that complicate the coalition’s stance on the issue.
He described the Third Way as a moving target and noted internal tensions as supporters shift positions. Muller concluded by saying that the governing party stays committed to the 800 plus plan while acknowledging political maneuvering around 500 plus has created a confusing situation for some observers.