Polish president signs law on new payouts for families
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
17.02.2016 12:54
Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday signed into law a flagship government bill introducing new state benefits designed to encourage families to have more children and counteract a demographic crisis.
President Andrzej Duda. Photo: PAP/Jacek Turczyk
"For me this is an unusually happy day, because for the first time since 1989… today marks the completion of the legislative process a bill that means real support from the Polish state for those who are the most important in our country - for families who have children," Duda said just before signing the law.
The new handouts, a key pledge by the Law and Justice (PiS) party ahead of its victory in the country’s October general election, are to come into force in April.
With the population of Poland set to shrink fast, the PiS government's “500+” programme aims to ease the burdens of child-rearing by giving all families with two or more children a handout of PLN 500 (USD 127, EUR 112) a month per child, regardless of their income level.
Poorer families will receive the allowance even if they have just one child. (pk)
Source: PAP