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Starting January 1, 2024, Poland has implemented a new law raising the child benefit, known as “800 plus,” from 500 PLN to 800 PLN. The change automatically applies without the need for any application. The government estimates that 6.6 million children will benefit from this adjustment.
First Payouts Already Distributed:
Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, the President of ZUS (Social Insurance Institution), revealed that the first 800 PLN child benefits have already been transferred to parents’ bank accounts. Due to the first payment date falling on January 2, 2024 (a public holiday for civil servants), transfers were processed on December 29, 2023.
Future Payouts:
Subsequent payments will be made on January 3 and 4, 2024, maintaining the existing schedule. The ZUS head emphasized the commitment to timely disbursements.
Government Estimates and Budget Impact:
The government projects that 6,668,000 children will be eligible for the increased benefit in 2024. The implementation of this change will result in a 24 billion PLN budget increase in 2024. However, future years anticipate reduced expenditures as the child population decreases due to declining birth rates.
The “Family 500 plus” program, initiated in April 2016, covers children from birth to 18 years. Both family and foster care children qualify for the benefit. The decision to replace the 500 plus with the new 800 PLN rate was announced by Jarosław Kaczyński in May 2023. The Sejm passed the amendment in July, and President Andrzej Duda signed it in August.