Budget for ‘500 +’ program to increase slightly in 2017 – Rafalska

Poland’s Minister for Family, Labour and Social Policy, Elżbieta Rafalska, stated on Thursday that the national budget allocation for its social assistance program for families with children would increase in 2017, y/y, according to a Polish press report. “From the budget for the program [Family 500 plus] we will spend PLN 17.8 billion,” the minister said during a radio interview. This year, the government has set aside PLN 17.0 billion for the program. “It’s a small difference,” she also stressed. The program, formally referred to as the ‘Family 500 plus’, issues unconditional payments to families who have more than one child under the age of 18. It has been popular with advocates who see it as improving the welfare of families. On the other hand, it has been criticized by others as increasing the national deficit.