Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced before Tuesday’s government meeting that parents will no longer have to renew their 800+ application every year. The draft amendment is to go before the Council of Ministers as early as Tuesday, 20 October.
According to reports of the prime minister’s speech, cited among others by Polsat News and RMF FM, Tusk said the current annual application requirement was an “unnecessary bureaucratic obligation” and a source of stress, since someone could file late or fill in the form incorrectly.
“We are radically simplifying this procedure: one application, the first one, after the child is born will be enough, and 800+ will automatically be paid into the family’s account until the child turns 18”
— Donald Tusk before the government meeting, 20 October (quoted by Polsat News).
What the draft provides
The government is working on an amendment to the Act on State Aid in Raising Children, prepared by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. As “Rzeczpospolita” reports, it is deregulatory in nature. It provides for a mechanism that automatically renews the right to the benefit for subsequent benefit periods, without new applications from parents or guardians.
Families will still be able to change the data provided in their application if their situation changes. Tusk stressed that when “something significant happens,” parents will know they must report the changes. If no changes are reported, the entitlement to the benefit will be extended automatically.
When the change would take effect
“Rzeczpospolita,” citing the family ministry’s draft, writes that the rules are to take effect from next year. No exact date has been given. The draft still has to go through the legislative process: once adopted by the government, it will go to the Sejm, then to the Senate, and finally to the president’s desk. As of publication, the final text of the provisions adopted by the Council of Ministers and details on reporting changes, such as a child moving abroad or a change of guardian, are not known.
What it means
At present, parents and guardians who want to keep payments uninterrupted must file an application for each subsequent benefit period. After the change, this would require a single application filed at the start, and the benefit of 800 PLN per child per month would be paid automatically until the child’s 18th birthday. This applies to all families receiving 800+, including those already receiving the benefit. Until the new rules take effect, the current rules apply, so the deadlines for applying for the current benefit period still stand.
Tusk also referred to the programme’s history. As Polsat News reports, he said previous governments raised the benefit from 500 to 800 PLN without securing funding. This assessment is the prime minister’s opinion, not a finding based on documents.
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