Assistance to families with children is given much attention in the social policy of Poland. In this brief review, we will consider the main types of state social payments for children.

A one-time payment at the birth of a child is paid in the amount of PLN 1000, provided that the family income per person does not exceed PLN 1922. An application for the payment of a lump-sum allowance is submitted within 12 months from the date of birth of the child. Another condition is that a woman must be under medical supervision no later than from the 10th week of pregnancy until delivery.

A one-time payment for assistance with the birth of a child on the “For Life” program (“Za życiem”) was created for parents in connection with the birth of a child with health problems. One-time assistance in the amount of PLN 4000 provided regardless of income. An application for the payment of a lump-sum allowance is submitted within 12 months from the date of birth of the child.

The birth benefit is paid for 52 weeks from the date of birth; persons who pay insurance premiums for social insurance for sickness and in connection with maternity are entitled to it. The amount of the benefit is at least PLN 1000. The allowance can be paid at a rate of 80% throughout the entire period, provided that all necessary documents are submitted within 21 days from the date of birth. The benefit is also available at 100% for the first 26 weeks and then at 60%.

Parental allowance (“Świadczenie rodzicielskie”) is granted to persons caring for a child who, due to their professional status (students, farmers), cannot benefit from the birth allowance. The allowance is PLN 1000 per month and does not depend on income. This support can be used, for example, by the unemployed, students. Parental allowance is assigned for a period of 52 to 72 weeks.

It is worth noting that in order to respect the rights of parents, new rules regarding parental leave were introduced in 2023 in accordance with the EU Directive on work-life balance.

The family allowance (“Zasiłek rodzinny”) partially covers the costs of maintaining a child. The condition for receiving family allowance is income criterion. As a rule, family income per person cannot exceed PLN 674, and if a family member is a disabled child - PLN 764. The principle “złoty for złoty” applies: if a family applying for family allowance together with supplements exceeds the income criterion, it does not mean that they are excluded from the family allowance system, but the family may receive the benefits they are claiming reduced by the amount of the excess of the income criterion.

The monthly family allowance is:

1) PLN 95.00 per child under the age of 5,

2) PLN 124.00 per child from 5 to 18 years old,

3) PLN 135.00 per child between the ages of 18 and 24.

Care allowance (“Świadczenie Rodzinne Pielęgnacyjne”) is granted in connection with the dismissal of the parents (guardians) of the child and the need for permanent or long-term care for the child, his treatment, rehabilitation or education. Care allowance is due if the disability of the person in need of care occurs:

1) not later than until reaching the age of 18 or

2) while studying at a school or university, but no later than reaching the age of 25.

The allowance is PLN 2458 per month. The right to receive care allowance does not depend on income.

Benefit under the Family Care Capital program (“Rodzinny Kapitał Opiekuńczy”) is provided for a child between the ages of 12 and 35 months. This allowance does not depend on the family income, it is up to PLN 12,000 for the second and each subsequent child. The allowance can be granted in the amount of PLN 500 within 24 months or PLN 1000 within 12 months. During the benefit period, you can change your monthly benefit decision once.

Kindergarten allowance (“Dofinansowanie pobytu w żłobku”) is granted if the child attends a nursery, kindergarten or is under the supervision of a teacher, and the parents (guardians) do not receive family capital for this child. Co-financing is a maximum of PLN 400 per child per month, but not more than the amount of payment for the child's stay in kindergarten.

The universal allowance for every child under the age of 18 (“Świadczenie Wychowawcze 500+”) is provided regardless of income and is paid in the amount of PLN 500 per child per month.

Within the framework of state programme dedicated to the academic year (“Dobry Start”), a one-time allowance in the amount of PLN 300 is provided for all students starting the school year. The benefit is provided regardless of income. The allowance is provided once a year to a child studying at school until they reach the age of 20. For a disabled child studying at school, the allowance is paid until the child reaches the age of 24. The state program does not apply to students.

The “Large Family” card (“Karta Dużej Rodziny”) is a system of discounts and additional benefits for families with children 3+, both in public institutions and in private companies. Cardholders have the opportunity to take advantage of the offers of organizations from the food, fuel, banking and recreational industries. The card supports the budgets of large families and facilitates access to goods and services. Link to partners and discounts for this card.

The allowance from the alimony fund (“Świadczenie z Funduszu Alimentacyjnego”) is provided to persons entitled to alimony. Payments are made after the income condition is met.

For each type of state social benefits, additional conditions apply to recipients, applications, payment terms, and others.

Detailed instructions on the conditions for receiving payments, applying for them can be found on the official the official website and the web-site dedicated to families with children.

For families with children, tax deductions, are also provided, more about them at the link.