Sejm raises child benefit

The Sejm, the lower parliamentary house, has raised Poland's 500 Plus child benefit from PLN 500 (EUR 112) to PLN 800 (EUR 179).

The new benefit will come into force on January 1 of next year. The change constitutes a 60-percent raise of the ruling party's flagship 500 plus programme introduced in 2016.

The bill went through in a 406-to-45 vote with no abstentions.

Eligible for the benefit are children from birth to the age of 18.

The legislation raising the benefit will be now read by the Senate, the upper house of parliament.