Poland’s opposition conservative Law & Justice (PiS) party has introduced a new parliamentary bill to restrict Ukrainian families’ access to the country’s primary child benefit programme. The proposed bill, put forth on January 21, seeks to ensure that only children whose parents contribute to Poland’s economy—by working and paying taxes—are eligible for the benefit.
The child benefit, which provides around €200 per child per month, has been a popular initiative since the PiS implemented it during their 2015-2023 term. Initially, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the PiS extended the benefit to all Ukrainian refugees. However, the latest bill seeks to adjust that policy.
This move follows remarks by Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who called for limiting eligibility to Ukrainian families actively contributing to the Polish economy. Trzaskowski, who is running for president in May’s elections, made these comments during an election meeting on January 17 in eastern Poland. He argued, “Benefits… should go to those who contribute to our economy. This is a fair and common-sense approach,” positioning himself more to the Right as part of his campaign strategy.
Trzaskowski’s statement is seen as an effort to align with anti-globalist sentiments, criticizing Western Europe for making migration financially appealing, encouraging migrants to come for benefits rather than work. According to Eurostat, nearly 1 million Ukrainians resided in Poland by the end of 2024. Polish state insurer (ZUS) figures show that in early 2024, child benefits were paid to about 250,000 children, a sharp drop from over 500,000 in 2022, after the benefit became restricted to children attending Polish schools.
PiS leaders openly admitted that their bill was a test to determine whether Trzaskowski and his party were genuinely committed to the proposed changes or if they were simply using the issue for electoral gains. PiS parliamentary leader Mariusz Błaszczak expressed that the bill reflects increasing concerns among Polish citizens about potential abuse of the benefit system, stating, “Rafał Trzaskowski has finally acknowledged what we have been saying for years: Welfare should support contributors to our society. Our bill ensures fairness for taxpayers.”
Trzaskowski’s position is under review by the Polish interior ministry, which, on January 21, confirmed that it is considering tightening child benefit rules and might introduce its own legislative proposals soon. However, not everyone in the ruling coalition supports this direction.
Szymon Hołownia, speaker of Parliament and leader of the centrist Poland 2050 party, voiced opposition to Trzaskowski’s remarks, suggesting that while checks could be enhanced, drastic changes weren’t necessary. “One could consider more thorough checks, but I see no need for radical changes,” he said, warning against penalizing vulnerable groups like Ukrainian single mothers fleeing the war. “To deny support to those in desperate circumstances would be inhumane,” Hołownia added.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, offering refuge to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens. However, tensions have arisen recently between the two countries over issues such as the handling of Polish war victims by Ukrainian authorities and the impact of Ukrainian food imports on Polish farmers.
