Poland on track to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees

While support for Ukraine is not in question, welfare paid in Poland is.

WARSAW - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk favours cutting benefits for refugees and migrants living and working in Poland, including Ukrainians - a proposal first put forward by the opposition PiS party.

While PiS has already submitted its proposal to parliament, Tusk said the government will “urgently” look into the proposal, which was also put forward by his party’s presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, the incumbent mayor of Warsaw, at a rally on Thursday.

"Today, we still need to support Ukraine. However, we cannot make the same mistake as some Western countries, such as Germany or Sweden, where it was advantageous to come only for social benefits," said Trzaskowski.

Trzaskowski proposed a "fundamental change" that would allow Ukrainians to receive benefits such as the 800 zloty (€190) monthly child benefit programme, but only if they work, live, and pay taxes in Poland.

Tusk responded to Trzaskowski's proposal in a post on X, saying that it would be "urgently" considered by the government. "Personally, I'm in favour of it," he wrote.

The already-submitted PiS proposal limits the 800-plus programme to families who work in the country and pay taxes, PiS parliamentary leader Mariusz Błaszczak said.

In response, Trzaskowski said it shows that sometimes they have a bit of common sense. He accused them of copying his idea despite the PiS proposal apparently coming first.

The "800 plus" benefit is a Polish government programme that provides financial support to families with children. It was introduced by PiS after its 2015 election victory and maintained by Tusk's coalition after it came to power in 2023.

It currently provides a monthly payment of 800 zlotys (€190) for each child under the age of 18, an increase from the previous 500 zlotys. The benefit is universal, meaning that it is not means-tested and is available to all eligible families, regardless of income level.

Following the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022 and the significant influx of war refugees arriving in Poland, the benefit was extended to Ukrainian children.

However, some beneficiaries were receiving the benefit even though they were not permanent residents of Poland. The media reported on buses travelling from Ukraine to Poland solely to collect the monthly allowance.

Coalition divided

The proposal has split the ruling coalition, with the Left strongly opposing it.

"The Left will not support this anti-refugee, irrational populism. But Tusk will push it through with PiS and Confederation," wrote left-wing MP Anna-Maria Żukowska on X, referring to the far-right Confederation party, known for its Ukraine-sceptic rhetoric.

Family, Labour and Social Policy Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk (left, S&D) said that the government had not yet proposed a law on the issue of benefits for refugees.

She added that 80% of Ukrainians living in Poland, mainly women, are employed, which she called "a phenomenon on an EU scale".

Meanwhile, from the school year 2024/2025, the payment of the 800-plus benefit was linked to school attendance, which, according to the government, reduced the number of beneficiaries by 20,000.