Due to the numerous programmes carried out by the Ministry, the quality of life and the safety of Polish families increase each year. The residents of rural areas in particular experience the effects of the support granted to families in their daily lives.

500+ and Good Start Benefit

- “Over a half of the funds granted under the Family 500+ programme is allocated towards rural areas each month. In addition, the majority of the children covered by the support come from rural areas” – says the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy Marlena Maląg. From the beginning of the Programme until the end of June this year, that amounts to PLN 67.9 billion, out of which PLN 38.8 billion was granted to families in rural municipalities and PLN 29.1 billion to urban-rural municipalities (25.1%).

In total, 3.5 million children in these municipalities are supported under the Family 500+ programme (54.3% of all children under the programme).

In addition, over one half of the funds under the “Good Start” programme is allocated to families who live in rural areas. Expenditures under the programme in 2018 and 2019 for rural and urban-rural municipalities amounted to approximately PLN 1.5 billion (57.4% of total expenditures). Last year, approximately 2.5 million children received school starter kits in these municipalities.

- ”Both programmes, Good Start and Family 500+, were fully accepted among families from rural areas. All children receive the support, regardless of their income, and now, during the pandemic, they have become particularly important – says Minister Marlena Maląg.

Decrease in poverty in rural areas

Due to social programmes as the Family 500 + or Good Start, the good situation on the labour market, the regular increase in salaries, including the minimum wage, the quality of life of Polish families, especially the ones with the lowest income, living in rural areas, has improved.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate for the rural population in 2019 decreased by 1.9 percentage points in comparison to 2018 and amounted to 7.5%. However, a regular decrease in the level of poverty in rural areas is clearly visible in comparison to the data from 2015, i.e. prior to the introduction of the Family 500+ programme.  Between 2015-2019, extreme poverty among the rural population decreased by nearly one third - from 11.3% to 7.5% (-3.8%)

Support for the poorest citizens of rural areas

However, we remember about those who still remain in a difficult financial situation. In 2019, the new multi-annual government programme “Meals at School and at Home” for 2019-2023 entered into force. The programme aids not only children from poor families in a difficult life situation, but also to the elderly, people with disabilities and with low income. Under the programme, seniors who are unable to prepare their own dinner and rarely leave home due to old age receive hot meal in their homes.

In 2019, approximately 1 million people were provided with support under the “School and Home Meals” Program. Out of the beneficiaries, nearly 514,000 come from rural areas.

The programme is financed from the state budget and own resources of the local government bodies. Considering these two sources, the support under the Programme for the citizens of rural areas with the largest needs amounted to nearly PLN 271 million in 2019, out of which a significant part, as much as approx. PLN 194 million were funded under the state budget.

The residents of rural areas also receive support in the form of food aid and meals as part of the Food Aid Operational Programme 2014-2020 co-financed by the EU. Approximately 1.4 thousand rural municipalities participate in the Programme, which accounts for 61% of all municipalities where food aid is available under the Programme.

Approx. 40% of the beneficiaries under the programme live in rural areas. Annually, Polish families receive food in the form of food packages and meals of a total value exceeding PLN 300 million. Out of the funds, for instance, under the 2018 sub-programme, inhabitants of rural areas received support in a total of PLN 148.5 million.

Toddler+ grows in the countryside

Since 2018, the budget of the Toddler+ programme has tripled. For that reason, the network of nurseries and children's clubs throughout Poland is being expanded and subsidies are granted to existing care facilities. Since then, the budget of the programme has amounted to PLN 450 million annually, which has allowed for a considerable increase in the number of new places of care.

This boom is particularly evident in rural municipalities. In the 2017 edition, approximately 1100 care places were created in rural communes, while in the 2019 edition the total number increased to 3100. That great result will most like be exceeded this year, as there are plans to establish approximately 4,600 places of care in nurseries and at children's clubs. This year, PLN 83.3 million was allocated under Toddler+ to co-finance new places of care in the countryside. That is eight times more in comparison to 2017.