WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) will extend its child benefit programme from Monday, in a move critics say is a clear attempt to buy national election votes that will also divert much-needed investment from public services.
All Poles will be able to start applying for a 500 zloty-a-month (£105) payment for first-born children - a benefit hitherto reserved for poorer families - and the money will arrive on their accounts by the end of October, probably just in time for the autumn ballot.
