Lower house approves bill increasing child benefits

The lower house has passed a bill that will increase child benefits and the number of families who are entitled to them.  Child benefits will increase by 26 percent and they will be paid to families with incomes of up to 3.4 times the subsistence level, retrospectively from July. Presently ten percent of Czech families are entitled to them, under the new law it should be twenty percent. The bill was approved by an overwhelming majority with 177 out of 178 deputies present endorsing the change.