In this paper the microeconomic effects of the child benefit on consumption are evaluated. Benefits for families bringing up children have become a popular part of social and demand-side policy in European countries. That is why questions about the form and scale ensuring the effectiveness of the program are more important than discussing the need for its implementation. We begin with a literature review. The child benefit is mainly criticised because it is pushing out other types of government spending or increasing the public debt and decreasing the labour supply. The benefit’s effect on demographic growth is questioned. There is a lack of analyses of individual consumption and forms of its subsidization. Therefore, we will use microeconomic consumer theory to assess the Polish child benefit „Family 500+” and compare funding alternatives. A study of a hypothetical case was performed. It turned out that a cash benefit is of a higher utility to a consumer than an equivalent amount in vouchers or in a consumption tax rebate. Free nursery or kindergarden care are less favourable for the market and for price control. The „Family 500+” benefit, as introduced originally in Poland in 2016, is positively assessed when taking consumption smoothing and utility maximisation under consideration.