A bridging pension is a periodic benefit granted until reaching the general retirement age. It can be applied for by employees performing work in special conditions or of a special nature, who, with age, have the significantly lower ability to perform work, associated with the decreasing psychophysical efficiency of the employee.

On Tuesday, 5 April, President Andrzej Duda signed an amendment to the Act on bridging pensions.

– The amendment to the Act assumes that the bridging pension will be granted to persons who apply for it before the termination of the employment relationship if they meet the remaining conditions necessary to receive it. In this situation, the benefit will not be paid yet – the right to a bridging pension will be suspended – says the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg.

Extension of the competences of the National Labour Inspectorate

In addition, the amendment extends the competences of the National Labour Inspectorate. It will have a clear legal basis for controlling work performed under specific conditions or work of a special nature.

In turn, an employee will have greater possibilities to lodge a complaint – not only if they themselves are not included in the records, but also if the workplace where they perform work in special conditions or of a special nature is not included in the list kept by an employer.

Unification of the amount of co-financing

A solution is also introduced, thanks to which larger enterprises will be able to obtain higher co-financing for projects improving safety and working conditions. By unifying the amount of co-financing for all enterprises – regardless of the number of employees employed – safety will be increased and working conditions will be improved for all contributors.