The new ‘Active Parent’ programme, monthly allowances for social workers, greater protection of workers from harmful substances – these are just some of the solutions prepared in recent months at the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy that have already come into force. Many more are waiting to be introduced – such as widow's pension, longer leave for parents of preterm babies or reform of labour offices. It has been a busy time at the labour ministry.

The Council of Ministers has adopted a regulation enabling the use of the solutions provided for in the special purpose Flood Act. Employers and employees, social workers and persons with disabilities from the areas affected by the floods are among those who can benefit from the social assistance for flood victims.

The registered unemployment rate at the end of September this year, according to estimates by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, was 5%. 771,000 persons were still unemployed – September marks the lowest number of registered unemployed persons since the first measurement in 1990.

Cooperation during the Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the priorities of the EPSCO Council were discussed today by the Minister for Family, Labour and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, and Beate Andrees, Deputy Director General of the International Labour Organisation.

The receipt of applications for a new benefit to support parents of young children in balancing professional and family life started on 1 October. Under the Active Parent scheme, the parents will receive up to PLN 1,500 monthly per child. The parents will receive the funds no later than two months after filing the application and, importantly, with adjustment.

A draft amendment of the Labour Code concerning the calculation of length of service is currently under interministerial consultations and assessment. It is authored by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

773.7 thousand unemployed were registered at labour offices in August this year. – This is according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. A lower August number of unemployed people was recorded 34 years ago.

Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, gave a speech on the labour market at the Economic Forum in Karpacz. She focused on the fact that, when discussing the shortage of workers on the labour market, we must not look for blame in specific social groups, such as senior citizens or young mothers, but we must make a comprehensive reform of the labour market to enable them to be economically active.

The inaugural meeting of the Communication Center for People with Disabilities was held on Monday 19 August. The Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Disabled People has selected the partners with whom it will jointly implement the Communication Center project. These are three organisations: MIGAM S.A., the Polish Association of the Deaf and the Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disability.

Widows and widowers will be able to collect their retirement benefit and survivor's pension of their deceased spouse. This means financial support for up to 2 million seniors who will see their retirement and pension benefits increase.