The Council of Ministers passed the bill pursuant to which benefits paid to retired persons will increase as of the next year. The lowest retirement pensions will amount to 1,100 zloty and all benefits will increase by at least 70 zloty.

Today, the Ministry of Family was visited by children from foster and large families. They were greeted by Father Christmas with a lot of presents.

The accelerated economy results in the record low level of unemployment. It translates into a better situation of Polish families; not only more persons have jobs, but also remunerations are growing. Predominantly, the situation of persons earning the least is improving.

A conference summarising 3 years of the Ministry’s activities was held at the Ministry of Family. The most important programmes were discussed by the Minister, Elżbieta Rafalska and the Vice-Ministers, Stanisław Szwed and Krzysztof Michałkiewicz.

On 29 November, the Minister, Elżbieta Rafalska met with Ana Maria Ramirez, the Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina.

The senior citizen programmes implemented by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy respond to the challenges posed by the demographic process in Poland. The goal is not only to improve the living conditions of the ageing society, but also to make use of the potential and life experience of the elderly, for the benefit of all.

The call for proposals to the next year’s edition of the “Toddler+” programme started. PLN 450 million is to be allocated to establishing new and financing already existing places of providing care for the youngest children in 2019. What will change?

The unemployment rate remaining at a record low level resulted in a new situation of employment offices. They receive more and more requests from employers, who have difficulty finding candidates. On the other hand, almost 950 thousand persons are still entered in unemployment registers, some for many years. Manners of returning them to the labour market were discussed by employment offices and employers at a meeting organised by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

Mr President and the First Lady hosted in their Presidential Palace couples who had been married for more than 60 years. The event was organised on the occasion of the Polish Senior Citizen Day, and it was also attended by Minister Elżbieta Rafalska and Deputy Minister Elżbieta Bojanowska.

The President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda signed the Act on Employee Capital Plans. The ceremony of signing the Act on Employee Capital Plans was held at the Warsaw Stock Exchange and was participated in by the Minister, Elżbieta Rafalska.