“We believe that the state must be solid and supportive. It must be active and empathetic. The state must empathise with the difficult situation of people who cannot look after themselves alone. This is how we are building a model of a welfare state, a model of a socially sensitive state,” pointed out the head of the Polish government.

New benefit to support people with disabilities

We are continuously allocating more resources to people with disabilities and their families – in seven years this has been an increase of PLN 21.5 billion, i.e. almost 140%.

We are listening to the voice of the community – in response to the needs reported by this group, we proposed a new solution: a benefit for people with disabilities who have the greatest difficulties in functioning independently. Importantly, it will not be necessary to obtain a new or amended disability certificate.

• The support benefit will be up to 200 per cent of the social pension, i.e. PLN 3,176.88.

It will be available to people with disabilities, regardless of age and income. Support will be available regardless of other forms of support – people who are entitled to a social pension will still be able to collect it.

“The strength of the state is demonstrated by how it cares for the most vulnerable. Since 2015, we have been striving to ensure that everyone in Poland, regardless of the degree of disability, can fully exercise their rights. We are putting the great idea of solidarity into practice. We are implementing a policy of empowering people with disabilities, because each of us is defined first and foremost by our humanity, not by whether we have any disability or not,” emphasised Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Growing benefits for carers

If a person with disabilities does not choose their own support benefit, their carer will be able to receive modified attendance benefits. It will be awarded in the existing amount with the possibility of making extra money (up to 50 per cent of the minimum wage, i.e. up to approx. PLN 20,000 per annum).

It is worth noting that the attendance benefit for carers of people with disabilities has been steadily increasing:

• PLN 420 in 2008.
• PLN 1,200 in 2015.
• PLN 2,458 in 2023.

Over PLN 40 billion for people with disabilities in 2023

This year we want to allocate record funds to support people with disabilities and their families. PLN 40 billion is also the amount for existing solutions, including:

• attendance benefits;
• carers' allowances;
• attendance allowances;
• social pensions.

“It is thanks to an effective budget policy, thanks to the repair of public finances that we can allocate additional, powerful resources to people with disabilities, which can also be seen in the growing budget expenditure on them. This is the next breakthrough in social policy that is currently taking place,” stressed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

We ensure that people with disabilities have the right to a dignified and independent life. In addition to financial support, we run programmes to promote the independence and activity of this group. These include, for example, the “Independence – Activity – Mobility” programme, occupational therapy workshops or wage subsidies.