The family is not only the mother, the father and the children, but also the grandparents. Senior citizens are important members of the society. The elderly have precious knowledge and experience they can share with others. Unfortunately, senior citizens have to tackle with numerous obstacles in their daily life. Many of them have no activities or possibilities for development, or they do not get the care they need. This is why the instrument “Senior citizen social policy 2030.  Safety - Engagement - Solidarity” was established to determine the most important directions of senior citizen policy in the years to come, and to govern the activities of public institutions in Poland.

Active senior citizen

The elderly want to be active, feel needed and keep in touch with their children and grandchildren. Many senior citizens engage in various activities, such as physical exercises, hobbies or socialising. However, a vast majority of them, especially those living in small towns, suffer from loneliness and lack of things to do. They have no means and places to spend their free time and socialise.

This is the reason why the multiannual programme “Senior +” 2015-2010 was developed. The programme is mainly about creating and running Day Homes and “Senior +” clubs. There, the elderly may engage in cooking workshops and sport activities as well as learn to use the computer and Internet. They may also attend therapy and rehabilitation and have a hot meal in a good company - these are but a few of the reasons why the Homes and “Senior +” clubs are so necessary.

In 2015, there were fewer than 100 such centres in Poland, accessible to 2,800 seniors. The budget of the programme at that time was 30 million PLN allocated to start the Homes and “Senior +” clubs. By the end of 2018, the number of those centres will have grown to more than 500, offering more than 14,000 places. This year, the record 80 million PLN has been allocated to start and run such centres.In 2019, the amount of the programme budget will be the same.

We must not forget about continuation of the hugely popular Government Programme Social Engagement of the Elderly (ASOS). In the period from 2016 to 2018, nearly 450,000 persons attended cultural and educational activities. In 2019, the budget of the programme will be 40 million PLN.

We remember about those who need to be cared for

According to the forecasts, by the year 205, the 60+ population in Poland will have grown to 13.7 million, i.e. more than 40% of the entire population. Already in late 2016, almost one in four Poles was aged 65 years or older. This is a huge challenge for the entire society and it requires implementation of new solutions and improvement of the existing ones.

it is very important to provide senior citizens (especially those less independent) with easy access to care, including specialist care services. An important programme in this area is the “75+ Care” programme, which supports municipal authorities in providing care services to persons aged 75 years and older. Importantly, as of next year, the programme will also cover elderly persons living with their families and not only lonely persons, as it is now. The programme may also be joined by municipalities that offer care services, including specialist care, through legal-person cooperatives. In the first half of 2018, nearly 360 from across Poland participated in the programme, and the budget was 57 million PLN.

Higher pensions, lower threat of poverty

In 2017, the minimum old-age pension was raised from 882.56 PLN to 1,000 PLN - which is an increase by 13.3%. In 2018, old-age and disability pensions grew by 2.98%. It was the highest valorisation in the last five years. Next year, the valorisation will be even higher: in 2019, old-age and disability benefits will grow by 3.26%, and at least by 70 PLN (this means that the lowest benefits will be increased twice - by 6.8 percent rather than 3.26 percent).  The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy guarantees that the minimum amount of benefits will grow to 1,100 PLN in the case of minimum old-age benefit, disability pension due to full inability to work, family pension and social pension, and 825 PLN in the case of minimum disability pension due to partial inability to work.

According to statistics, the situation of old-age pensioners with the worst living conditions has improved over the last 3 years. In 2017, the extreme poverty risk indicator dropped by 0.6 percent compared to 2015 (from 5.0% to 4.4%).

Another programme developed in 2015 was “Mum 4+”, offering family benefits to parents who raised at least four children and had to resign from employment due to long-term child care, which means they are not entitled to the minimum old-age pension. The programme will most probably be launched on 1 March 2019, and it will cost appr. 916 million PLN.