On International Day of persons with disabilities, Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family and Social Policy, and Paweł Wdówik, Government Plenipotentiary for the Disabled announced the commencement of new editions of the following programmes at a press conference: “Respite care” and “Personal assistant for persons with disabilities”. The programmes are aimed at local authorities and financed under the Solidarity Fund. Both programmes provide financial support up to 100% of the costs for municipalities or districts for the purpose of providing services.

A support for the less dependent

An assistant provides assistance to a person with a disability in, for instance, getting to work, school, health care facility, office or church. An assistant also helps them to participate in cultural or sporting events. He or she provides support in daily activities, in establishing contact with various types of organisations

Local governments can already apply for funding under the 2021 edition of the “Personal assistant for persons with disabilities”. –For many people, such support is an opportunity to enjoy a more independent and active life. Our aim is to ensure that assistants are available to all persons who need them – stresses the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg.

The programme also provides the following funding opportunities:

• purchase of personal protective equipment, in the amount up to PLN 50 per month;
• the purchase of single or monthly public/private transport tickets and the costs related to the assistants’ travels with their own vehicle/other means of transport, such as for instance taxis, in connection with travels related the provision of the services listed in the programme, up to a maximum of PLN 200 per month;
• purchase of tickets for cultural, entertainment, sports or social events, etc. for the assistant who accompanies the programme participant, in the amount up to a maximum of PLN 100 per month;
• covering the cost of civil liability or accident insurance for assistants related to the provision of the assistant's services,
  of up to PLN 150 per annum.

Children up to the age of 16 with a certificate of disability are allowed to use the services of an assistant (for the following medical indications: the need for permanent or long-term care or assistance provided by another person in connection with a significantly limited possibility of independent living and the need for permanent participation of the child's carer in the process of his/her treatment, rehabilitation and education on a daily basis) as well as persons with disabilities with a certificate of a significant or moderate degree of disability (or an equivalent certificate).

A helping hand for carers

Providing daily care to a person with disabilities is a great challenge. Family members and guardians have to follow their daily schedule of care and assistance activities, which usually means living under constant psychological and physical strain. Many people in such a situation give up their social and professional life, neglect their own health as well as other issues.

The “Respite Care” programme aims to relieve the burden on family members or carers by supporting them in their daily duties or providing temporary replacements. – This support allows each person involved in daily care to have time for themselves to rest and regenerate, as well as to take care of the necessary obligations. The respite care service can also serve to temporarily secure the needs of a person with disability in a situation where carers are unable to perform their duties for various reasons – says Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family and Social Policy.

The programme will be implemented in three forms:

1. Day care services (rendered at the person place of residence of the person with disability, support centre or another place indicated by the Programme participant)
2. Provision of respite care services as part of a 24-hour stay (in a support centre, in an institution providing 24-hour care for persons with disabilities or in any other location indicated by the Programme participant)
3. Providing respite care by providing family members or carers with specialist advice (psychological or therapeutic) and support in learning about care/rehabilitation/dietetics.

Additional resources in support of persons with disabilities

– The budget of the 2021 edition of the “Personal Assistant for Persons with Disabilities” amounts to PLN 80 million. In addition, we have allocated PLN 50 million for the next year's “Respite Care” programme. We encourage all municipalities and districts to participate in both programs. Applications may be submitted to the office of the competent voivode until 31 December this year. – says Paweł Wdówik, Government Plenipotentiary for the Disabled.

Both programmes are financed under the Solidarity Fund. This year, nearly PLN 420 million have been allocated in total to all programmes implemented by the Ministry.  Supplementary benefits for persons incapable of independent living granted under the Solidarity Fund reach up to 650 thousand people. This year, the budget planned for the new service amounts to PLN 4.5 billion. In total, this year's expenses for persons with disabilities will amount to up to PLN 27.4 billion, i.e., an increase of PLN 12 billion in comparison to 2015.

Additional call for proposals

During the conference, a representative of the Ministry also informed about the launch of parallel programs addressed to non-governmental organisations. - We did not disburse all funds available under the first “Personal Assistant for Persons with Disabilities,” therefore today we are announcing an additional call for proposals for NGOs – said Paweł Wdówik, Government Plenipotentiary for the Disabled. He informed that so far, PLN 62 out of the total of PLN 80 million PLN have been spent so far. The remaining funds will be allocated further.

Through the eyes of a child

The Government Plenipotentiary also announced a plan to start a competition for the primary and secondary school students “We Are All Alike”. - The competition includes three categories of works aimed to present the lives of their friends with disabilities or adult people with disabilities in the society. The participants are allowed to send in works of art, audio-visual productions, sound materials or literary works - he explained. The information and regulations of the competition will appear on the website of the Plenipotentiary before Christmas.