Family Care Capital

As of 1 January 2022, the Act on family care capital enters into force. This is a new benefit being part of the Polish Order. Within its framework, parents of the youngest children can expect up to PLN 12 thousand of additional support – paid in the amount of PLN 1,000 a month for one year or in instalments of PLN 500 for two years. The support will be independent of family income, funds will not be taxed.

The benefit will be granted for the second and subsequent children, aged 12-35 months, in a family. The Ministry of Family and Social Policy estimates that only in 2022 about 615 thousand children will make use of this benefit. In 2022, the government will allocate about PLN 3.1 billion for this purpose.

When presenting the Polish Order, we promised Polish families that we would help them better reconcile family life with work. We promised that we would pay for the care of the youngest children. And we kept our word. Family care capital is to help families combine work with raising children – says the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg.

Parents will be able to submit an application for a new benefit as from 1 January 2022.

• This must be done when a child is between 9^th and 13^th month of age. Then, family care capital will be granted in the full amount from the month in which a child turns 1 year old.
• If a child already turned 1 year old but is not 3 years old yet – a parent should submit an application in January. In this case, Capital will be calculated from the New Year.
• If a parent submits an application later, they will receive capital from the month of submitting the application.

Applications for the benefit can only be submitted online – via:

• Empatia MRiPS portal,
• PUE ZUS,
• electronic banking:
  • as from 4 January 2022 via: Bank PKO BP, ING Bank Śląski S.A., mBank S.A., Millenium S.A., PEKAO S.A.,
  • as from 11 January 2022 via Getin Noble Bank S.A.
  • as from 24 January 2022 via: Bank Pocztowy S.A., Credit Agricole Bank Polska S.A.
  • as from 01 February 2022 via: Alior Bank S.A., BPS S.A., Santander, BNP Paribas S.A., SGB-Bank S.A., SKOK Energia, SKOK im. Powstańców Śląskich, SKOK Ziemi Rybnickiej, SKOK Unii Lubelskiej, SKOK Progres, SKOK Śląsk, SKOK Wisła, SKOK Chmielewskiego, SKOK Stefczyka, Krakowska SKOK, SKOK Szopienice, SKOK Świdnik, SKOK Centrum, SKOK Kwiatkowskiego, Regionalna SKOK im. Św. Brata Alberta

The Social Insurance Institution will be involved in granting and paying the benefit.

Co-financing for the stay of a child in a nursery or children’s club

The Act on family care capital also provides for the introduction of co-financing for the functioning of care facilities for children below three who will not be covered by capital. These are, example, the first or the only children in a family.

The co-financing will amount up to PLN 400 per month for a child in a nursery, children’s club or daily care provider (not more than the fee paid by the parents). There will be no income criterion here either.

The solution will apply as from 1 April 2022. Then, it will be possible to submit an application. What is important, the co-financing will be granted with compensation as from 1 January 2022. The funds will go directly to the care facility – says Minister Marlena Maląg.

According to the estimates of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, about 108 thousand children will be covered by this form of support. In 2022, about PLN 520 million will be allocated for this purpose.

Changes in the Family 500+ programme

The New Year also brings changes in the 500+ Family programme. Since 2022, the Social Insurance Institution will handle the programme.

How will it look in practice?

• Cases concerning the right to receive a child-raising benefit for the periods prior to 1 January 2022 will be still implemented by the existing authorities. Self-governments will also continue to pay child-raising benefits granted from applications submitted before 1 January 2022 until the end of the period for which they were granted, i.e. until the end of May 2022
• As from 1 January 2022, the Social Insurance Institution will pay, on an ongoing basis, child-raising benefits it grants, and as from 1 February 2022 it will accept applications for the next benefit period, i.e. a period starting from 1 June 2022 and ending on 31 May 2023.

Applications for child-raising benefits will be submitted online only and the funds will be paid to a bank account, not in cash. Our experience shows that parents have no problem with this solution, and the vast majority of applications are submitted online, this way or that – says Minister Maląg.

From the launch of the programme in April 2016 till the end of 2021, families received PLN 175 billion due to 500+. The support covers about 6.5 million children.