Text from the drawing: 15 May, International Day of Families. We support Polish families.

The International Day of Families – celebrated on 15 May – this year falls on Sunday. It is worth spending this day with our close relatives, enjoying their presence, creating beautiful memories.

Also on this occasion, we have prepared for you an overview of actions for families in Poland implemented by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy.

– From the very beginning of the rule of the United Right, the family has been in the centre of our actions. Everything we do is aimed at improving the situation and quality of life of families in Poland. Children, parents, grandparents, entrepreneurs, employees, persons with disabilities, residents of cities, small towns and villages. All of them form families. However, today, I encourage to take a closer look at the actions addressed directly to families with children – from the flagship „Family 500+” programme, family care capital and co-financing for nurseries, through the Large Family Card to the „Mother 4+” programme. And this is not everything. I invite you to read – says the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg.

Family 500+. Safety and dreams which came true

Just a month and a half ago we celebrated the 6^th anniversary of the „Family 500+” programme. The programme which proves that it is possible to invest in the family. It allowed to strengthen household budgets, gave a sense of security and a chance to make many bigger and smaller dreams come true.

The child-raising benefit under the „Family 500+” programme means PLN 500 per month for each child below 18, regardless of the income gained by the family.

Every month, the benefit goes to nearly 6.5 million children. Since the launch of the programme in April 2016, it has already meant about PLN 188 billion of support.

- We have no doubt that this is a good investment that pays off for everyone. A better today of families and children means a better tomorrow for all of us – says Minister Marlena Maląg.

The new benefit period of the „Family 500+” programme will start on 1 June and will be valid until 31 May 2023. In order to continue receiving the benefit, it is necessary to submit a new application. This can be done electronically via the Empatia portal of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, PUE ZUS or electronic banking.

Family care capital. Support for families with the youngest children

Reconciling family life with everyday work is often a great challenge for parents – in particularly, when a child is still small – and providing professional care is often associated with significant costs.

At the beginning of the year, family care capital came into force, i.e. a new solution for families with the youngest children.

The new benefit is even up to PLN 12 thousand paid monthly in the amount of PLN 500 for a period of two years or monthly in the amount of PLN 1 thousand for a year. It is granted for the second and each subsequent child aged 12-35 months – regardless of income, and the parents decide on their own what to spend the additional funds on.

In 2022, about 615 thousand children will benefit from family care capital, and the amount of support is about PLN 3.1 billion.

By the end of April, PLN 1.36 billion was spent on payments of capital. So far, 471.6 thousand children have been covered by this support.

Applications for family care capital can be submitted only electronically via the Empatia portal of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, PUE ZUS or electronic banking.

Co-financing for the stay in a nursery. More affordable care

However, we have not forgotten about the other children – the first and only ones in the family, as well as those who, for example, due to age, are not eligible for family care capital.

– Having regard to them, to these families, on 1 April we launched the co-financing for the stay in a nursery, a children’s club or a day-care provider. This is up to PLN 400 of monthly co-financing, which will go directly to the institution. We want this care to be more affordable – thanks to the new solution, parents will pay less for it – indicates Minister Marlena Maląg.

This year, about 110 thousand children are to benefit from the support.

The path of applying for co-financing is the same as in the case of family care capital (Empatia portal, PUE ZUS, electronic banking).

Important information! Although the co-financing entered into force on 1 April 2022, it is granted with compensation as from 1 January.

Toddler+. More childcare places for children below 3

– We want everyone who decides to have their child taken care of in a nursery, day club or day-care provider – to have such an opportunity. Supporting the development of a network of these institutions, co-financing for the creation of new places of care and co-financing the operation of existing ones are the most important assumptions of the „Toddler +” programme – says the Head of the Ministry of Family.

Today, there are more than 7.5 thousand institutions in Poland, where there are more than 220 thousand places of care. In 2015, the number of such places was only 84 thousand.

Last year’s budget of the „Toddler+” programme was PLN 450 million. As part of the 2021 edition, the co-financing was allocated for the creation of more than 25 thousand new places of care and for the further operation of nearly 113 thousand places.

Good start. An undisturbed start to the new school year

We also remember about older children. The first day of September is an important date for both pupils and parents. The purchase of school supplies – especially for a larger number of children – is a significant cost.

- In order to relieve the household budgets of families with schoolchildren, as early as in 2018 we launched the „Good Start” programme. This is PLN 300 of one-time support for school supplies for each schoolchild – says the Minister of Family, Marlena Maląg.

In the years 2018-2021, about 4.4 million children benefited from the aid every year, and the total amount of support is more than PLN 5.3 billion. This year, PLN 1.33 billion was planned for the implementation of the programme.

The benefit is paid once a year for children starting the school year, studying until the age of 20, and in the case of children with disabilities – until the age of 24.

Large Family Card. Discounts on shopping and holidays

Going to the cinema or to a swimming pool with three or four children is a real challenge – not only in logistic but, first of all, financial terms, let alone taking a holiday together. A significant relief here will be the Large Family Card.

It is a system of discounts for 3+ families in many places all over Poland – both in public institutions and in private companies. These are stores with clothing, footwear and even jewellery, cheaper subscriptions, e.g. of magazines, purchase of books. We will also pay less in many restaurants and cafes, amusement parks, resorts, cinemas, museums, swimming pools, and in many, many other places.

Today, 9,600 partners offer discounts across the country in more than 30 thousand locations throughout Poland. Nearly 1.2 million families use them, and the number of active cards has exceeded 3.7 million.

Every year, more and more companies join the programme, and their offer is becoming increasingly attractive.

Mother 4+. We appreciate the effort of parenting

Parenting means a lot of love and happiness, but also a lot of sacrifice. Raising four or more children is a challenge which – especially several decades ago – often prevented, in particular women, from taking up professional work. By quitting their jobs or working too short to get the right to even a minimum old age pension, they found themselves in a difficult situation after reaching retirement age.

It is them to whom the “Mother 4+” programme is addressed. This parental supplementary benefit is granted in the amount of the minimum old age pension, i.e. from 1 March 2022 it is PLN 1,338.44 gross.

From the beginning of March 2019, when the „Mother 4+” programme came into force, until the end of 2021, the total amount of support amounted to more than PLN 1.39 billion. The benefit covered 71 thousand persons.

Thirteenth and fourteenth pension. The important support for seniors

A great support for those using the „Mother 4+” programme – but not only – is the thirteenth and fourteenth pension.

These are additional funds for food, medicines, but also for retrofitting the flat, for fuel or small renovations – seniors know best on their own what to spend this money on.

The thirteenth pension was paid for the first time in 2019. It is an additional cash benefit – as from 2020 guaranteed by law – for all old age and disability pensioners in Poland.

The benefit is paid to about 9.7 million persons in the amount of the lowest old age pension, which is in force from 1 March of a given year. Only this year, the total amount of payments exceeds PLN 13.1 billion.

On the other hand, the fourteenth pension is a financial support for the elderly receiving lower old age and disability pensions. It is also used by persons receiving pre-retirement benefits, social pensions or parental supplementary benefits.

For the first time, it was paid in 2021. It was received by about 8 million pensioners in full amount and by about 1.2 million in the partial amount. Initially, it was supposed to be a one-off support, but by the government’s decision, the fourteenth pension will also be paid in 2022.

This year, the total cost of this benefit will amount to about PLN 11.4 billion.

This year, the additional support under the thirteenth and fourteenth pension is nearly PLN 25 billion. Since 2019, it has been more than PLN 70 billion.

PLN 120 billion for the social policy in 2022

This year, only for actions related to supporting families under various types of programmes such as „Family 500+”, „Good Start”, „Toddler+”, new family care capital – but also others – the expenditure from the state budget will be PLN 62.3 billion.

- In total, we will allocate nearly PLN 120 billion for pursuing the social policy in 2022. This shows that the family, that Poles are really our priority. These are not only declarations, but specific actions – emphasises the Minister of Family, Marlena Maląg.