Friday was the day of the first reading of the governmental draft act implementing a completely new form of support for persons with disabilities. The amount of support allowance will range between 50 and 200 percent of the social pension. The Act will enter into force on 1 January 2024 and cover approx. half a million of people.

„This support allowance addresses the expectations of the disabled and their caregivers. We have worked out these provisions together in a substantive dialogue – said Minister Marlena Maląg. 

Support allowance – for whom?

The support allowance will be allocated to a disabled person. Its amount will vary depending on the need for support. The decision on the amount will be issued by the regional disability assessment board.

Amount of support allowance

The disabled person with the highest need for support will receive 200 percent of a social pension. The support allowance will be indexed on an annual basis. Since January 2025, the allowance will be available to the persons with medium need for support, while since 2026 to the ones with the lowest need.

Assessing the need for support will not be related anyhow with disability assessment. These, who decide to receive a support allowance will lose no right to their existing forms of assistance.

Extra work opportunities for the caregivers

It is the disabled person to decide whether to receive a support allowance. if so, the caregiver who have been receiving an attendance allowance, will be covered by an aid package and allowed to take a full time job with no amount limits. If a disabled person decides to keep up to the existing system i.e. waives from the support allowance and the caregiver of such person will continue to receive an attendance allowance, such caregiver will be allowed to take extra job not exceeding six times the minimum wage in a given year.