When in 2015 we started talking about the family policy and the Family 500+ programme, our political opponents and their supporting media made a fuss. They argued that with this money we would support dysfunctional persons, women would not work, and the state could not afford it anyway, so we promise pie in the sky. This is their attitude towards Poles, towards Polish families. They showed their attitude towards seniors by having raised the retirement age. We fixed it and restored the dignity to families – said the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg on Sunday in Ostrów Wielkopolski.

During the meeting, the Head of the Ministry of Family stressed that the support for families since 2015 had reached the level of almost PLN 310 billion. The Family 500+ programme itself means more than PLN 220 billion since its launch.

Parents at home and at work

The support for families in raising children is an important part of the state’s social policy. For example, a mother of a one-year-old child who wants to return to work after maternity leave may expect Family Care Capital (even PLN 12 thousand per child) or the co-financing for nursery care (up to PLN 400 per month for those children who do not receive Capital). She can send her child to a nursery, which has been created thanks to the funds from the Toddler+ programme.

During our rule, the number of places of care for children under 3 years of age increased nearly 3 times, from 84 thousand in 2015 to about 230 thousand today. This year, thanks to the EU funds, we increased the budget of the programme to PLN 5.5 billion, thanks to which more than 100 thousand new places of care may be created. More than 500 such places may be created in the Ostrowski district. Today, there are nearly 800 of them – indicated Minister Marlena Maląg.

On 7 April, the legislation on remote work will come into force. This is a great facilitation, in particular, for parents of the youngest children, but also residents of smaller towns and villages or carers of dependent persons. We are also working on the implementation of the Parental Directive.

Stable situation in the labour market

The situation in the labour market is also important for the security of families. In 2023, despite many months of fighting the pandemic, despite the war which has been going on for more than a year behind our eastern border, Poland is in a better situation than eight years ago.

Today, unemployment is at an all-time low, despite a slight increase in January – an increase typical of the winter months.

In Poland, it is 5.5%. Wielkopolska is the absolute leader here with unemployment at the level of 2.9%, on which I would like to warmly congratulate. The multi-billion support for the labour market, for entrepreneurs during the pandemic has borne fruit. This year, we also have a record-brealing increase in the minimum salary, which is PLN 3,490 from January, and in July it will increase to 3,600 PLN. Today, families can really expect the support from the state – said the Head of the Ministry of Family.

Dignified autumn of life

The social policy also means care of elderly people and their safety – also financial one. On 1 March, the lowest old age and disability pensions increased to PLN 1,588.44. When compared to 2015, this is an increase by more than 80%. For this year’s indexation of benefits, the record-breaking amount of PLN 44 billion was allocated.

In April, the payment of 13^th pensions will also start. From 2019, it has been already PLN 47.8 billion. There is also ongoing work on ensuring that, just like the 13^th pension, the fourteenth pension is also guaranteed by law. In the years 2021-2022, the total amount of PLN 22.4 billion was paid as part of the 14^th pension.

The government also supports the activity of seniors through the Senior+ and Active+ programmes, which are used every year by tens of thousands of seniors from all over Poland.

In the years 2015-2022, nearly 1,200 Senior+ support centres were created across the country, offering nearly 27 thousand daily support places for elderly people. The total co-financing for implementing the tasks under the Senior+ Programme amounted to nearly PLN 300 million. In turn, as part of the two editions of the Active+ Programme in the years 2021-2022, 630 projects were implemented for a total amount of nearly PLN 80 million. In 2023, about PLN 70 billion was allocated for the implementation of the programmes addressed to seniors.

Support for persons with disabilities

We support all citizens – families, elderly people, we support persons with disabilities. These are integrated and comprehensive measures. We significantly increased expenditures for this purpose – this year, it will be PLN 40 billion, in 2015 it was only PLN 15.5 billion – specified Minister Maląg.

The Solidarity Fund has been launched, which finances particularly important programmes demanded by the environment and providing the support for personal assistants, respite care for carers of persons with disabilities, as well as financing the creation of Care and Residential Centres – important places for persons with disabilities.

The Solidarity Fund also finances a supplementary benefit for persons unable to live independently, as well as a social pension.

It was the Law and Justice government which had put the social pension on an equal footing with the minimum pension. Today, it amounts to PLN 1,588.44. At the end of the Civic Platform and Polish People’s Party rule, it did not reach even half of this amount – it was only PLN 739.58. Persons receiving the social pension have also the right to the thirteenth and fourteenth benefits.

In 2015, the care benefit for carers of persons with disabilities amounted to PLN 1,200. Today, it is 2,458 PLN. This is the increase by more than twice. The pension trap has also been eliminated, moreover, the co-financing for occupational therapy workshops and vocational development centres is also systematically increased.

This is a number of measures, specific tools and support programmes. This is a change in the manner of perceiving disability – understanding that public space must be accessible to everyone, that removing barriers is our absolute duty. There is no consent to social exclusion, there is no consent to disregard the needs of persons with disabilities. Therefore, we meet with the representatives of the environment, regularly – not only in connection with the protests such as the one currently taking place in the Sejm – stressed the Head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Social Policy.

Social policy must not exclude

Concern for the security of families, and first of all women, also means amendments to the Act on counteracting domestic violence and expanding the group of persons subject to protection. The social policy also means the higher support for the social economy. This is the creation of the Demographic Strategy 2040 and good changes in foster care. This is the announced housing programme guaranteeing state subsidies for loans. This means greater expenditures for health care. In 2015, it was PLN 77.2 billion, and the planned expenditures in 2023 are PLN 159.6 billion, i.e. more than 6% of GDP.

We guarantee the continuity of such a social policy – a policy that does not exclude anyone and is always focused on the good of other people, the good of the weakest ones – summed up the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg.