We don’t want persons with disabilities to be pushed to the sidelines. Owing to the effective budget policy we are able to allocate giant funds to support them – said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during the press briefing after the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

The new solution i.e. the support allowance will be allocated directly to a person with disabilities. It will amount from 50 to 200 percent of social pension – depending on the level of the need for support. The decisions determining the level of the need for support will be made by the regional disability assessment boards on request of the disabled persons.

Job opportunity for a caregiver

This entitlement will cover approx. half a million of people and the total cost of this form of support will reach PLN 3.5 billion. The draft act provides for taking up a job by the caregivers of persons with disabilities, who are entitled to care benefit, special attendance allowance and an allowance for a caregiver. The allowance will be paid without any income criterion and tax free.

“The allowance provides the right to live a dignified and independent life by persons with disabilities and their caregivers” – said Minister Marlena Maląg. She explained that its amount will be indexed on an annual basis.

According to Minister Maląg explanations, today we create a new history in supporting the persons with disabilities. The Act on support allowance implements the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and of the Disability Strategy adopted by our Government two years ago.

Empowerment and independent living

For the Government of Law and Justice, solidarity between the individual groups is of key importance. Therefore the people with disabilities benefit from special support. The funds allocated for this purpose increased from PLN 15.5 billion in 2015 to PLN 40.5 billion this year. Implementation of programmes financed from the Solidarity Fund, such as respite care and personal assistance and establishment of the Care and Housing Centres is under way.

“Our care benefit means an empowerment of persons with disabilities and provides their caregivers with the option of living an independent life and returning to the labour market” – summed up Paweł Wdówik, Government Plenipotentiary for Disabled People.