The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the most serious economic crisis in recent decades. The difficult situation requires taking specific and determined solutions.

– Our response to the crisis and the plan for the coming years is the Polish Deal. It sets the course of action to bring us closer to the standards of living in Western Europe. This is a major socio-economic reform in which we put the family at the centre of attention – this is how Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family and Social Policy, talks about the Polish Deal presented on Saturday, 15 May.

Family at the centre of attention

The new Deal assumes a number of family-oriented solutions – inter alia, those which make it easier to combine professional work with bringing up children. It is not only the development of institutional care for young children, but also support for those parents who do not make use of this solution.

• PLN 1.5 billion a year for the “Toddler+” programme

Today, there are 6.8 thousand establishments all over Poland, offering places for some 200 thousand children below 3. As part of this year’s edition of the “Toddler+” programme, another 25 thousand places are to be created. For comparison, in 2015, Poland had fewer than 3 thousand establishments with about 84 thousand places.

– We know the importance of childcare for parents, therefore, we decided to significantly increase the funds for the “Toddler+” programme – to as much as PLN 1.5 billion a year, as from 2022. To date, it has been PLN 450 million a year. This amount is also intended to include higher co-financing for the place in a nursery. We want parents to incur the lowest possible costs – explains Minister Marlena Maląg.

• Care capital

The new solution will be a benefit paid to parents to cover the costs of taking care of their second child aged 12-36 months. This is PLN 12 thousand in total, and parents will choose on themselves whether they want to receive PLN 1 thousand per month for a year or PLN 500 per month for two years. The benefit will be paid from 2022, as planned.

The new Deal also assumes universal and free access to pre-natal testing for all pregnant women.

• Housing without own contribution

– We really would like as many Poles as possible to have a stable housing situation. Own flat means a sense of safety, stability and better prospects for development. Hence the concept of the Housing without own contribution programme. It will cover three groups: those who want to have their first apartment from the secondary, primary, social market or their own house – indicates Minister Marlena Maląg.

The state, through the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, will guarantee own contribution of up to 40% to the amount of PLN 100 thousand for a maximum period of 15 years. This means that if we are creditworthy, we will not need to spend cash on buying a flat – we only need to be creditworthy and it will not be required to save tens of thousands PLN for buying a flat or a house. The instrument will be addressed to persons aged 24-40 who do not have sufficient savings to bring their own contribution.

• Additional support after giving birth to the second, third and subsequent child

Often, the lack of own housing is one of the main reasons for which young people do not have children. The new Deal assumes that after giving birth to the second child, the family with a guaranteed loan could receive up to PLN 20 thousand of non-repayable co-financing, after giving birth to the third child – up to PLN 60 thousand and the fourth and subsequent child – up to PLN 20 thousand. (in proportion to the guarantee previously granted).

• House of up to 70 m² without formalities

The construction of single-family buildings with a footprint area of up to 70 m² will be possible on the basis of an application. This will reduce the building process by even a few weeks. This is also a way to reduce excessive formalities, as well as savings for the investor – at least a few thousand PLN.

We remember about seniors

Year by year, the number of the elderly in Poland is growing. We live longer, we are active longer. However, this is a major challenge for the state and society. The Polish Deal also provides for new solutions in the field of the senioral policy.

• Untaxed pensions of up to PLN 2.5 thousand

As part of the reform of the tax system, pensions and disability pensions will be increased by the tax amount for benefits to the level of PLN 2,500. This solution would be in place as from the next year.

– I would like to highlight and calm everybody down – this will have no effect on the payment of the thirteenth pension. The thirteenth pension is guaranteed by law and will continue to be paid – assures the Head of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy.

• Zero PIT for working seniors

Those seniors who will be able and willing to continue work after reaching retirement age will benefit from it. According to the announcement, seniors who will not be receiving pensions but will decide to continue their work will be exempt from income tax. As a result, their capital will be higher at the time of retirement, as they will continue to make contributions.

• Establishments connecting generations

It is also proposed to create establishments combining daycare homes with kindergartens. They will allow children to develop emotional and social skills and seniors will have an opportunity to get involved in the upbringing of the youngest generation.

Care allowance for caregivers

Persons with disabilities and their caregivers are a large group that requires individualised and smart support. An example here it the Strategy for Persons with Disabilities adopted for the years 2021-2030. – But this is not the end – announces Minister Maląg.

The objectives of the Polish Deal include an announcement regarding care allowances for those who take care of persons with disabilities. This allowance is to be equalised irrespective of the moment of the occurrence of disability. At present, only caregivers of persons whose disability occurred before the age of 18 (or 25 years, in the case of students) have the right to receive the care allowance. On the other hand, caregivers of adults with disabilities receive a much lower care allowance, which they can receive once the income criterion is met.

For many years, the communities of persons with disabilities have been calling for non-differentiation of these forms of aid. In 2014, the Constitutional Court ruled that making the care allowance for a caregiver of an adult with disability conditional upon the age in which this disability occurred was inconsistent with the Constitution.