Szydło, Rafalska announce changes for social programs for 2017

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło announced her responses to recently-implemented policies – such as changes to the minimum wage and increased disability benefits – by the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Services, headed by Elżbieta Rafalska. She was speaking at a press conference on Thursday. Szydło mentioned that the government would increase the unemployment benefit to half of the minimum wage, and work on a program which will provide additional family benefits (to the existing “Family 500 plus” program). “We will continue to work this year on two government programs. The first is a program that is family-oriented, which was [introduced] at the end of last year [and was] prepared by the Ministry. It has not yet been fully adopted by the government, because it is very a large spectrum of different kinds of solutions and proposals,” the PM said. Rafalska, for her part, added that additions to social service programs affecting disabled persons would become effective July 1. “A number of solutions and program proposals (such as the development of a network of self-help homes, more occupational therapy in rehabilitation programs and extra spaces for disabled children in nursery schools – must be turned into legislative acts,” she said. The “For life plus” segment of the program, which includes supporting families in difficult situations and those who have children with disabilities, will cost PLN 3.7 billion. Total expenditures of the Ministry for all of the programs will likely exceed PLN 23 billion, according to the government. Asked about the stress that this places on the national deficit, Rafalska defended the programs, which, in her view, were necessary. “This is truly a significant increase [above the 2.5 percent of the budget last year], […] the reason being the high level of funding for family policies,” she said.