Over 2000 PLN of support every month. Decisions expire after a year

• In 2026, a new benefit will be introduced - a senior voucher in the amount of PLN 2,150
• It is intended to be the government's response to the challenges associated with combining professional responsibilities with providing support to older family members.
• The person entitled to apply for a senior voucher for an elderly person will be their descendant, i.e. a person who, in accordance with the regulations, has an obligation to pay maintenance.
• The senior voucher will be granted in the form of a decision for a period of 12 months, after which re-verification of the entitlement is required

In 2026, according to plans, new support for seniors and their working families will be introduced in the form of a senior voucher. The benefit is to be the government's response to the challenges of combining professional duties with providing support to older family members and to limited access to care services on the private market. The purpose of the voucher is therefore to complement existing legal solutions and support programs for the elderly.

Importantly, the person entitled to apply for a senior voucher on behalf of an elderly person will be his or her descendant, i.e. a person who, in accordance with the regulations, has an obligation to pay maintenance.

First of all, the key condition for the descendant is his professional activity. This includes people who are employed on the basis of:

• employment relationship,
• employment relationship,
• outwork contracts,
• running a business activity,
• providing services on the basis of an agency agreement, a mandate agreement or other similar agreement, and
• generating income from agricultural activities, special branches of agricultural production or providing assistance to farmers.

The bill introduces income thresholds for descendants applying for the voucher:

• in the case of a single-person household, this income cannot exceed twice the minimum wage and, at the same time, cannot be lower than the minimum wage,
• for a multi-person household, the income limit was set at three times the minimum wage, regardless of the number of people in the family.

The descendant’s income will be verified on the basis of:

• certificates or statements regarding average income from the three months preceding the submission of the application (for employed persons and service providers),
• certificates from the commune regarding income from a farm (for farmers), or
• a copy of your tax return for the previous year.

In the case of farmers, the income will be determined as the product of the land area in conversion hectares and the average income per 1 hectare announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office.

The person entitled to use the senior voucher will be a person who is over 75 years old. The condition is to identify unmet needs in the scope of basic activities of daily life, which cannot be met by the family.

The senior citizen must have professionally active descendants. The bill also introduces an income threshold for the senior citizen for whom the benefit will be granted.

This income, calculated together with the care allowance, cannot exceed a certain amount:

• in 2026 this threshold will be PLN 3,500 gross,
• in 2027 it will increase to PLN 4,000,
• in 2028 it will be PLN 4,500,
• In 2029, this threshold will be PLN 5,000 gross – also for the following years.

The senior's income will be determined based on the decision on granting a pension or disability pension from the month preceding the application, as well as a copy of the tax return for the previous year. Important note - the value of the care allowance, which is granted ex officio to people over 75 years of age, will be included in the income of the senior entitled to the voucher.

An important issue is the issue of the senior living with other adults:

• If a person aged 75 or over lives with other adults, the voucher will only cover needs that cannot be met by other household members,
• if another adult who does not earn an income and is able to provide assistance lives with the senior citizen in the household, the senior citizen voucher will not be available,
• If more than one senior aged 75 or over lives at the same address and applications have been submitted, each application will be considered separately, but the maximum total number of hours of support for both seniors will not exceed 72 hours per month.

The application for the senior voucher will be submitted by the descendant to the commune appropriate for the senior's place of residence. The commune will assess the senior's unmet needs in terms of basic daily living activities using a questionnaire and based on this assessment, the commune will determine the type and intensity of support required. The application will require the senior's consent to its submission by the descendant.

The monthly value of the senior voucher is to be a maximum of PLN 2,150 and this amount is to correspond to 50 hours of support services. However, the value of the voucher granted will depend on the individual needs of the senior, determined as a result of an assessment conducted by the commune. The value of the voucher is the product of the number of hours granted and the rate for one hour of services.

Services provided under the voucher will focus on unmet needs in four areas:

• meeting basic daily life needs,
• assistance in accessing health services,
• basic hygiene and nursing care and
• ensuring contacts with the environment.

The number of support hours awarded will be linked to the number of points achieved on an unmet needs assessment scale, for example:

• 11 to 20 points entitle you to a maximum of 12 hours of services per month,
• from 21 to 35 points for 13-24 hours,
• from 36 to 50 points to 25-36 hours, and
• from 51 to 60 points to 37-50 hours of support per month.

The senior voucher will be awarded in the form of a decision for a period of 12 months, after which time re-verification of eligibility is required.

If the needs of a senior using the voucher change, the person providing the services or a descendant are obliged to inform the entity implementing the voucher or the commune, which will then reassess the needs.

The senior voucher will not be combined with other care services or benefits within the framework of social assistance or health care, with the exception of the care allowance.

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