The bill adopted on September 25 by the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers assumes the introduction of a system of free personal assistance for people with disabilities. In an interview with Polsat News, Minister Dziemianowicz-Bąk explained that the document was ready for discussion this week, but required additional arrangements with the Ministry of Finance. “We held these meetings, I personally participated in them. On Monday, I submitted the cleared project to the Council of Ministers,” she said. She expressed hope that the project would be on next week's agenda.
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From 13 to 65 years old
The proposed act, developed in the office of the government plenipotentiary for disabled people, Łukasz Krasoń, provides that personal assistant services will be available to people with disabilities aged 13 to 65. The scope of support and the number of hours of assistance are to be determined individually. The minimum number of hours of support will be 20 per month, and the maximum – from 200 hours in the first year of the Act's application to 240 hours in subsequent years for adults. For youth aged 13-18, the maximum hours limit will be 80 hours per month.
An adult person who meets a number of requirements will be able to become a personal assistant, including completing appropriate training in first aid and evacuation of people with disabilities, as well as receiving individual instruction on how to support a specific person. Candidates for this position cannot be related to the person they would support, and their criminal record will be verified.
First assistants in April 2027
According to the project, assistants will help with everyday activities, such as personal hygiene, household tasks, moving around and communicating with others. They will also support people with disabilities at work and in social activities.
The implementation schedule of the Act provides that registers of service providers will be introduced in mid-2026. From January 2027, interested people will be able to submit applications for assistance, and from April of the same year, assistants will start providing their services.
