A new multi-year program is being prepared. The government announces support for another group

The Active Seniors program for 2026-30 will replace two current programs for older people: Active plus and Senior plus. More than PLN 600 million has been initially planned for implementation, Marzena Okła-Drewnowicz, secretary of state at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, said at Tuesday's session of the parliamentary committee.

The Parliamentary Committee on Senior Policy met on Tuesday to hear information from the Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Marzena Okły-Drewnowicz, regarding the liquidation of the multi-annual program for older people Active plus and the Senior plus program in 2026.

One program instead of two

Okła-Drewnowicz emphasized that the government carried out an evaluation of two programs that operated in 2021-2025. As she said, in their place, a new multi-annual program for 2026-2030 has been planned, combining the tasks of the previous ones – “Active seniors”.

Five pillars of support: from innovation to education

The government program is supposed to provide for five priorities. First of them – “development of strategic concepts in the field of senior policy” – assumes co-financing activities for the development of Universities of the Third Age.

– As a matter of priority, we want part of the funds to go to non-governmental organizations, I would say nationwide, to support the creation of such concepts for the introduction of innovative, modern senior policy programs – she said.

The second one “education of older people” will be a priority. According to Okła-Drewnowicz, adding this priority is intended to allow smaller non-governmental organizations that have not been eligible for programs so far to obtain more points in competitions, which would enable them to obtain funding for educational activities for seniors.

Money for integration and residential homes

Third the priority called “social participation of older people” assumes support for the self-organization of older people's communities in order to increase their participation in social life. The fourth the priority is to be “intergenerational integration”, and its aim is to support senior organizations that want to obtain financial resources to organize everyday activities – physical, health and social activities. Fifth priority will concern the development of day forms of support, e.g. day care homes.

– In total, we have allocated an amount of over PLN 600 million for these projects, in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, of course – she emphasized, noting that this is not the final amount yet.

She also specified that over PLN 400 million of this amount was to be allocated to the fifth priority, which will replace the current Senior plus program.

Opposition concerns about deadlines

She also emphasized that before the project is published in the government's list of legislative works, it will be the subject of further government work and will also be discussed during public consultations.

The chairwoman of the committee, MP Joanna Borowiak (PiS), assessed that the program that is to replace the current one was prepared too late. – We do not want seniors to receive these funds in 2027 or at the end of 2026 – she said. In her opinion, the planned program also assumes many new tasks that should be implemented under separate programs.

The aim of the Senior plus program for 2021-2025 was to provide financial support to local governments in the implementation of their own tasks consisting in running and providing places in support centers – day senior homes and senior clubs. PLN 300 million was allocated for the implementation of the program.

The Active plus program for 2021-2025 aimed to increase the participation of older people in all areas of social life. PLN 200 million was allocated for its implementation. (PAP)

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