Back in March, we informed that the Government Plenipotentiary for Senior Policy confirmed the government's work on the senior voucher. Marzena Okła-Drewnowicz also announced that the act introducing this support “is to enter into force this year.” Now it turns out that there have been changes again that may disappoint seniors.
As reported by “Gazeta Prawna”, the new assumptions of this form of support for the elderly assume that it is to be implemented not by an act, but by a government program. This means fewer guarantees for seniors. The criteria have also been changed – the voucher will be available from the age of 65 and will not depend on the family's professional activity.
What next with the senior voucher? A new form of support implementation
According to information from “Gazeta Prawna”, the government proposes that this is only a program in which municipalities' participation is voluntary. This means that not all seniors will be able to use it – it all depends on the decisions of local authorities.
In the new version, the voucher is available from the age of 65 (previously from the age of 75) and does not require the senior's children or grandchildren to work. The income criterion remains – up to PLN 3,410 per month.
See also: ZUS paid thirteenths. This is how much seniors received in total
The program is to start in the fourth quarter of 2026 and last until 2028. The latest assumptions specify a much lower budget than the original one.
According to “Gazeta Prawna”, PLN 100 million is to be allocated for this purpose this year, PLN 400 million in 2027, and PLN 500 million in 2028. For comparison, the draft act provided for financing of up to PLN 500 million, PLN 3 billion and up to PLN 4 billion, respectively.
The senior voucher may start in 2026 and may disappoint seniors
Experts also have great doubts about the level of availability of support for seniors. “Gazeta Prawna” explains that “receiving money from the program will require the commune to submit a request to the voivode.”
Moreover, priority in receiving funds will be given to communes where care services are not provided. Only then are those communes where they are provided for no more than 10 people.
The current version of the assumptions of the senior voucher surprises experts. In the opinion of Dr. Magdalena Kocejko from SGH, in an interview with “Gazeta Prawna”, the transition from the form of an act to a program raises great doubts. And this is not compensated by the lowering of the age limit and the removal of the link between support and the professional activity of senior family members.
“The voucher will be available only in those local governments that decide to apply for budget funds and meet the additional requirements specified in the program,” admitted the expert.
Senior voucher. Here are the income criteria
According to the current assumptions of the senior voucher project, when granting it, the income of the senior and his or her relatives will be taken into account:
- in the case of a senior, income will not exceed PLN 3,410;
- in the case of the senior's relatives, the income cannot be lower than PLN 3,500 and cannot exceed PLN 6,700 per month (in the case of a single-person household) or PLN 10,000. PLN (in the case of a household consisting of several people).
See also: Two changes and higher transfers. Widow's pension up
Apart from the income criteria, specific support thresholds are still unknown. Previous draft laws assumed that this would be support of up to PLN 2,150 per month, which corresponds to approximately 50 hours of specialist care.
Currently, it is not known how much the voucher will be worth or how many hours of support seniors will be entitled to. There are also no clear rules for assessing needs. This may make the program difficult to implement and the support insufficient for those most in need.
