Polish Sejm unanimously approves personal assistance bill for 100,000 disabled citizens

Unanimous vote after years of advocacy

On 18 September 2026, the Sejm voted 443 to 0 to approve legislation establishing systemic personal assistance for people with disabilities in Poland. The bill, which now moves to the Senate, represents the culmination of parliamentary work that began in December 2025 across three competing proposals submitted by the government, the president, and lawmakers. The adopted text is based on the government draft prepared in the office of former government plenipotentiary for disabled persons Łukasz Krasoń. The vote followed years of public pressure, including parliamentary floor protests staged by disability advocates in 2018 and 2023. Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy projections indicate that the new system will cover approximately 100,000 citizens.

Scope and eligibility criteria

Under the approved framework, systemic assistance will launch in 2028 for individuals aged 18 to 65 who score at least 80 points on the official need-for-support scale. Coverage will expand in 2030 to include youth from the age of 13 to 18. Qualifying adults will receive between 20 and 240 hours of dedicated assistant care per month, while eligible minors will receive between 20 and 80 monthly hours. Assistance duties include daily hygiene, household tasks, and mobility support. Lawmakers approved an amendment submitted by the Razem party extending the validity of an assistance entitlement decision from three to five years. County administrations (powiats) will organize the service locally, either through direct public administration or via contracts with non-governmental organisations.

Budget allocations and transitional funding

Deputy Family Minister and Government Plenipotentiary for Disabled Persons Monika Sikora stated that the total cost of the legislation will reach 50 billion PLN over its first ten years. The commencement date was pushed back to 2028, one year later than the initially proposed 2027 rollout, to accommodate budgetary constraints and administrative preparation. Ahead of the statutory start, the ministry announced 1.2 billion PLN in bridge funding for 2027 through annual Solidarity Fund programmes. This transitional allocation includes 880 million PLN for local government units and 320 million PLN for civil society organizations. The combined 2027 sum is more than 200 million PLN lower than total programme spending in 2026.

Objections and the road to the Senate

Despite the unanimous final vote, key aspects of the law drew objections during committee hearings. The Sejm rejected amendments from PiS and the presidential office that sought to include citizens older than 65 and lower the eligibility threshold to 70–79 points. Disability organisations pointed out that the 80-point threshold excludes most deaf and blind applicants, who typically register between 50 and 60 points. The Human Rights Defender, previously Marcin Wiącek and currently Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram, also questioned the use of civil-law contracts rather than permanent employment agreements for care assistants.

Bartosz Tarnowski, representing the Polish Forum of People with Disabilities during parliamentary proceedings, noted that significant challenges remain before the bill completes its legislative journey.

Now the Senate awaits us and we must think about that. This is not an amendment or a small bill, but a new systemic solution. A gigantic change. And everything must be done to make it work well. Several solutions cause serious concern.