Protest updates and policy discussions on disability benefits
An appointment is scheduled for Thursday with the second group of protesters, consisting of parents of people with disabilities, who are advocating the right to earn extra income while receiving nursing benefits. The plan for Thursday is to present concrete solutions, a commitment announced earlier by Deputy Minister of Family and Social Policy Paweł Wdówik.
Earlier in the week, Deputy Minister and Government Plenipotentiary for People with Disabilities Paweł Wdówik met with people with disabilities and their carers at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The protesters are pressing for the social pension to be raised to match the lowest national wage.
New proposals
By week’s end, the aim is to unveil measures designed to support people with disabilities, according to Deputy Minister of Family Paweł Wdówik.
During the discussion at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, no specific proposals were disclosed at that time, according to KO member Iwona Hartwich, who felt the session did not deliver substantive commitments.
On Tuesday, Wdówik answered a radio interview about potential proposals from the Ministry to assist people with disabilities, noting the importance of clarity in understanding how an individual with a disability functions and what kind of support they truly need. He emphasized there is currently no clear framework in place.
A path toward independence
Wdówik expressed the view that any solutions should enable people with disabilities to live independently and make informed choices about their lives. He stressed that it is not accurate to claim that a person who cannot move has no will of their own, or that others can decide everything for them.
The second group of protesters, consisting of parents seeking the right to a nursing allowance, has written to authorities requesting dialogue. The government stated that it has engaged in these talks and an appointment for Thursday will reveal the proposed solutions. The compensation option to earn extra money for the care allowance was developed after discussions with this group and is intended to be broad enough to address the needs of various communities of people with disabilities, according to Wdowik.
Guardians of adults with disabilities, along with those they care for, resumed their protest in the Sejm on March 6. They are calling for the social pension to be raised to the level of the lowest national salary, currently PLN 3,490 gross. The social pension has been indexed annually and rose to PLN 1,588.44 gross starting March 1, 2023. A civil bill on social pensions, reflecting the demonstrators’ postulates, was presented to parliament.
Members of the Civic Coalition announced on Monday that the club will support and introduce the civic bill on social pensions as part of their agenda.
The previous protest by carers of disabled people and their charges in the Sejm occurred in the spring of 2018. Back then, two demands were put forward: equalizing the social pension with the minimum disability pension and introducing a “living” supplement or rehabilitation allowance for those unable to work after turning 18, set at PLN 500 per month. The demonstrators argued that one of their demands had been met with the increase in the social pension. After the protest, many participants, including Iwona Hartwich, faced restrictions from entering the Sejm. In 2019, Hartwich ran for the Sejm on Civic Coalition lists and was elected.
Source reporting continues to highlight ongoing debates and responses from political figures regarding disability policy and social pensions, with ongoing discussions about how best to support independent living for people with disabilities.