- Since 2006, the government has not adjusted the income thresholds entitling to social assistance. Today it amounts to 351 PLN/person in a family. The minimum subsistence level is around 430 PLN/person. Inflation since 2006 has amounted to 20%. For the first time in Poland, the minimum subsistence level is higher than the threshold for eligibility for social assistance. This situation has resulted in 2 million families in Poland receiving undervalued social assistance benefits, and about 200,000 families have been deprived of due assistance because their income is higher than the required criterion.
- It is only thanks to the opposition MPs that the funds for feeding have been saved this year. The Minister of Finance wanted to take away PLN 50 million.
- The coalition imposes new tasks on local governments without additional funds. E.g. for tasks related to domestic violence, the Nursery Act, or bearing costs in the field of family care.
- Recently, the PO government has been saving money for the poor by shifting the obligation to subsidize permanent benefits of 20% to the municipalities. It does this during the budget year. A municipality with a population of 15,000 will have to find (just where?) an extra 250,000 PLN this year.
- In 2010, many municipalities ran out of funds from the governor's grant for periodic benefits, which are the basis for the livelihood of people with the lowest incomes. This year the situation may repeat itself. In many social welfare centers, social workers have been prohibited from applying for temporary benefits.
- Governors provide understated, in relation to costs, subsidies for financing residents of social welfare homes. As a result, county governments have to pay from 200 to 500 thousand zlotys for one home.
- In 2008. The Minister of Labour demanded that the starosts withdraw from the financing of nursing and care services by social welfare homes, recommending that these costs be covered by the National Health Fund. This caused a huge mess, which to this day has not been clarified.
- It was on the initiative of opposition MPs that the period of reaching standards for social welfare homes was extended. This saved many jobs in the country. The Minister of Labour was consistently against such a solution.
- The resources from PFRON to support people with disabilities were drastically reduced compared to 2007. More than 10 times fewer people will benefit from rehabilitation holidays, orthopaedic aids and elimination of architectural barriers than in 2007.
- Many voivodes reduced subsidies to social assistance centers in 2010. E.g. in Podkarpacie by 15% compared to 2009, while at the same time in 2008. Deputy Minister PO promised increases for social welfare workers in the amount of 500 PLN. Currently, social welfare workers are one of the lowest paid professional categories in Poland. Auxiliary staff earn no more than 1800 PLN, while professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists, social workers earn about 2000 PLN gross. These workers should often become clients of social assistance.
- In 2010, the government did not provide any funds to help the homeless, even though there was 10 million PLN in the reserve.
- The coordination of assistance to flood victims was tragic. There was a lack of information about the needs and possibilities of help by local governments and individuals.
- A feature of the current team is the lack of objectivity in the distribution of funds for social assistance. The so-called "own municipalities" get the most.
- The income support threshold for families entitling them to family benefits has not been adjusted since 2004. It amounts to 504 PLN/person, while it should be 650 PLN/person. The inflation has been around 25%. As a result of the lack of indexation, the benefits have been underestimated and the number of children entitled to assistance has decreased from 5.5 million to 3 million.
- Despite an increase in the unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2010 and in the first quarter of 2011, Labour Fund resources were reduced from 7 billion in 2010 to 3 billion in 2011. Many Poviat Labour Offices do not have funds for intervention works, public works or for economic empowerment. There is also no money for internships for young people, among whom 30% to 50% cannot find any work.
