The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft law on personal assistance for people with disabilities. The new legislation will introduce a nationwide, free support system that will benefit up to 100,000 people with disabilities and half a million of their relatives. The law is expected to take effect in 2027, and the government will allocate more than 47 billion zlotys for its implementation until 2035.
The government has passed a law on personal assistance
Published Oct. 29, 2025 08:38
Fot. Getty Images/iStockphoto
This is one of the most important social reforms of recent years - the government has approved a draft law on personal assistance for people with disabilities, prepared by the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy. The document envisages the creation of a permanent, universal support system to realistically increase the independence and self-reliance of people with disabilities in everyday life.
Until now, the assistance of assistants was only available as part of temporary, limited programs, funded mainly by local governments and NGOs. New legislation is set to change this - from 2027, the personal assistant service will become part of a permanent support system, available in every county in Poland.
How will the personal assistance system work?
The new solutions are expected to introduce a whole new standard of support. A personal assistant will accompany a person with a disability in daily life, helping with such things as:
- movement,
- Performing household chores,
- handling official matters,
- work, study and social contacts.
After receiving proper instruction, the assistant will also be able to help with simple medical activities. The support will be free of charge, and the person with a disability will himself choose his assistant and the entity that will organize the service - a local government or NGO.
Flexible and individual support
The extent of assistance will be tailored to individual needs. Depending on a person's situation, an assistant will support him or her from 20 to as many as 240 hours per month - equivalent to eight hours of assistance per day. The decision to grant the assistantship, its scope and the amount of time will be made by the provincial disability assessment team, which will visit those applying for support.
Decisions will be issued for a period of one to three years, with the possibility of extension. This will ensure that the situation of a person with a disability will be regularly assessed and the scope of assistance will be adjusted on an ongoing basis.
For whom personal assistance
Initially, people between the ages of 18 and 65 who score at least 80 on a scale of need for support will be able to apply for an assistant. From the third year of the law, access to the service will also be extended to young people aged 13 and over.
A personal assistant will be able to become a person of legal age who completes special training, a first aid and evacuation course for people with disabilities, and instruction on the specific person to be supported.
Nationwide system, multi-year funding
The law is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2027. During the first years of operation, the system will cover about 100,000 people with disabilities and up to half a million of their family members. The government plans to allocate more than PLN 47 billion for the program until 2035.
The new solutions are intended not only to increase the independence of people with disabilities, but also to ease the burden on their relatives, who have so far in many cases provided round-the-clock care without systemic support.
Source: KPRM
