The Polish Federation of Social Workers (PFZPSiPS) is challenging the government to redistribute 87 million PLN in unused motivation bonuses to social assistance employees currently excluded from the program.
The Case Returns to the Prime Minister
The Polish Federation of Trade Unions of Social Workers and Social Assistance (PFZPSiPS) has petitioned the Sejm Petition Committee to resubmit a request to the Prime Minister regarding workers excluded from the government’s wage supplement program. This concerns employees performing tasks based on laws other than the Social Assistance Act.
Legal Changes Without Budget Increases
The federation argues that the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy has not addressed all previous concerns raised by the Petition Committee. They emphasize that expanding the list of eligible persons would not require increasing the program’s budget.
The organization stated that making legal changes to benefit access is the most effective solution in the interest of Poland and its citizens, especially considering the potential financial consequences of lawsuits.
Uncovering the Hidden Surplus
The federation highlights that the Ministry has not disclosed full data regarding unused funds for the “Motivation Bonus for Social Assistance Unit Employees 2024–2027” program. According to PFZPSiPS, 960.2 million PLN was allocated for 2024, while actual expenditures were 873.233 million PLN, leaving nearly 87 million PLN unspent.
The discrepancy is expected to be even larger in 2025. The federation indicates that while over 1.92 billion PLN was reserved for that year, only approximately 1.731 billion PLN was spent.
The Jarosław Court Ruling as a Game Changer
Unionists cited a December 2025 ruling by the District Court in Jarosław, which awarded benefits to an employee performing only family benefit tasks despite not performing social assistance duties. The federation believes this precedent could trigger a wave of lawsuits, making legal amendments to benefit access the most efficient path forward.