Senior Voucher Published in Journal of Laws: When Does Application Intake Begin?

Although the senior voucher act has officially been published in the Journal of Laws, municipalities cannot accept applications yet because a mandatory government regulation and preparatory steps are still required.

Publication of the Senior Voucher Act

The Act on Older Persons and Long-Term Care Coordination was published on July 23, 2026, in the Journal of Laws under item 986. This legal act introduces the long-awaited senior voucher, comprehensively regulates support rules for older individuals, and organizes long-term care while repealing the nearly 11-year-old act on older persons from September 11, 2015.

Pursuant to Article 50 of the act, the new regulations will enter into force 14 days after promulgation. Although it may seem that applications for the senior voucher could be submitted as early as the beginning of August, this is not the case.

Prerequisites for Launching the Program

Although regulations concerning the senior voucher are included in the published act, their entry into force does not automatically initiate the program. Article 29 of the act is of key significance, stipulating that the Council of Ministers must first define the Senior Voucher Program via a regulation.

This specific executive act will establish matters such as the operational rules for the program. Without the issuance of this regulation, the practical launch of the Senior Voucher Program and the commencement of application intake by municipalities will remain impossible.

Preparation Period and Implementation Stages

The act itself also provides for a preparation phase to implement the new solutions. According to its provisions, long-term care coordinators have until December 31, 2026, to carry out the organizational activities necessary to begin executing the new tasks.

The senior voucher will be introduced in stages. Residents of municipalities lacking public care services for seniors, where no more than 10 people use them, or where a rapid increase in the elderly population is projected, will receive priority access.

Eligibility Conditions and Exclusions

The senior voucher will serve as a new form of support for individuals aged 65 and over who have unmet needs regarding basic everyday living activities. Services funded by the voucher are set to include specific care provisions.

Under the act, individuals meeting statutory conditions, including an income criterion, will be able to use the voucher. Currently, this criterion stands at 3,140 PLN of average monthly income from the three months preceding the submission of the application, and this amount is subject to annual indexation.

The regulations assume that the senior voucher cannot be combined with selected benefits and services. This limitation encompasses the care allowance, special care benefit, publicly funded care services, and round-the-clock care in facilities such as social welfare homes, nursing homes, and care-treatment facilities.