Poland will broaden access to its Supporting Benefit program starting January 1, 2026, lowering the qualifying threshold and increasing payment amounts.
Supporting Benefit 2026: New Amounts, Score Thresholds, and Rules
Changes to the rules for accessing the Supporting Benefit for adult people with disabilities will take effect on January 1, 2026. The program will include a new group of eligible individuals, and payment amounts will increase, linked to the social pension valorization from March 2026.
This means benefits ranging from just under 800 zł to over 4,300 zł per month, depending on the score.
Lower Threshold for Eligibility
From 2026, the right to the Supporting Benefit will be extended to a wider group of people. Eligibility will now be granted from 70 points on the support needs scale.
Phased Implementation of the Supporting Benefit
The Supporting Benefit was designed as a phased solution. It first included people with the highest level of support needs, then subsequent groups. 2026 completes this process – from January 1st, people with a score of 70–77 points determined by the provincial assessment teams will enter the system.
Expanded Access to Support
In practice, this means that support is no longer reserved exclusively for people in the most severe functional state. For the first time, it will also include those who previously “did not fit” into any major benefit, despite real limitations in daily life.
What is the Supporting Benefit?
The Supporting Benefit was introduced by the Act of July 7, 2023, and has been in effect since January 1, 2024. Its purpose is to enable people with disabilities to decide how to use funds, with the state assessing the real need for support.
The Provincial Team for Assessing Disability (WZON) conducts the assessments, awarding from 70 to 100 points based on an interview and assessment of functioning in daily life. This score then opens the way to funds from ZUS.
Changes to the Supporting Benefit from January 1, 2026
From 2026:
Supporting Benefit Amounts in 2026
The amount of the benefit is linked to the social pension and depends on the number of points awarded in the WZON decision. Estimated monthly amounts are as follows:
70–74 points: approx. 792 zł
These amounts are calculated as a percentage of the social pension and will increase from March 1, 2026, due to the valorization of the social pension. The benefit is tax-free but counted as income for other forms of support.
How to Benefit from the New Rules
Interested individuals can apply for the Supporting Benefit after achieving at least 70 points in the assessment of the level of support needs.
Exclusions and Limitations
The Supporting Benefit cannot be received simultaneously with the care allowance under the new rules. People staying in full-time care facilities are excluded from the program.
Expanding the program to people with lower scores changes the scale of the benefit – from a niche solution to a more widespread one. The change in the system’s philosophy is to empower the person with a disability, not the caregiver.
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