2021
In 2011, as part of the implementation of the EU 2020 Strategy, the Polish Government assumed that by 2020, the number of Poles living in poverty would be 1.5 million fewer. In the EU as a whole, this was to be 20 million fewer people. As EAPN Poland, we have repeatedly pointed out that the target adopted by Poland is inadequate.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most Affected Groups
Children
Elderly population
People with disabilities
In-work poverty
Main Priorities
- Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Poland still faces numerous challenges.
- There are a lot of problems with implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Poland.
- Job activation and professional and social reintegration services for the long-term unemployed are not widely available. Social employment (vocational and social reintegration and supported employment) covers only a small percentage of the long-term unemployed and welfare recipients.
- People in a homelessness crisis who can work should participate in programmes combining housing support and social employment.
- The supply of good quality home care services in Poland is far too small in relation to needs. Many local governments do not provide them at all. Poland does not have an integrated deinstitutionalisation strategy to promote community-based services to reduce the inflow of children, people with disabilities, the elderly and others in various crises, to institutions.
- The above problems are unlikely to be solved by the new Act on the Implementation of Social Services in Social Service Centres of 2019.
- Access to good quality water, sanitation, energy, transport, financial and digital communication services, especially for people from poorer families and communities is still a problem in Poland.
2020
In 2019, the positive trend in the reduction in the extent of extreme and relative poverty has returned, after the increases in 2018. The indicators for both types of poverty have fallen – extreme poverty from 5.4% to 4.2%, relative poverty from 10.9% to 9%. Yet, Covid might have a negative effect on these numbers.
Poverty Watch Main Findings
Most affected groups
Children
People with disabilities
Seniors
In-work poverty
Certain voivodeships
Main priorities
- There are currently a lot of problems with implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Poland.
- The transition from shelter assistance to comprehensive housing assistance should be a priority to help the homeless people.
- Access to good quality water, sanitation, energy, transport, financial and digital communication services, especially for people from poorer families and communities is still a problem in Poland.
- The supply of good quality home care services in Poland is far too small in relation to needs. Many local governments do not provide them at all. Poland does not have an integrated de-institutionalisation strategy to promote community-based services to reduce the inflow of children, people with disabilities, the elderly and others in various crises, to institutions.
- Economic activation and reintegration services for the long-term unemployed are not widely available at the moment.
Contact details
Kamila Plowiec
WRZOS
Ul. Oleandrow 6
00-629 Warsaw (Poland)
Tel: +48 22 826 52 46
Fax: +48 22 551 54 55
E-mail: eapn (@) wrzos.org.pl
Website: www.eapn.org.pl
