The government in May adopted a proposal to give Polish pensioners an extra cash boost every year, a move pledged by the country's ruling conservatives as part of a new package of benefits.
President Andrzej Duda this week signed the plan into effect after it was approved by Poland's parliament, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The cash boost, dubbed "the 14th pension," will be offered once a year and be equivalent to the minimum monthly pension of PLN 1,588 (EUR 355, USD 395), according to Family and Social Policy Minister Marlena Maląg.
Previously, the government made decisions on whether to offer the “14th pension" on a year-by-year basis, state news agency PAP reported.
The payouts are part of an ambitious new set of spending pledges unveiled by Poland’s governing conservatives during a party convention in mid-May.
The Polish prime minister has said that regular cash boosts for pensioners are “a milestone in improving quality of life" for senior citizens.
According to government estimates, some 8.3 million Polish seniors will be eligible for th extra payments.
In 2020, Polish pensioners began receiving an annual bonus known as the "13th pension."
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP