New rules: PLN 1,772 and seniority does not count. After 20 years, a big change has come

The regulation replaces the 20-year-old Act on the Promotion of Employment and Labor Market Institutions. The government act provides for a comprehensive modernization of labor market institutions. The reform has been recorded in the National Reconstruction Plan.

• The new regulation abolishes the unemployment benefit of 80% of the basic benefit for unemployed people who have a qualifying period of less than 5 years. Such people will receive a benefit of 100%.
• In addition, the link between an unemployed person and the employment office competent for their place of residence has been abolished. An unemployed person will be able to register with the district employment office in which they live.
• The Act also provides for priority assistance for, among others, unemployed members of large families with a Large Family Card and unemployed single parents raising at least one child.
• Changes have also been introduced in the development of the Individual Action Plan (IPD). It will be developed only for the unemployed who have been registered for a total of more than 120 days, the long-term unemployed and the unemployed or job seekers up to the age of 30. Currently, the IPD is mandatory for every unemployed person within 60 days of registration.
• An obligation will also be introduced for the office employee to have more frequent contact with the PUP client during the IPD implementation period - at least once every 30 days (currently at least once every 60 days).

The Act also assumes the introduction of a "plus internship", which will consist of facilitating the acquisition of not only skills but also professional qualifications as part of the internship, rewarded by the payment of an additional stipend for the intern and a bonus for the employer. It will replace the vocational training of adults, which - as the authors of the bill indicated - is extremely rarely used, in 2023 it was used by 42 people.

New rules for support for people up to 30 years of age have also been introduced, consisting in assessing the digital skills of a person registering as unemployed or seeking work. An employment advisor will be appointed in each PUP to act as an advisor for young people.

An educational loan of up to 400% of the average salary has been introduced. Its funds can be used to pay for training costs, postgraduate studies, confirmation of knowledge and skills, obtaining documents confirming the acquisition of knowledge and skills, and continuing education in school forms. After meeting the indicated conditions, it will be possible to write off 20% of the loan amount.

In turn, all unemployed people, regardless of age, will be able to apply for the so-called settlement voucher . Currently, unemployed people up to 30 years of age can use this form of assistance.

Moreover, the age of a disabled child whose care costs will be refunded to an unemployed person by the district governor has been raised to 18 years of age.

An entrepreneur will be able to receive funding for employing a person who is over 50 years of age or a job seeker who is over 60 years old - in the case of a woman - or 65 years old - in the case of a man . The amount of funding will be up to 50% of the minimum monthly wage.

The motivational allowance for PSZ and OHP employees will be increased from PLN 600 to PLN 1,000 .

Additionally, the services of employment offices will also be modernized and automated.

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