“From October 1, the Institution will accept applications for all three benefits, verify the statutory conditions and pay out the money. As with other programs, we are limiting the formalities to a minimum. Parents will be able to submit an application for the benefit only via the Internet,” ZUS informed. The first payments from the program are planned for the turn of November and December.
How to apply for the “Active Parent” benefit?
You can apply for up to PLN 1,500 per child in one of four ways. Using the PUE ZUS (eZUS) platform, the mZUS mobile application, electronic banking or through the Emp@tia portal of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy.
The support program consists of three benefits: active parents at work, active in the nursery and active at home. The first of them is the so-called grandmother's, or a benefit for professionally active parents, which can be used to pay for childcare. Its amount is PLN 1.5 thousand per month for two years – from the 12th to the 35th month of the child's life. Parents with children with disabilities can count on PLN 1.9 thousand.
Actively in a nursery will replace the subsidy for the fee for stay in care institutions for children up to three years of age (up to PLN 400). Parents of children who use a nursery, children's club or day care will also receive PLN 1.5 thousand or PLN 1.9 thousand for a child with a disability.
Actively at home is PLN 500 per month for a child aged 12-35 months for parents who raise their child at home. This benefit replaces the Family Care Capital and will operate on the same principles.
ZUS noted that under the “Active Parent” Act, parents can only use one benefit for a given child in a given month. However, the type of support can be changed multiple times during the month.
There are not enough places for children in nurseries. Coalition politicians announce changes
The introduction of the new benefit is intended to increase parents' interest in nurseries. Thanks to it, they will finally be almost free. TVP3 Wrocław report indicates, however, that many facilities are already overcrowded, even before the program is introduced. In some, there are even several dozen children on waiting lists.