--- title: "Poland softens its stance: bill to expand benefits for Ukrainians submitted to the Sejm" description: "🇵🇱 Poland softens its stance: bill to expand benefits for Ukrainians submitted to the Sejm. Since July 1, 2026, Poland has cancelled mass benefits, leaving them only for a narrow circle of vulnerable categories. Now, a document has been registered in the Sejm proposing to return support to single mothers, low-income pensioners, and their family members. 🏥 Right to medical care outside accommodation centers included. 💰 Costs estimated at 100 million zlotys. 🗓️ Consideration scheduled for September 2026." date: 2026-08-16T05:14:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/poland-expands-benefits-for-ukrainians-2026-en tags: [ukraine, poland, refugees, social-support, politics, ukraine-war] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Poland softens its stance: bill to expand benefits for Ukrainians submitted to the Sejm ![Ukrainians in line at a Polish information center with flags of Ukraine and Poland in the background](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/16/polsha-rasshirenie-lgot-dlya-ukraincev-2026/polsha-rasshirenie-lgot-dlya-ukraincev-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - A bill to expand benefits for Ukrainians has been registered in the Polish Sejm after mass assistance was cancelled in July 2026. - It is proposed to add single mothers and pensioners with income below 940 zlotys to the list of vulnerable categories. - The bill provides for the right to health insurance outside collective accommodation centers. - Implementation of the initiative will require about 100 million zlotys in additional funding. The Polish legislative process in August 2026 is experiencing a significant turning point regarding the Ukrainian diaspora. A bill aimed at expanding the list of vulnerable categories of Ukrainians who will retain the right to free accommodation and health insurance has been officially registered in the country's Sejm. This step serves as a reaction to the sharp tightening of rules that came into force on July 1 of the current year, when Poland cancelled the broad assistance program for most refugees. ### Reaction to the veto and narrow criteria The situation regarding social support for Ukrainians in Poland changed radically after President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the law extending the preliminary assistance program. As a result, since the beginning of July, free housing and food have remained available only to a very narrow circle of people: people with disabilities, pregnant women, and pensioners. The head of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, admitted that the current list of categories turned out to be too limited. The Ministry cites specific examples of the unfairness of the current system: if a child with a disability and their mother receive assistance, their siblings in the same situation are deprived of support. It is precisely these legislative gaps that the new document, submitted by the "Lewica" party, which is part of the ruling coalition, aims to eliminate. ### New support criteria and financial costs The bill proposes to significantly expand the list of those entitled to benefits. In particular, it is proposed to include mothers raising children alone in the list of vulnerable groups, provided they are not married or their partner is not on Polish territory (likely at the front). Pensioners whose pension is less than half of the minimum payment — that is, does not exceed 940 zlotys (approximately 11,300 hryvnias) — will also be entitled to support. An important aspect of the initiative is the extension of assistance to family members of people from vulnerable categories. Furthermore, the bill provides for securing the right to health insurance and free access to the healthcare system even for those who do not live in collective accommodation centers. The implementation of these measures will require additional investment: about 18 million zlotys for expanding housing and another 80 million zlotys for health insurance. ### Political context and prospects The bill was registered in the Sejm on August 3, 2026, and its consideration is scheduled for September. Preliminary estimates suggest that the changes could affect several thousand people. Minister Dziemianowicz-Bąk stated that she does not expect serious resistance from the government; on the contrary, she expects support from other coalition parties. The argumentation is based on the humanitarian component: it concerns children and people whose partners are fighting at the front. This step demonstrates an attempt to find a balance between the need to save budget funds and humanitarian responsibility towards a neighboring country. If the bill is adopted, it will be an important signal to the Ukrainian community that support is not ceasing completely, but is transforming into a more targeted form. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who lost benefits in Poland from July 1, 2026? **A:** From July 1, 2026, free housing and food were cancelled for most Ukrainian refugees, remaining only for people with disabilities, pregnant women, and pensioners. ### Q: Who will be affected by the new bill in Poland? **A:** The new bill proposes to extend benefits to single mothers, pensioners with a pension below 940 zlotys, and family members of people from vulnerable categories. ### Q: When will the bill be considered in the Sejm? **A:** The bill was registered on August 3, 2026, and its consideration is scheduled for September.