75 garrisons out of 106 will increase housing benefits for professional soldiers. Most, due to the fact that PLN 420, will be given to the military in Katowice. But a larger benefit will besides be paid in Kłodzek, Radom or Dęblin. Higher rates are to apply from 1 January 2025.
Housing benefits is simply a monthly financial allowance for those professional soldiers who do not usage a service military ‘M’ or boarding school and on their own, for example, rent an flat on a civilian marketplace or repay a residential loan. The amount of the benefit varies. They shall be calculated by multiplying the basic rate – PLN 300 – by a coefficient (1,5–5.0) depending on the garrison and the rental marketplace prices in the locality. Currently, the benefit ranges from PLN 480 to PLN 1500, but MON is planning to rise it.
– Property rental prices are constantly changing. In order to verify whether the benefit does not disagree importantly from the average price of the rental flat in the civilian market, we conduct analyses all now and then. We have late looked at the rental prices of almost 11,000 apartments, from one- to four-room apartments located in a full of 384 towns – explains Małgorzata Weber, press secretary Military Property Agency. Having compiled these data, AMW representatives have determined, among others, the average price of rent of the flat for 1 m2. They then determined the percent of the ratio of the present amount of the benefit in the garrison to the average rental price of the dwellings in the region.
“The analysis showed an increase in rental prices and the request to rise the coefficient in 75 of all 106 garrisons,” adds Margaret Weber. Proposals for fresh rates were included in the draft regulation of the Minister of National Defence. He is the head of the MON because, according to the Act on the accommodation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, he determines the basic rate and the housing benefit for each garrison. If the proposals are accepted, the rate according to which benefits are charged will be 2.1 to 6. This means that the lowest housing fee will be PLN 630 and the highest – PLN 1800 (only applies to the Warsaw garrison).
The highest increase in the benefit – PLN 420 – will happen in Katowice, where it was increased from PLN 660 to PLN 1080. But a large difference, due to the fact that 360 PLN, will besides be felt by soldiers serving in Pruszcz Gdańsk (a rise to 1170 PLN), Goleniów (1110 PLN) and Wesoła (1290 PLN). The increase of the benefit by 330 PLN awaits military residents of Żagań (900 PLN), Bolesławec (1020 PLN), Darłów (990 PLN), Krakow (1290 PLN), Kraków-Balice (1230 PLN) and Siemirowice (810 PLN). In turn, 300 PLN more will be received all period by soldiers from Dziwnów (960 PLN), Lęborka (810 PLN), Międzyrzeza (810 PLN) and Warsaw (1800 PLN).
Higher services will besides be provided in Tarnowskie Góry, Ustce, Oleśnica and Poznań (growth by 240 zł), Bielsko-Biała, Gliwice, Kielce, Kłodzko, Leszno, Malbork, Sochaczew, Śrem, Swidwin, Wejherów and Wladyslawów (210 zł), Dęblinie, Lubliniec, Powidz, Radom, Sandomierz and Sieradz (180 zł), Krosno Odrzański and Łask (150 zł), Gdańsk and Kutnie (120 zł), Drawsk Pomorski and Łódź (90 zł), as well as in Opole and Bydgoszcz (60 zł). The smallest increase, due to the fact that only by 30 PLN, will be given garrisons Chełmno, Łódź and Orzysz. However, the amount of the benefit paid to soldiers serving in Węgorzewa (870 PLN), Nowa Dęba (900 PLN) and Gdynia (1200 PLN).
The number of professional soldiers who receive housing benefits is steadily increasing. According to calculations, in 2022 an average of 75,744 benefits per period were paid, 1 year later 85,795. In July of that year, 101,797 soldiers received them. The average amount of the benefit was PLN 887.05.
According to MON estimates, in 2025, the professional military service will be performed by about 150 1000 soldiers. The number of beneficiaries of the benefit will increase in line with the increase in staff. For the time being, MON planned to pay housing benefits next year, PLN 1 billion 244 million. But it is already known that the increase in benefits means that about 177 million PLN will should be spent on payments.
