Is the end of 13th and 14th retirement coming? Poles wonder what's next with the additives

A fewer weeks after the elections, the opposition is increasingly highlighting the request to replace 13th and 14th pensions with more favourable solutions, in their opinion. The statements of 1 of the Members on Thursday even described these allowances as temporary and provisional. The word ‘revision’ was utilized to emphasise that these additional financial measures should give way to more unchangeable and long-term solutions in the area of pension support. There are a increasing number of alternate proposals, which raises debate on the effectiveness of the current measures compared to possible changes in the pension support system.

Allowances for pensioners

The governing organization introduced thirteen and fourteen more than a year ago, with the intention of supporting pensioners in their regular expenses and as a consequence to rising prices in stores and higher bills. The same did not gain unanimous acceptance. Even during the erstwhile parliamentary term, the opposition stressed that specified funds could be unjustified and make problems in the budget. Despite the change of power, the debate on these solutions has continued and more concrete proposals have emerged.

According to the newsnadzis.pl website, on 16 November, Poland's deputy chief 2050, Michał Kobosko, spoke about thirteens and fourteens during the radio broadcast. During the election campaign, this organization proposed major changes in the pension system.

Kobosko stressed that thirteen and fourteen are temporary solutions that should not take place in a "serious pension system". Poland 2050, according to the vice-president of the party, seeks to destruct these allowances by proposing a tax-exempt pension instead. This alternative, according to them, would be more advantageous than thirteen and fourteen.

High costs

The government has invested immense amounts of money in valorization and allowances for pensioners. The Minister of household and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg, expressed this over 60 days ago, stressing that from 2019 to 2023 more than 200 billion PLN was allocated from the state budget for this peculiar purpose. This is simply a crucial sum that aims to improve the surviving conditions of older people and to safeguard their financial viability in hard times.

Meanwhile, decisions on retirement funds have a wide impact. They can affect the financial stableness of the state, intergenerational relations and the well-being of seniors. In addition, the subject of valorisation is frequently a point of discussion, peculiarly in the context of inflation and rising life costs, which makes these measures even more crucial for those who are retired.

It is investing in the future of society, but besides social justice. This can besides affect another areas of public life, by affecting consumption or the availability of different services. Of course, the question of the efficiency and long-term effects of these measures besides arises. Will they improve the quality of elder life in the long term? Will they increase their independency and comfort?

It is besides valuable to item the transparency of the allocation of these funds and to monitor their use. It is not only a question of the amount of money, but besides of the way it is spent and the effect it will have on society.

Ignacy Michałowski

OSINT investigator with experience in global journalism projects. It has been publishing materials for over 20 years for the largest releases. In social activities he engaged in various projects and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of people, especially those of mediocre communities. He was besides active in the fight for human rights. Contact: [email protected]