​Central

State authorities are responsible for:

• Social assistance and integration;
• Combating poverty;
• Social inclusion (protection of vulnerable groups, voluntary service, alternative forms of employment for vulnerable persons);
• Social insurance system;
• Family benefits;
• Veterans benefits;
• Disability benefits;
• Funding of research;
• Monitoring;
• Impact analysis of social policy.

The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is responsible for:

• Developing guidelines;
• Regulating and monitoring standards;
• Funding research and analysis expertise;
• Analysing the effectiveness of social assistance;
• Training social assistance providers;
• Development and financing of protection programmes;
• Financing, monitoring and evaluating programmes provided by local authorities;
• Training programmes for foster families;
• Collecting data.

Regional

Most social assistance services are provided by social assistance centres (municipalities) and powiat centres for family support (counties).

Regional social policy centres (regionalne ośrodki polityki społecznej) execute social assistance responsibilities in the regions. They cooperate with other providers and organisers of social assistance (for example NGOs).

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• Developing, updating, and implementing the regional social policy;
• Regional social policy centres;
• Pro-familial policy;
• Programmes relating to social exclusion, equal opportunities for the disabled, social assistance, prevention and resolution of alcohol problems, cooperation with NGOs (in consultation with the counties);
• Supporting associations of veterans;
• Organising training, including running of public social services schools and vocational training of staff;
• Identifying the causes of poverty;
• Supporting local government to reduce poverty;
• Fostering and promoting new forms of social assistance;
• Supporting orphanages and foster families;
• Childcare centres;
• Monitoring quality control of services;
• Providing day care for the disabled, the chronically ill and elderly people;
• Assessing the status and effectiveness of social assistance;
• Implementing national policy concerning the maintenance and development of the information system;
• Financial support for programmes specified by the governor;

Intermediate level

Powiat Centres for Family Support execute social assistance responsibilities in counties. They are responsible for: supra-municipal services;

• Support to the disabled;
• Powiat centres for family support;
• Maintenance of powiat facilities and public utilities;
• Child protection, including running tutelary, educational facilities and orphanages
• Developing and implementing powiat strategies for solving social problems, in particular adoption of social assistance programmes, support to the disabled, etc.;
• Specialised counselling;
• Social integration;
• Integration of foreigners;
• Information;
• Training and professional development of the powiat social welfare personnel.

Local

Municipalities are the main providers of social assistance services. They are responsible for:

• Housing;
• Maintenance of gmina public facilities;
• Social assistance centres (ośrodki pomocy społecznej);
• Social assistance programmes, with a particular focus on the prevention of alcoholism, social integration and support to families;
• Support to the poor;
• Support to the disabled;
• Granting benefits;
• Child protection;
• Re‑integration of former prisoners;
• Allocation and payment of special allowances;
• Granting and payment of aid for economic empowerment;
• Nursing homes;
• Other tasks delegated by the government.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy

Regional Social Policy Centres in regional authorities (Voivodships) 

Powiat Centres for Family Support in the county (Powiat)

Social assistance centres (ośrodki pomocy społecznej) execute social assistance responsibilities in (gmina) local authorities

Sources:

Act on County Self-Government (Dz.U. 1998 nr 91, poz. 578).

Act on Regional Self-Government (Dz.U. 1998 nr 91, poz. 576).

Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy

Act of 12 March 2004 on Social Assistance (Dz.U. 2009 nr 175, poz. 1362) [Ustawa z dnia 12 marca 2004 r. o pomocy społecznej]