Poland's Sejm rejects basic income pilot proposal

A petition to launch a pilot of an unconditional basic income (BDP) in Poland was considered by the Sejm's Committee on Petitions. The proposal called for monthly payments of 2,403 zł per person nationwide, and a similar version targeted the Silesian Voivodeship with 2,333 zł per person, replacing existing benefits such as 800 plus.

The Sejm voted unanimously to reject the petition, ending parliamentary work on the initiative. The Ministry of Finance confirmed it was not preparing any legislation on a basic income, citing the programme’s high fiscal cost. Experts warned that implementing such a scheme would require extensive analysis of public‑budget impact, labour‑market effects and the fairness of limiting it to a single region.