Government administration sections
29 April 2026
The Act of 4 September 1997 on governmental administration sections (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1370, as amended) defines the tasks and powers of competent ministers, inter alia, in different areas of social security.
According to the Act (Article 31(1)), the social security section falls under the competence of the minister in charge of social security and covers issues related to:
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social insurance and social provision;
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old-age pension funds;
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social assistance and benefits for persons and households in a difficult material and social situation;
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counteracting pathologies;
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government programmes in the area of social assistance, in particular for persons and households in a difficult material and social situation, as well as for groups threatened with social exclusion;
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social benefits, employment, social and vocational rehabilitation of people with disabilities;
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social economy, social entrepreneurship, including social cooperatives;
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combatants and victims of repressions;
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coordination of social security systems, except for health benefits in kind.
The chapter on social assistance describes cash benefits and other forms of social assistance.
The rural development section falls under the competence of the minister in charge of rural development. The scope of this section covers, inter alia, the social insurance of farmers. In this area, the minister in charge of rural development cooperates with the minister in charge of social security. In our study, we take a closer look at the principles of the social insurance system for farmers.
The health section covers, inter alia, issues of medical care and public health, including organisation of health care, supervision over medicinal products and medical devices, treatment in health resorts and coordination of the social security systems in the field of health benefits in kind. This section falls under the competence of the minister in charge of health. We present some of these issues in the chapter on universal health insurance.
The family section covers, inter alia, issues related to the protection of and support for families in a difficult material and social situation, in particular families with children.
