The Polish government approved a plan, Tuesday, to steadily increase benefits and services for the disabled, though protesting families vowed to continue a sit-in protest in parliament.

According to the draft legislation, 200 million zloty (47 million euro) will be cut from road construction projects to cover the raise in benefits.

As a result, benefits will rise from the current net sum of 820 zloty per month (195.7 euro) to 1000 zloty (238 euro) in May 2014, then to 1200 zloty (286 euro) in 2015 and 1300 zloty (310 euro) in 2016.

Thirteen families launched a sit-in protest in Poland’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday 19 March, calling for a rise in benefits for parents caring for disabled children.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk then outlined proposals for staggering benefits rises on Saturday during a meeting with the families, after which several pulled out of the round-the-clock protest.

However, the compromise will not provide an immediate rise to the level of the minimum wage (about 1300 zloty net), as a result of which some families have pledged to stay on in parliament.

Families also intend to work on their own draft legislation and then present it to opposition parties with the hope of the bill being introduced to parliament (the alternative is collecting 100,000 signatures for a so-called ‘citizens’ bill.’)

Data from Poland’s Central Statistical Office (GUS) reveals that there are over 560,000 families with disabled children in the country.

In families where both parents are still married, only 42 percent of those parents are both professionally employed, and most often it is the mother who gives up work.

Statistics covering all families with disabled children show that there are 310,000 women who are not professionally employed, and 130,000 men