EN
The aim of the article was to explore the possibility of explaining the development of socialist social policy with theories proposed as explanations for the western democratic and capitalist social policy development. Second aim was to analyse the development of social policy in Poland in the 1956–1980 period called in the Polish literature mature socialism. The arguments were grounded on the academic literature from socialist time and a later period. The second source was a review of the law acts related to labour and social entitlements. In both areas there was a gradual improvement after 1956 and 1970 labour protests. Strict subordination of the social policy to the economic policy was lessened. Coverage and generosity of labour and social entitlements were expanded. Explanation of these developments by western theories of the economic growth with ageing and bureaucratization or the domination of left labour parties and trade unions is fraught with difficulties and requires more research.