On Friday, August 9, the President signed a law introducing a new ZUS benefit, known as the widow’s pension. Does this mean that you can now apply to ZUS for payment of this benefit? How will ZUS determine the amount of the widow’s pension and the duration of the new benefit payment?
For the law signed by the President to come into force, it must be published in the Journal of Laws. It will be possible to submit applications for a new pension much earlier than ZUS starts paying money in this regard, but the first payments will not be made until July 1, 2025.
Widow’s pension: when, how much and where to apply
However, it is worth using the period from the publication of the widow’s pension application form until the end of June 2025 to officially obtain an explanation of the right to the benefit, especially when the new widow’s pension is combined with other or other benefits.
It is worth remembering that A widow’s pension is in effect a “double” benefit – where the beneficiary retains the right to his or her former benefit in whole or in part – and then takes over the deceased’s benefit in part or in full, respectively.
The Law of July 26, 2024 amending the Law on Pensions and Retirement Pensions from the Social Insurance Fund, in addition to the law referred to in the title, amends several other laws – granting the right to a widow’s pension on similar principles to persons who use retirement or disability benefits and are subject to these provisions, for example .farmers or servants.
The purpose of this amendment is to introduce new rules into the general, agricultural and unified systems to bring the right to a survivor’s pension acquired as a result of being a widow or widower closer to the rights to other retirement and disability benefits specified in the present.
If the right to the indicated benefits coincides with the survivors’ pension, then one of them – the specified benefit – will be paid in full, and the other in the amount of 25%.
The beneficiary is entitled to receive benefits simultaneously under the “new” rules in the event that:
- 1) Reaching the retirement age stipulated in Article 24, Section 1 of the Law. On pensions and retirement pensions from the Social Insurance Fund;
- 2) Remaining in the marital community until the death of the husband;
- 3) Obtaining the right to a survivor’s pension after the deceased spouse no later than five years before reaching the retirement age specified in Art. 24 Section 1 of the Law on Pensions and Annuities from the Social Insurance Fund.
Payment of the above benefits shall cease on the day preceding the date of a new marriage contract by the entitled person.
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Widow’s pension: The maximum total amount that a widow or widower can receive from ZUS
The sum of the benefits paid simultaneously may not exceed three times the minimum pension amount referred to in Article 85 Section 2 of the Pensions and Social Insurance Fund Law.
This means that the total new benefit is currently 1 plus 25%. The second – you can get no more than 5342.88 PLN. Of course, when the first payment is made in July 2025, this amount will be about PLN 300-400 higher due to the indexation of the lowest pension on March 1, 2025. If the indexation is carried out according to the index currently proposed by the government, the maximum widow’s pension in 2025 will be PLN 5,705.13 – three times the lowest pension of PLN 1,901.71 as of March 2025.
The limit of agreed benefits includes the benefits specified in the law, as well as benefits paid by foreign institutions and non-recurring benefits and allowances paid under the law or on the basis of separate regulations, in addition to the benefits referred to above.
5,342.88 Polish Zloty
If the amount exceeds three times the amount of the minimum pension, the benefits will be reduced by the amount exceeded in the order shown in the amendment.
The convergence of benefits and their payment are determined upon the request of the entitled person; the application form will be published on the website of the Social Insurance Institution.
The law stipulates that the Social Insurance Institution will be responsible for maintaining the system and making it available to the relevant pension and disability pension authorities. Telecommunications is used to exchange data between these entities to the extent necessary to determine the right, amount and payment of benefits served by these entities, settlements of these benefits between these entities and to determine the synchronization of benefits referred to in the approved law.
Widow’s Pension: When to Apply for New Benefits Quickly
The approved regulation contains transitional and amending provisions relating, among other things, to the following:
- Information obligations on the conditions for obtaining concurrent benefits imposed on pension and disability pension authorities in relation to persons receiving benefits (Article 12);
- Gradual introduction of the combined benefit rate, setting its amount at 15% from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026 and 25% from January 1, 2027 (Article 13);
- Exemption from the application of public procurement provisions for service or supply contracts granted by the aforementioned authorities in relation to the implementation of the provisions (Article 15),
- Authorizing the Council of Ministers to verify the amount of the subsidy rate for the year 2028 in order to assess the possibility and justification of its increase, taking into account the income status of the beneficiary groups against the backdrop of the social and economic situation of the State (Article 16).
The law will come into effect. As of January 1, 2025, Except for some transitional provisions.
The right to receive benefits with or without payment The principles set out in the adopted law will be put into effect no later than July 1, 2025.
Persons who meet the conditions for payment of benefits under the conditions provided for by law may submit applications to determine overlapping benefits, effective January 1, 2025.
In the case of applications submitted by June 30, 2025, the right to payment of benefits in this case arises on July 1, 2025 (Article 14).
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