Wouldn’t this be a privilege desired by everyone: a monthly benefit of PLN 7,000 granted without the need to meet additional conditions, without the requirement of seniority and without the need to complete any period of employment?
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PLN 7,000 without PLN 61.08 and without a single day of work with ZUS. When and for whom?
Table of Contents
- PLN 7,000 without PLN 61.08 and without a single day of work with ZUS. When and for whom?
- How much will the benefit for 100-year-olds be in 2026?
- ZUS alone gives PLN 7,000 without PLN 61.08 and without internship, without a single day of work, without an application. Why was it introduced by law and not further through an exceptional provision?
- Who pays the honorary benefit?
- Who is entitled to an honorary benefit?
- Only one honorary service
- For how many people, almost PLN 7,000?
Many wonder how it is possible that it can be beneficial PLN 7,000 without PLN 61.08 (so exactly PLN 6,938.92) and without internship, without a single day of work with ZUS. When and for whom? Already in 2024, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has prepared new regulations, which, after entering into force on January 1, 2025, will enable payments of the so-called honorary benefit for centenarians. Therefore, this is the Act of October 18, 2024 on the honorary benefit for turning 100 years of age (Journal of Laws 2024, item 1674, hereinafter referred to as the Act). The Act replaced the existing non-statutory and provisional mechanism for granting benefits, which had been operating for over 50 years (sic!) – by way of a special benefit.
How much will the benefit for 100-year-olds be in 2026?
In 2026, the so-called benefit for 100-year-olds, honorary benefit is: PLN 6,938.92. In 2025, when the honorary benefit came into force, it was PLN 6,589.67. So it increased by almost PLN 350 .The personal income tax advance and health insurance contribution are collected from the honorary benefit.
From 2025, when the act came into force, the honorary pension has been indexed. The provision of Art. 4 art. paragraph 2 of the Act states that: The honorary benefit is subject to indexation on the principles and within the deadlines relating to the indexation of benefits referred to in Art. 88-94 of the Act of 17 December 1998 on pensions and annuities from the Social Insurance Fund. 3. The President of the Social Insurance Institution announces, in the form of a notice, in the Official Journal of the Republic of Poland “Monitor Polski”, at least 7 business days before the next indexation date, the amount of the honorary benefit.
ZUS alone gives PLN 7,000 without PLN 61.08 and without internship, without a single day of work, without an application. Why was it introduced by law and not further through an exceptional provision?
For over half a century, people who turned 100 could count on a special bonus granted as an exception. This benefit was granted since 1972 and had a fixed amount corresponding to the base amount applicable on the birthday of the birthday person. In practice, this has led to significant differences in the amount of benefits paid because once established, the amount remained constant throughout the beneficiary’s lifenot subject to indexation – said Krystyna Michałek, regional spokeswoman for ZUS in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in a press release. How have the rules changed from 2025 and 2026?
This benefit is understood as a distinction for people who have lived to an age that is extremely rare in society. These 100-year-olds should be treated equally, the benefit should be indexed, every 100-year-old should have the same benefit amount. It’s been different over the years. It was emphasized in the Senate debate that this was the case a “beautiful tradition” and an expression of appreciation and respect for centenarians, perceived as a “treasure” of local communities and carriers of historical memory. Very long life, experience and generational contributions are noticed!
Who pays the honorary benefit?
It issues decisions on honorary benefits and pays the benefits Social Insurance Institution by the payment deadline indicated in the decision. In the event of a decision on an honorary benefit, the party has the right to submit to the body that issued the decision an application for reconsideration of the case in accordance with the principles applicable to the decision issued in the first instance by the minister. The decision on the matter is issued by the competent pension or disability pension authority (ZUS, KRUS, WBE, ZER MSWiA, BESW or an organizational unit of the justice system).
Continuation of the material below the video
Who is entitled to an honorary benefit?
A person who meets the above conditions is entitled to the benefit. ZUS states that the benefit is due if: you have Polish citizenship, you turned 100 years old on the last day of the month preceding the month in which you are over 100 years old, you are entitled to the benefit specified in the Honorary Benefit Act, tj.:
- pensions, disability pensions, survivors’ pensions specified in the Act on pensions and disability pensions from the Social Insurance Fund;
- pension for incapacity for work, survivor’s pension, survivor’s pension for a pensioner receiving a pension due to an accident on the way to or from work, whose death occurred after the entry into force of the Act as a result of such an accident, survivor’s pension for a pensioner receiving a pension for an accident in special circumstances or for an occupational disease resulting from special circumstances, whose death occurred after the entry into force of the Act as a result of such an accident or occupational disease, specified in the Act on social insurance in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases;
- pension for incapacity for work or survivors’ pension, specified in the Act on benefits in respect of accidents or occupational diseases arising in special circumstances;
- social pension, specified in the Social Pension Act;
- supplementary parental benefit, specified in the Act on supplementary parental benefit;
- pensions for incapacity for work or survivors’ pensions, specified in the Act on the provision of war and military invalids and their families;
- retirement pension, disability pension, survivor’s pension, exceptional pension, exceptional disability pension, exceptional survivor’s pension, specified in the Act on veterans and certain persons who are victims of war and post-war repression;
- financial benefits specified in the Act on monetary benefits and entitlements due to civilian blind victims of war;
- military pension, military disability pension or military family pension, specified in the Act on the pension provision of professional soldiers and their families;
- police pension, police disability pension or police family pension, specified in the Act on the pension provision of officers of the Police, the Internal Security Agency, the Foreign Intelligence Agency, the Military Counterintelligence Service, the Military Intelligence Service, the Central Anticorruption Bureau, the Border Guard, the Marshal’s Guard, the State Protection Service, the State Fire Service, the Customs and Tax Service and the Prison Service, and their families [11];;
- a cash benefit specified in the Act on cash benefits due to family members of officers or professional soldiers whose death occurred in connection with service or taking actions outside the service to save human life or health or property;
- agricultural pension, agricultural pension due to incapacity for work, agricultural training pension, family pension, old-age pension or pension from social insurance of individual farmers and their family members, specified in the Act on social insurance of farmers;
- remuneration of a retired judge and family remuneration, specified in the Act – Law on the System of Common Courts;
- remuneration of a retired military court judge and family remuneration, specified in the Act – Law on the System of Military Courts;
- the remuneration of a retired Supreme Court judge, specified in the Act on the Supreme Court;
- the remuneration of a retired prosecutor and family remuneration, specified in the Act – Law on the Prosecutor’s Office.
ZUS alone gives PLN 7,000 without PLN 61.08 and without internship, without a single day of work, without an application. If you meet the above conditions, you do not have to submit an application for an honorary benefit, you will receive this benefit ex officio. You are entitled to an ex officio honorary benefit from the month in which you turn 100.
Only one honorary service
Importantly, if at the age of 100 a person will receive more than one pension benefit, e.g. old-age pension and disability pension due to occupational disease, then will receive only one honorary benefit.
For how many people, almost PLN 7,000?
According to interia.pl: “Last year, the number of people receiving an honorary pension from ZUS reached almost 4,000. In August, the office informed that every month money from this benefit is sent to over 3.8 thousand people. The number of beneficiaries of the honorary pension is growing as we live longer and longer. The numbers show this best – 8 years ago in 2018, ZUS sent an honorary pension to 1.9 thousand people. So it was twice less compared to 3.8 thousand beneficiaries. currently”.
Act of October 18, 2024 on the honorary benefit for reaching 100 years of age (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1674)
