New benefit from July 1. Seniors have reasons to be happy

From July 1, 2025, the long-awaited benefit for widows and widowers, the so-called widow's pension, will begin to be paid. After years of appeals, seniors will gain the opportunity to keep part of their deceased spouse's pension without giving up their own benefit. The changes will affect hundreds of thousands of people throughout Poland. What benefits does the new solution provide?

The pension system in Poland has been criticized for years for its lack of flexibility in the life situation of seniors after the death of a spouse. Until now, you had to choose: to keep your own pension or to take the so-called family pension, i.e. a benefit after the deceased partner, which usually amounted to 85% of their pension. In practice, many seniors lost even several hundred złoty per month.

New regulations, adopted by the Sejm , change this state of affairs. From 1 July 2025, eligible persons will be able to benefit from a widow's pension - a benefit combining two sources of income: their own pension and part of the benefit after the deceased partner.

The new benefit will be available to widows and widowers who receive a pension or disability pension from ZUS or KRUS, and whose deceased spouse was also a pensioner or disability pensioner. According to the regulations, these people will be able to choose one of two options:

• receive 100% of your own benefit and an additional 15% of the survivor's pension after your deceased spouse,
• receive 100 percent of the survivor's pension after the deceased spouse and an additional 15 percent of their own benefit.

From 1 January 2027, the second component of the benefit will increase from 15% to 25%, which will further improve the situation of pensioners in Poland.

SEE: Up to PLN 4,500 for cyclists. The government will subsidize bicycles

According to ZUS, if the sum of benefits (retirement or own annuity increased by a percentage of the survivors' pension) exceeds the limit of three times the lowest pension, the benefit will be reduced accordingly .

Widow's pension is not granted automatically - it is necessary to submit an application . Eligible seniors can submit it to ZUS from 1 January 2025. Documents can be submitted in person at the branch, by mail or via the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE).

SEE: Seniors have reason to be happy? This is how much the 14th pension will be

According to ZUS information, if the application is submitted by 30 June 2025, the right to a widow's pension will arise from 1 July 2025. People who submit an application after 31 July will acquire the right to the benefit from the day the conditions for its granting are met, but not earlier than the month in which the application was submitted. The program does not provide for compensation for earlier months.

According to data from the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, the new benefit could cover up to 2 million seniors . The greatest benefits will be felt by people whose deceased spouse received a high pension or disability benefit, and who have not had the opportunity to use these funds so far.

Representatives of the National Federation of UTW Associations emphasize that the widow's pension is a long-awaited step towards social justice. It was pointed out that it is not a privilege, but a form of equalization of injustice, which for years affected women in particular who remained on lower benefits after the death of their husbands.