Polish ZUS launches sweeping pension, disability and family‑benefit reforms

The Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) announced a series of changes to social benefits. From 2027 the Olympic pension for medal‑winning athletes will rise to over 5 000 zł per month, with skiers Kamil Stoch and former champions such as Adam Małysz and Justyna Kowalczyk among the recipients. A new disability‑support allowance, calculated as a percentage of the social pension, can reach up to 4 352 zł monthly and is granted without income testing.

ZUS also increased the honor pension for centenarians to 6 938,92 zł per month and reported that 445 people in the Małopolska region now receive it. An energy‑cost supplement of 336,16 zł per month was introduced for former combatants, repatriates and widows, again without income criteria. The 14th pension, paid in September, will be capped at 2 900 zł; beneficiaries earning more will see the amount reduced.

Separately, a proposal linked to former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s circle suggests replacing the 800 plus family benefit with a “parental salary” equal to the minimum wage for the first three years of a child’s life, though the plan has not entered legislation. Senior tax‑relief (PIT‑0) continues to attract interest, allowing higher‑earning retirees to keep more net income by forgoing the 13th and 14th pensions.