Polish court rules ZUS not liable for retroactive pension payments

A District Court in Opole ruled that the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is not required to pay retroactive pension benefits to a dentist who failed to include her university diploma in her initial application. Although the woman met the legal requirements for early retirement, ZUS only began payments three years later after the diploma was submitted.

The court determined that while the right to a pension arises by law, the actual obligation to pay depends on the submission of a correct application containing all necessary documentation to verify qualifications and service periods. Because the initial application omitted her six-year medical studies and the corresponding diploma, the court dismissed the woman's claim for backdated payments.