Over 5600 PLN per month, payments start soon. In two years the increase

ZUS accepts applications for the so-called widow's pension. The benefit will be paid out on July 1. To receive the pension by that date, you must submit an application no later than July 31.

From January 1, ZUS accepts applications for the so-called widow's pension (Photo: PawelKacperek/Shutterstock)

• Since January, ZUS has received over 707,000 applications for widows’ pensions.
• People who already meet the conditions have until the end of July 2025 to submit an application, as the benefit will be granted from the month of submission of the application, but not earlier than July 1, 2025.
• For applications submitted after 31 July, the right to benefit payment will apply from the date the conditions are met, but not earlier than the month in which the application was submitted.

Since January 1, ZUS has been accepting applications for a so-called widow's pension, which is a combination of two retirement and disability benefits, one of which must be a family pension after a deceased spouse. Since January, it has received over 707,000 applications for a widow's pension.

Payments of the new benefit will begin on July 1, 2025. Importantly, to receive the pension by this date, you must submit an application by July 31 at the latest.

For applications submitted after 31 July, the right to benefit payment will apply from the date the conditions are met, but not earlier than the month in which the application was submitted.

The right to a widow’s pension will be granted if all the conditions for its granting are met, i.e.:

• the applicant will be entitled to two benefits, including a survivor's pension after the deceased spouse,
• is over 60 years old (women) or 65 years old (men),
• has acquired the right to a survivor's pension after the deceased spouse no earlier than on the day of reaching the age of 55 in the case of a woman or the age of 60 in the case of a man (whereas a widow or widower must be at least 55 years old (women) or 60 years old (men) at the time of the spouse's death),
• was in a marital relationship at the time of the spouse's death and did not enter into a new marriage.

There are two options to choose from. You can receive a full survivor's pension after your spouse (the survivor's pension for one person is 85% of the benefit that would have been due to the deceased person) and 15% of your own benefit, or vice versa.

From 1 January 2027, the second benefit will be increased to 25%.

Importantly, the sum of the benefits established in the concurrence cannot exceed three times the amount of the lowest pension (PLN 1,878.91 gross), i.e. a total of PLN 5,636.73 gross.

If the sum of benefits paid is higher than three times the lowest pension, ZUS will reduce the benefits by the amount of the excess. However, if the amount of the benefit received so far exceeds three times the lowest pension, the right to a widow's pension is not granted, due to exceeding the maximum amount. This means that, for example, if someone receives a pension of PLN 5.7 thousand gross, they will not be entitled to a widow's pension.

When calculating the amount of the widow's pension, which is compared to the limit of three times the lowest pension, benefits paid by foreign institutions and other than one-off benefits and allowances granted on the basis of the act or separate regulations are also taken into account. This means that the limit will include, for example, the care allowance and the coal equivalent. Such benefits as 500 plus for dependents or the support benefit will not be taken into account.