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Poland launches new support benefit for widows and widowers

01.07.2025 13:00
Starting July 1, 2025, Poland’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy will begin distributing a new widow’s benefit aimed at helping the most vulnerable widows and widowers who face significant financial hardship after losing their spouse.
Starting from July 1, 2025, Poland will begin paying a new widows benefit payment.
Starting from July 1, 2025, Poland will begin paying a new widow's benefit payment.Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada/X/@MRPiPS_GOV__PL

 According to Poland’s Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), the first payments totaling 317 million PLN (about 74.7 million EUR) for the new widow’s benefit were distributed today to 86,000 eligible recipients.

The largest share, 39.8 million PLN (around 9.4 million EUR), went to the Silesian region in southern Poland. From January to June, ZUS received over 986,000 applications, more than any other agency handling the widow’s benefit.

The widow’s benefit is designed to support the poorest widows and widowers, providing 15% of the deceased spouse’s pension, with plans to increase this to 25% starting January 2027.

Eligibility requires recipients to have reached retirement age, remain unmarried, and have qualified for the survivor’s pension no earlier than five years before reaching retirement age. Additionally, the marriage must have lasted until the spouse’s death.

(mp)

Source: ZUS/X/@MRPiPS_GOV__PL