The situation of pensioners and disability pensioners in Poland is becoming increasingly dire. Experts point out that the number of people receiving pensions below the minimum level is growing. There will be no additional indexation of benefits in September, and the raises granted so far have turned out to be mere pennies for many.
The so-called “new poor pensioners” are becoming more numerous in Poland. According to the Institute of Labour and Social Studies (IPiSS), their number has already reached about 430,000. These are people who have reached the statutory retirement age but have low pension capital and paid ZUS contributions for less than 20 years (women) or 25 years (men).
– New poor pensioners are people who receive pensions below the minimum, which is currently just over PLN 1,800. Looking at the statistics, we can see that these are mainly women who took care of children, with such care lasting more than five years and limiting their ability to work – said Justyna Wiktorowicz, co-author of the report, to the Newseria agency.
Pensions in this group range from PLN 700 to PLN 1,200 gross per month, but there are also even lower benefits, sometimes amounting to just a few grosze. In December last year, more than 433,100 pensions were paid at an amount lower than the minimum pension, which is over 9% more than in December 2023.
– The number of pensions paid below the minimum level is systematically increasing – notes Piotr Kupidurski, who prepared ZUS research on the subject. – The share of such pensions in the portfolio of new-system pensions is also growing. This results primarily from a short insurance record or its complete absence after 1998, and thus – a low pool of accumulated contributions, which leads to very low pension benefits – he adds. According to experts, the number of new poor pensioners will continue to grow in the coming years.
The situation of other pensioners and disability pensioners is also not good. ZUS reported that according to the latest data from June this year, the average pension paid by ZUS reached PLN 4,190.19 and was only PLN 0.75 higher than in May. This is the first recorded increase in the average in three months – that is, since the March indexation. This year’s indexation was percentage-based, with benefits increasing by 5.5%. According to opposition politicians and many experts, this raise does not compensate for losses caused by high inflation.
The Central Statistical Office (GUS) reported that inflation for the whole of 2024 was 3.6%. Piotr Soroczyński, chief economist of the KIG, points out that prices, year-on-year, have risen in most categories surveyed by GUS. The largest increase – 10.1% – was seen in housing, utilities, and energy carriers. Compared to December 2023, there were also significant price increases in categories such as: education (up 9.2%); restaurants and hotels (up 6.8%); recreation and culture (up 5.5%); and healthcare (up 5.5%). Particularly shocking was the increase in the price of butter (up 27.1%), some energy carriers (e.g., electricity prices up 21.2%), water supply (up 13.1%), and sewage services (up 11.3%).
MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk (PiS) notes that in the 2025 budget, only PLN 24 billion has been allocated for pension indexation, whereas in 2023 – the last year of PiS government – these funds amounted to as much as PLN 79 billion, and the then-government applied a mixed amount-percentage indexation that protected the lowest benefits.
Kuźmiuk also stresses that the PiS government carried out ZUS benefit indexation twice when inflation turned out to be high. This year, however, there will be no repeat. The government has deemed the March indexation sufficient, and there will be no additional raise in September. Seniors can expect the next indexation only in March 2026, which will be among the lowest in recent years. As experts calculate, in the best-case scenario it will be 5.4%, though less favorable estimates exist. “Considering current government forecasts, the indexation of pensions and disability pensions in 2026 may amount to 4.9%. This is the lowest in several years.”
According to experts, the government’s decision will have a real impact on the budgets of millions of Polish households, and many pensioners and disability pensioners may feel deep disappointment, especially amid the continued rise in prices of basic goods and services.