14. pension to be liquidated? The former deputy prime minister appeals

At the beginning of September, this year’s 14th pension payments started. According to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), everyone entitled to the benefit will receive it together with their pension or disability pension for September.

ZUS estimates show that on the first possible date, i.e. on September 1, approximately 616,000 people received the “fourteen”. retirees and pensioners. The next benefit payments will take place: September 6, 10, 15, 20 and 25. People who receive pre-retirement benefits will receive the “fourteenth pension” by October 1.

This year, the full amount of the benefit is PLN 1,978.49 gross, i.e. the minimum pension. It will be awarded to people whose regular benefit does not exceed PLN 2,900. Above this amount, the “PLN for PLN” mechanism works. – For example, a person with a pension of PLN 3,000 will receive a pension reduced by PLN 100, i.e. PLN 1,878.49 gross – explains ZUS.

In practice, people whose pension exceeds PLN 4,828.49 gross will not be eligible for the 14th pension. The benefit is also not available to persons whose right to a pension or disability pension is suspended on the day preceding the month of payment.

14. pension to be liquidated? The former deputy prime minister appeals

The 14th pension has been paid for five years (the first payments were made at the end of 2021). There are many voices that the benefit – similarly to the 13th pension granted since 2019 – should be abolished. He talked about it, among others: former deputy prime minister and minister of finance prof. Grzegorz Kolodko.

In a comment for Money.pl, the Minister of Finance in 1994-1997 and 2002-2003 pointed out that the budget deficit was “rapidly heading to the disastrous level of 7 percent of GDP”. In his opinion, “the state may not be able to finance it in a sensible way, sinking into a dangerously growing public debt, the servicing of which costs more and more.” Kolodko indicates that this costs approximately PLN 100 billion per year. In this situation, serious deficit reduction is imperative.

– When consolidating public finances, it is necessary to stop indexing social benefits. The only exceptions should be pensions. Payment of the 13th and 14th pensions should be discontinued, and the income criterion should be applied to family benefits 800+ – proposed by the former head of the Ministry of Finance.

A survey by SW Research for “Wprost” conducted at the beginning of this year shows that almost two-thirds of Poles (65.3%) are against the abolition of the 13th and 14th pensions. Only 18.7% are of the opposite opinion. respondents, and 16 percent there is no opinion on this matter.