Borrowers are less likely to ask for help. Why?

In 2022, the interest in the borrowers’ support fund (FWK) beat records. We have 2025 and the situation looks a bit different.

– The last two NBP interest rates are a good signal not only from the point of view of potential borrowers, but also people who pay off previously taken loans. This second group of banking sector clients is much larger. BIK reports that the current number of housing loans is about 2.3 million – notes Andrzej Prajsnar in an interview with “Wprost”, an expert of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal.

He indicates that three years ago a statistical housing borrower certainly had more reasons to worry, as evidenced by, for example, the number of agreements for assistance from the borrowers’ support fund.

FWK – after the records of the number of applications no longer a trace

Experts of the RynekPierwotny.pl portal have prepared an analysis showing the number of FWK assistance contracts and the value of support granted by division according to the criteria. The results of this analysis are presented in the chart below.

– As you can see, the most common was help due to the income criterion and/or high share of installments in household income. Loosening these criteria from May 15, 2024, combined with a large increase in the income criterion, resulted in an increase in the number of contracts and the value of assistance provided – comments Andrzej Prajsnar.

He notes that despite this growth, the number of FWK (about 400-450 per month) assistance contracts (of approx. 400-450 per month) was much smaller than records from 2022 in 2025.

-I am talking about a situation from about three years ago, in which FWK concluded over 800-1000 support contracts every month. For help in repayment of installments in the most difficult period and a little later they were requested by those for whom the statutory credit holidays were insufficient. After the end of statutory credit holidays, FWK help is the default solution for people experiencing problems with repayment of their “mortgage”. This could also affect the number of new applications in the first half. 2025 – says the expert.

The public fund will also help borrowers in the future

As the expert indicates, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego unfortunately did not provide newer data on the use of funds from FWK in Q2 2025.

– However, it can be assumed that the situation did not differ significantly in relation to the beginning of this year. As the next interest rate reductions, the number of new support contracts will probably decrease. Before March 2022, the aforementioned number was minimal, which is confirmed by the chart. Regardless of the further development of the situation, the borrowers’ support fund will remain an active solution in the event of another significant deterioration in the situation of people repaying housing installments – notes Andrzej Prajsnar.

What credit assistance does FWK offer?

The name of the borrowers’ support fund well reflects its main task – providing temporary assistance to people who have difficulties in repayment of a housing loan.

Currently, FWK offers two forms of support:

• returnable assistance in repayment of a maximum of 40 housing loan installments (up to PLN 3,000 per month),

• A loan of up to PLN 120,000 to repay the obligation to the bank that remained after the sale of real estate.

Due to the preferential nature of this support, help from FWK is available only to people who meet at least one of the following conditions:

• at least one of the borrowers has the status of an unemployed as at the date of submitting the application,

• The ratio of installment to household income (in accordance with the Act on social assistance) exceeds 40 percent,

• The monthly revenue of the household after deducting the costs of servicing the housing loan does not exceed – in terms of person – 250 percent. income criterion from the Act on social assistance.

Current income limits:

• one -man household – PLN 2525.00,

• Multi -person farm – PLN 2057.50 per person.

– It is worth adding that until December 31, 2024 there was an additional premise to use the support of FWK. Namely, people injured by last year’s flood could get support consisting in repayment of public funds of 12 housing loans from public funds – notes Andrzej Prajsnar.

As he notes, the non -returnable nature of this flood help is an exception to the general principles of FWK, which assume the need to return support, but on preferential terms.

– The preferences consist in the zero interest rate of monthly installments and the remission of the remaining debt in the event of a timely repayment of 134 of 200 installments – says the expert.