Controversial Letters from ZUS. Political Propaganda for Public Money
NIK accuses ZUS of mismanagement for spending nearly PLN 400,000 on letters to pensioners, which aroused controversy due to their political nature.
The Supreme Audit Office has accused the Social Insurance Institution of mismanagement in connection with the expenditure on sending letters to pensioners. The case concerns almost PLN 400,000 that ZUS allocated for letters with additional information addressed to seniors. Specifically, it concerns one controversial “insert” sent in May 2023.
ZUS sends letters to seniors twice a year. In the spring, the letter contains information on the amount of the pension after indexation and payment of the thirteenth pension, and in the autumn a decision on the amount of the fourteenth pension granted. These are important documents, on the basis of which seniors can file appeals to the court and challenge the amount of benefits paid. However, NIK drew attention to an additional insert that was included in the letters sent in May 2023.
Controversial “insert” in the letters
In May 2023, before the parliamentary elections, seniors received envelopes with the ZUS logo, containing not only standard information about indexation and the thirteenth pension, but also an additional insert with a message from the government. The insert contained the signatures of the then president of ZUS, Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister of Family Marlena Maląg.
In the insert, the government boasted about achievements such as the high indexation of pensions, the payment of thirteenth and fourteenth pensions, and the introduction of a tax-free pension. The government emphasized that the minimum pension increased much faster in the years 2015-2023 compared to the period 2007-2015. This information was intended to show that the government cares about seniors, which caused mixed feelings among recipients and aroused political emotions before the elections.
Criticism of the Supreme Audit Office
NIK analyzed the mailing campaign and criticized ZUS in the budget execution report. The allegations concerned “the uneconomical cost of PLN 377.5 thousand for preparing and sending a promotional leaflet to 8.562 million beneficiaries.” The auditors found that the leaflet’s content contained elements promoting the government’s policy and achievements, which went beyond ZUS’s tasks related to popularizing knowledge about social insurance.
The case of letters with additional information for seniors has caused great controversy. NIK accused ZUS of mismanagement and misuse of public funds, emphasizing that the mailing campaign was intended to promote government policy, not just to inform about retirement benefits. The final consequences of this situation for ZUS and the government remain unknown, but the case will certainly affect further actions in the area of communication with retirees.
