More and more seniors are taking advantage of this benefit. There is a key condition

The Act on Honorary Benefits has been in force in Poland since the beginning of 2025. It replaced the non-statutory mechanism for granting this allowance that had been operating for over 50 years.

The Act assumes that an honorary benefit is due to a person who:

• turned 100 years old,

• has Polish citizenship,

• is entitled to benefits listed in the Act on Honorary Benefits, e.g. retirement or pension.

Honorary service in Poland. The number of eligible people is increasing

It is worth emphasizing that the honorary benefit is granted ex officio, which means that you do not need to submit any applications. Only people who are not entitled to a pension or pension should submit the documents. To receive the benefit they must:

• turn 100 years old

• have Polish citizenship,

• have a center of personal or business interests in Poland for at least 10 years after turning 16.

In such a situation, ZUS will grant an honorary benefit from the month in which the person submitted the application, but not earlier than from the month in which he or she turned 100 years old.

The current amount of the honorary benefit is PLN 6,938.92 gross. Thanks to the above-mentioned act, all entitled persons receive an allowance in the same amount. Previously, the amount was determined by the moment of reaching the required age. The new regulations also guarantee annual indexation of benefits on similar principles as pensions.

The latest data from ZUS show that the number of people entitled to an honorary benefit has recently increased significantly. At the end of 2025, they were paid to 4,057 people, while in the middle of this year there were already 4,262 of them, which means that within half a year there were more than 200 100-year-olds.

In 2018, less than 2,000 seniors were entitled to the honorary benefit.

ZUS reports that most 100-year-olds receiving benefits live in Mazovia. In June this year ZUS paid 736 such benefits there. In second place was the Silesian Voivodeship with 436 benefits, and in third place was the Lower Silesian Voivodeship – 412. The fewest benefits were paid in the Opole Voivodeship – 75 and Lubuskie Voivodeship – 85.

A hundredth birthday is a special moment. It is also the right to additional financial support. Currently, ZUS pays an honorary benefit to 4,262 people who are over 100 years old. Each eligible centenarian receives PLN 6,938.92 gross every month. The benefit is payable regardless of the retirement or disability pension and increases every year with the March indexation.