New retirement age for women and men? A surprising proposition is on the table

FOR and WEI experts propose carrying out a pension reform in the coming years, assuming an increase and equalization of the retirement age for women and men. The reform would bring savings of up to PLN 50 billion.

At the beginning of this year, the Forum for Civic Development (FOR) and the Warsaw Enterprise Institute (WEI) published the “Budget SOS” report. The authors of the publication emphasize that its aim is to develop cross-party recommendations aimed at stabilizing the situation of public finances.

Will there be an increase in the retirement age?

Our recommendations include: limitation of 800 plus, abolition of the 13th and 14th pension, but also a return to the pension reform assuming an increase and at the same time equalization of the retirement age for women and men to the age of 67 (the reform was carried out in 2012 by the previous cabinet of Donald Tusk).

– In the current conditions, we see no way to maintain a low and unequal retirement age – emphasizes FOR analyst Mateusz Michnik, quoted by Bankier.pl. – It harms both men who have to work longer and women who receive lower pensions due to the lower retirement age – he adds.

FOR’s calculations show that standardizing the retirement age would bring approximately PLN 50 billion in savings and would be a key element in the stabilization of public finances.

Let us remind you that since 2017 (after the Law and Justice government withdrew the reform of the previous government), the retirement age in Poland has been 60 (women) and 65 (men).

According to the authors of the report, the pension reform should be carried out in 2028-2029. However, everything indicates that there will be no such changes, regardless of the results of next year’s parliamentary elections. PiS is an opponent of increasing the retirement age, and representatives of the Civic Coalition publicly admitted that the reform from years ago was a mistake that contributed to the group’s decline in popularity and, consequently, its loss of power.

A SW Research survey for “Wprost” shows that nearly 47 percent Poles are in favor of equalizing the retirement age for women and men. Slightly less, 42.5 percent. opposes such a solution. Every tenth survey participant has no opinion on this matter.

Frequently asked questions about retirement age?

What is the current retirement age in Poland?

The retirement age for women is 60 years and for men 65 years.

When did a higher retirement age apply in Poland?

In 2012, Donald Tusk’s government introduced a pension reform that assumed a gradual extension and equalization of the retirement age for women and men until the age of 67.