The government is planning an intervention towards this group of seniors. They receive lower pensions
The government managed to fix the problem of the so-called June pensions, meanwhile a solution is being prepared to help another group of seniors. It is estimated that approx. 150 thousand people today receive lower pensions than they are entitled to.
Recently, we informed about a positive solution to the problem of the so-called June pensions. As a result of the act adopted in 2025, at the beginning of this year the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) started calculating pensions granted or converted in June in the years 2009–2019. Calculations so far show that the recalculation works to the advantage of most seniors, who will receive higher benefits. By the end of March, ZUS will recalculate the pensions of approximately PLN 103,000. people.
Underestimated pensions PLN 150,000 people. The government is preparing a solution
Meanwhile, “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” draws attention to the problem that affects approximately 150,000 people. retirees who currently receive lower benefits for a completely different reason.
This is the situation of people who, before the change in law, decided to retire early and obtained the general pension after 2012. In their cases, ZUS used a mechanism of reducing the calculation basis by previously paid benefits. In practice, this mainly concerns women born in 1949-1959, as well as men born in 1949-1952 and 1954.
As the daily reminds, in 2024 the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the application of Art. 25 section 1b of the Pension Act towards this group violates the principle of citizen’s trust in the state and the protection of acquired rights. Seniors made decisions in a different legal situation and could not predict the consequences. Calculations presented in court cases show that the pension calculated without deductions would be higher on average by approximately PLN 1.2 thousand. PLN per month, and the potential compensation would reach approx. PLN 64,000. PLN per person.
ZUS – despite the Constitutional Tribunal’s judgment – is not eager to recalculate pensions, pointing to the lack of publication of the judgment in the Journal of Laws. The newspaper points out that common courts are increasingly ruling directly on the basis of the constitution, granting seniors both higher benefits and compensation for several years back. However, the legal path remains long and demanding.
The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has prepared a draft bill that is intended to “unlock” the problem. For now, the project is being assessed, but it is already clear that the effect will be weaker than if the project were won in court. The project abolishes the deduction of previously received benefits, but at the same time does not allow the addition of capital indexation and contributions for the period of receiving early retirement – until retirement age. In practice, this means a lower increase than would result from the full “unwinding” of the mechanism questioned by the Constitutional Tribunal.
The act gives ZUS up to 6 months to issue a decision on conversions made ex officio. This means that even if the new regulations enter into force on June 1, 2026, some seniors will see the decisions only at the end of the year.
