The postman won’t come with his pension anymore? ZUS is pushing for revolutionary changes
ZUS wants pensions to go only to bank accounts, which it explains as savings. The government is skeptical about the idea.
The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) wants benefits to be paid only in non-cash form. This concerns pensions and annuities currently provided by postmen.
Pension only on account?
As “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” writes, the idea appeared as part of the deregulation package regarding simplifications for seniors. ZUS argues that the cash system is expensive and less and less used. Institutional estimates show that currently just over 80 percent benefits go directly to your account. Talking about costs, the Department indicates that one postal order costs less than PLN 20, while a bank transfer costs only PLN 0.09.
ZUS argues that the savings could be spent on the development of IT systems and servicing beneficiaries.
How does the government approach ZUS’s proposal? The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy is skeptical for now. As the newspaper writes, the ministry decided that such a change goes beyond the scope of the draft bill being prepared. There are also concerns that mandatory bank accounts could cause strong opposition from some seniors. For many people – especially in smaller towns – a cash transfer can be more convenient than using electronic banking.
ZUS wanted to introduce changes already in 2027, but for now they seem unlikely. For now, there is no ready draft law, no timetable for implementing the changes, and, above all, no acceptance from the government.
Previous announcements show that any changes would be introduced gradually and would cover new beneficiaries. People who already receive their pension in cash would most likely keep the current rules. In practice, this means that seniors who are cautious about technical innovations will not have to quickly set up an account.
