They are reclaiming what is theirs. Over PLN 3 billion for officers of the former system
There was supposed to be justice – at least this is it – but there is a knockout and billions of zlotys to be paid. De-Zubekization is costing Poles dearly.
There is no individual fault and there is no penalty in the form of lower retirement or disability benefits. Unfortunately, that’s how it works. Retired officers of a totalitarian state such as the Polish People’s Republic are winning cases in courts and getting back what was theirs.
Only by the end of August 2026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs paid nearly PLN 436 million in compensation for pensions and reduced pensions to former officers of the previous system on the basis of the so-called de-communization act. In total, over PLN 3 billion has already been allocated for this purpose.
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration restores high pensions. Through collective responsibility
The 2016 de-Uberkization Act reduced pensions and annuities for everyone who served in certain formations of the Polish People’s Republic, automatically equalizing benefits without examining whether a given officer had violated human rights or not. Under the regulations, pensions and annuities were reduced for approximately 39,000 people, lowering the conversion factor for years of service in the Polish People’s Republic from 2.6 percent. up to 0.0 percent and limiting the maximum benefit to only the average ZUS pension.
In the judges’ opinion, such provisions were of a retaliatory and repressive nature, and not of a purely pension nature, which conflicts with the constitutional principle of citizen’s trust in the state and acquired rights.
The resolution of the Supreme Court judges of September 2020 ordered the examination of the individual course of service, specific actions and tasks carried out after 1989 in each trial. Because the courts question the benefits reduced by the act, the state is forced to pay billions of zlotys in overdue compensation.
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration has already issued over 2.7 thousand decisions restoring high pensions and disability benefits without the need for long processes. Compensations for this in 2026 have already reached nearly PLN 436 million.
They had and still have high pensions and annuities. Today’s benefits are even higher
Officers of services such as the Security Service, the Citizens’ Militia and the military were not subject to the common ZUS system in the Polish People’s Republic – just like today. Their pensions were and still are calculated on the basis of the last, usually the highest, salary, and not the actual contributions saved.
Because the communist authorities devalued loyalty, militia officers, especially the Security Service (SB), earned much more than average citizens. They also received numerous financial allowances. And since their base salaries were high, the starting basis for calculating pensions automatically resulted in high amounts of pension benefits.
Estimates of the Ministry of Interior and Administration show that average payments for these people currently exceed PLN 4,000. PLN, but a few retained even higher benefits. For comparison, currently the average uniformed pension is approximately PLN 7,000. PLN gross.
Oppositionists on equal footing. ZUS benefit is tax-free
To save face, in August 2020, a law was passed granting compensatory benefits to former oppositionists as partial compensation for the harm suffered by the communist regime. This is the equivalent of the lowest pension – in 2026 it is PLN 1,978.49. They are received by people whose retirement or disability benefits are lower than PLN 2,400.
The compensation is exempt from personal income tax and is not included in your income when applying for social assistance.
To receive them monthly, you must have the official status of an anti-communist opposition activist or a person repressed for political reasons, which is issued by the Head of the Office for Veterans and Victims of Oppression at the request of the interested person.
The total cost was calculated at approximately PLN 62 million. About 12,700 people have the status of an oppositionist. people. It is estimated that approximately 9.5 thousand people were entitled to retirement benefits. of them, of which approximately 5.5 thousand people receive benefits of less than PLN 2,400.
