ZUS โฃOrdered to Pay Back Pensioners Thousandsโฃ in Retroactive Benefits
Warsaw, Poland – Polish pensioners are winning court battles forcing the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) to issue critically important retroactive payments and increased monthly benefits, potentiallyโข impacting tens of thousands of retirees. Recent rulings haveโ mandated ZUS to provide lump-sum equalizations exceeding โคPLN 29,000 and monthly pension increases of over PLN โ2,000.
These victories stem from disputes over unfavorable โpension โขconversions offered by ZUS toโฃ those opting for early retirement.While legallyโ entitled to a โpension, some retirees were presented with calculations deemed unfair, prompting legal challenges. The rulingsโ underscore aโค growing โขtrend of โpensioners successfully contesting ZUS decisions in court, and signal a potential wave โof further claims.
A woman recently received a โขPLN 11,751.40 equalization paymentโ after a court ordered ZUS to increase her monthly benefit by PLN 988.20. Similarly, a teacher retiring in 1957 saw his monthly pension rise by PLN 2097.54 in September, accompanied by a PLN 29,642.66 leveling payment.โค Both pensioners are now seeking further compensation from the state, requesting PLN 50,000 and PLN 60,000 respectively.
Lawyer Wojciech Haลderkaโฃ alleges ZUS employs delaying tactics, such as requesting judgment interpretations andโค enforcement suspensions, though these โฃefforts were recently โคdismissed byโ the โฃCourt of Appeal in Bialystok. With noโฃ legislative solution in sight, pensioners โare largely left to pursue their claims โthrough the โฃcourts.
The situation is further elaborateโค by a November 15, 2023, Constitutionalโค Tribunal ruling deeming the calculation of “June pensions” – benefits granted โbetween 2009 and 2019 – unconstitutional due toโฃ violations of the principle of equality before the law. While ZUS โplans toโ resume โขvalorization ofโข these pensions in January 2026, it will not โขbe retroactive, prompting many seniorsโ to prepare forโค renewed legal action.