Thousands of pensioners under pressure. The deadline for submitting the key message is 31 May

dailyblitz.de 2 months ago

Pensioners who make extra money must make appropriate statements to ZUS by 31 May 2025. deficiency of consequence may consequence in suspension of payments and the request to refund unduly collected money.

You're moonlighting? Remember the work to ZUS

The Social Insurance Institution recalls that until 31 May 2025 the date of submission statements of expected coming by pensioners who proceed to work. This work applies peculiarly to those who have not yet reached the general retirement age – 60 years for women and 65 years for men.

Poland applies Subsidiary limits for earlier pensioners, updated quarterly. Overshoot of thresholds:

70% of average wage – results reduction benefits,
130% of average salary – causes total suspension pensions.

The message of expected gross allows ZUS to adjust the amount of payments accordingly. Failure to submit a paper may consequence in suspension of the benefit and recovery of overpaid amounts and interest.

System problem: Penny pensions force to work

The data presented by ZUS at the session of the elder policy committee show an alarming scale of the phenomenon:

In 2011, pensions (below the statutory minimum) 23,9 000 people,
In 2024 this figure increased to 433.1 thousand..

The average amount of these benefits is about PLN 1200and in utmost cases, even less than PLN 10 per month. This is simply a situation that does not let for self-maintenance, which forces seniors to monetize, frequently with vulnerability to exceeding the permitted limits.

From March 1, 2025 minimum pension in Poland PLN 1878.91 gross. However, after deduction of premiums and taxes, the amount remains importantly lower, which is not adequate for many people to cover basic needs.

Women peculiarly susceptible to low benefits

According to ZUS data, 77% of those who receive a penny pension are women. respective factors affect this imbalance:

shorter work placement due to childcare,
lower average earnings during professional activity,
early retirement.

The consequence is lower raised pension capitaland consequently lower benefits.

Making statements: Where and how?

To avoid problems, pensioners can make a message to the Social safety Office in respective ways:

personally – in any ZUS facility,
Post – sending a completed form,
Electronic – via Electronic Services Platforms (PUE) ZUS.

ZUS besides leads Information campaign and makes available pension adviserswho aid fill in the papers and explain the consequences of the limits of extra extras.

Whom does it not concern?

Not all pensioner has to make these statements. According to the regulations:

persons who scope universal retirement age, they may do so without limitation – their benefits shall not be reduced or suspended,
Pensions for accidents at work or occupational diseases – are not covered by income limits.

This means that the work concerns mainly early retirementand, in their case, failure to submit a paper on time may have severe financial consequences.

Systemic causes and possible solutions

According to social policy experts, the current situation is simply a consequence of respective factors:

the 1999 reforms, which linked the amount of the pension to the capital raised at work,
increasing the popularity of flexible forms of employment, where contributions to the Social safety Office are importantly lower,
demographic change – the population is ageing and the number of people of working age is decreasing.

Some elder organisations propose an introduction pension – benefits guaranteed to everyone after reaching retirement age, regardless of the past of contributions. Until now, however, no binding decisions have been taken.

The consequences of omission may be serious

In practice, this means that thousands of pensioners moonlighting the benefits have the last days to complete the obligation. The absence of a message by the end of May may consequence in: