From 1 January 2027, the share of the second benefit in the so-called survivor’s pension (renta wdowia) will rise from 15% to 25%, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) confirms in its announcement. The increase will be applied automatically, but people whose payments are close to the statutory limit may gain less or nothing.
The survivor’s pension is the popular name for the so-called benefit combination: a widow or widower receives in full one benefit (their own retirement pension or a family pension after a deceased spouse) and part of a second one. As ZUS recalls in its announcement, the arrangement has been in effect since 1 July 2025. Until the end of 2026, the supplement equals 15% of the second benefit, and from January 2027 it will be 25% (overview of the announcement on Infor.pl).
No application needed, applied automatically
According to ZUS, the increase will be applied automatically: people who already receive the survivor’s pension, or will receive it by the end of the year, do not have to submit a new application. The change results from the act of 26 July 2024, which is already in force, so no new regulations are required.
The choice of option remains with the entitled person: either 100% of their own pension or benefit plus part of the family pension, or 100% of the family pension plus part of their own benefit.
How much can be gained
Changing the share from 15% to 25% means an additional 10% of the value of the partially paid benefit. Example: with a higher benefit of PLN 3,000 and a lower one of PLN 2,000, the supplement rises from PLN 300 to PLN 500, so the payment goes from PLN 3,300 to PLN 3,500 gross (own calculation, before the limit).
ZUS reports that the average survivor’s pension payment in June was PLN 3,949.43, and the average amount of the 15% supplement for the second benefit was PLN 379.10. In the first half of the year, total survivor’s pension payments exceeded PLN 22.8 billion, of which PLN 1.93 billion were the additional amounts from the 15% supplement (quotes from the announcement: Wprost). More than one million people already have the right to the combined benefit.
The cap that limits the increase
The total of the benefits cannot exceed three times the lowest pension. Currently this is PLN 5,935.47 gross per month. If the combined amount would be higher, ZUS reduces the payment by the excess. Benefits from other institutions, including KRUS and foreign ones, also count toward the limit, as Interia reports.
People who already receive the survivor’s pension at the maximum amount will not see a higher transfer from January. Others will gain only as much as fits under the limit. According to Infor, the limit at this level applies until 28 February 2027; from March, the amount of the lowest pension changes after indexation. The draft budget assumes indexation of about 3.96% – we wrote about this in the context of the 2027 pension indexation.
What it means for readers
- People already receiving the survivor’s pension: nothing needs to be done; the higher amount should appear in the January payment.
- People who have not yet applied: ZUS indicates that the increase also covers benefits granted by the end of 2026; an application for establishing the combination is submitted at a ZUS office or via PUE/eZUS.
- Conditions for entitlement include, among others, reaching retirement age (60 for women, 65 for men), marriage until the death of the spouse, and not entering a new marriage.
- People with high benefits: it is worth checking in the survivor’s pension calculator on the ZUS website whether the total does not exceed the limit.
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