Tusk Won't Touch PPK Savings as Government Dismisses Rumours

Online rumours claimed that Donald Tusk’s government would block withdrawals from Employee Capital Plans (PPK). Government spokesman Adam Szłapka firmly denied this.

What exactly did the spokesman say?

Adam Szłapka wrote on the X platform that “reports about eliminating the option to withdraw funds from PPK are pure fake news. Nobody has such plans”. In this way, he responded to media suggestions that the Ministry of Finance wants to tighten the rules following record withdrawals by Poles.

Rozumiem, że niektórym wygodniej siać dezinformację niż przedstawiać fakty, ale bez przesady. Informacje o zlikwidowaniu możliwości wypłaty środków z PPK to czysty fake news. Nikt nie ma takich planów.

— Adam Szłapka (@adamSzlapka) July 25, 2025

Why did the topic emerge at all?

• Record withdrawals: only in Q1 2025, participants withdrew about PLN 600 million from PPK.
• Signalled reviews of the law: the finance ministry announced an analysis of the programme until 31 December 2026, which sparked speculation about “tightening” the rules.

PPK – a reminder of the key rules

Rule	What it means for the participant
Voluntariness	You can opt out or rejoin at any time.
Private ownership of funds	Money in your PPK account belongs only to you.
Free withdrawals	Before age 60 you can withdraw funds, although part of the state top-ups and returns then goes to ZUS (the Social Insurance Institution) and the tax authorities.
State incentives	Each new participant receives a PLN 250 welcome payment and a PLN 240 annual top-up if they meet the minimum contribution threshold (PLN 979.86 in 2025).

Does the government plan any changes?

The government is only considering cosmetic adjustments aimed at making the programme more attractive, including:

1. shortening the auto-enrolment period from 4 to 3 years,
2. extending auto-enrolment to people over 55.

Key point: none of these considerations concern limiting withdrawals.

Takeaways for PPK participants

• Withdrawals remain available – the government is not introducing any ban or limit.
• The programme may gain new incentives, but its voluntary nature and the right to withdraw funds are safe.
• If you are saving, the decision to stay in PPK or withdraw money still rests solely with you.

Echoes of the OFE pension fund controversy

It is worth recalling 2014, when Donald Tusk’s government reduced the bond portion of the Open Pension Funds (OFE) and transferred it to ZUS. The opposition then called the move “theft of savings”, although in practice the funds were credited to individual pension accounts in the first pillar and were not lost from the system. The decision was justified by the need to reduce public debt and by the currency risk linked to the bonds. This controversy still resurfaces in public debate as an example that, even with assurances about the “untouchability” of private savings, the state can change the rules of the game – which shows how strongly pension reforms stir emotions and why every new rumour, such as the alleged blocking of PPK withdrawals, gains instant attention.