ZUS may raise pensions after one form

18 September 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

Poland’s ZUS can recalculate an individual’s initial capital, possibly raising pensions for parents who cared for children before 1999.

Lead: Poland’s Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) can increase a pension after a single application if the agency missed childcare breaks in older records. The change affects the calculation of the initial capital for people who paused work to raise children before 1 January 1999.

Table of Contents

Why the initial capital matters now

ZUS uses the initial capital to value insurance periods from before the 1999 pension reform. A higher initial capital can raise the later pension base. This affects anyone whose career included documented breaks for childcare, unpaid leave, or parental leave before 1 January 1999.

How childcare periods are counted

The law treats childcare periods more favourably than many other non-contributory intervals. Since May 2015 ZUS counts those years at 1,3 proc. of the base per year. Older calculations applied 0,7 proc. for similar periods. The rules also allow up to 3 years per child for care of a child up to 4 years old. However the total recognised for childcare cannot exceed 6 years regardless of the number of children.

Who should check a decision

Two groups should examine their ZUS decision. First, people whose initial capital ZUS calculated long ago, especially before the May 2015 change. Second, those who only recently found documents proving work, earnings, or childcare breaks. New documents in the file can justify a recalculation.

What to do next

ZUS uses one form called EKP “Wniosek w sprawie kapitału początkowego”. You can ask to establish or re-establish the initial capital with that form. ZUS accepts the request at any time, even after a pension started. If ZUS increases the capital, it can recalculate the pension. The agency will pay the new amount from the month when you filed the request.

Note that not every parent will get a bump. If ZUS already had full documents and used the favourable method, submitting the form again will not create a new gain. Also, ZUS can sometimes recalculate favourably on its own when it finds missing records.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: If you lived or worked in Poland before 1999 and paused employment to raise a child, check your ZUS “decision on initial capital”. Look for documented parental leave, unpaid leave or other childcare breaks. Find old employment records, wage slips or employer certificates. If an employer no longer exists, records may reside with a legal successor or an archive. File the EKP form with ZUS if records are missing or old calculations used the less favourable 0,7 proc. rule.

Practical steps: retrieve your ZUS capital decision, compare listed non-contributory periods with your records, collect any missing paperwork, and submit the EKP. Use the official government portal or contact ZUS for guidance if you need help locating documents.

Source: Read original article

📚 Looking for more help settling in Poland? Browse our complete Expat Guides.