Poland debates income threshold for widow's pension
Poland's social insurance institution ZUS says around 1.1 million people have received at least one widow's pension payment since the program began, while economists are calling for an income criterion to curb its rising costs.
What is the widow's pension
Poland has for several years operated the so-called "renta wdowia" — a benefit allowing widows and widowers who have reached retirement age to combine two social payments. Recipients can choose to receive 100% of their own pension plus 15% of the survivor's (family) pension, or the reverse — 100% of the survivor's pension plus 15% of their own. Only those who were married to their spouse at the time of death qualify, and the right to the survivor's pension must not have arisen earlier than five years before reaching retirement age. Remarrying cancels the right to the benefit.
ZUS: 1.1 million recipients
According to ZUS, as reported in August 2026, around 1.1 million people have received at least one widow's pension payment since the program launched, and their monthly income has risen on average by about 380 zlotys thanks to the benefit.
Economists call for spending limits
A report titled "Budget S.O.S. — How to Fix Public Finances in 3 Years," prepared by the FOR foundation and the WEI institute in early 2026, criticizes Poland's social spending, including the widow's pension. According to the report's authors, in 2025 Poland became the biggest spender in Central and Eastern Europe, with expenditure exceeding 50% of GDP — more than 4 percentage points above the regional average. The authors warn that without reforms, the deficit and public debt could reach nearly 76% of GDP by 2030. Among their recommendations: suspending the "Active Parent" program and revising the widow's pension rules by introducing an income criterion, so that support reaches poorer widows and widowers rather than accumulating among wealthier ones. However, this is only an expert recommendation, not a government plan.
Government plans to increase, not cut, the benefit
Contrary to the economists' recommendation, from January 1, 2027, the benefit will actually grow — widows and widowers will be able to receive 25% (up from 15%) of their second chosen benefit. Family, Labor and Social Policy Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk says the increase will raise seniors' income by 500–600 zlotys per month. The benefit currently cannot exceed three times the minimum pension, or about 5,900 zlotys. After the increase, the program's annual cost could rise to 12–16 billion zlotys, compared with about 7 billion currently. If an income threshold were introduced, the wealthiest pensioners would lose the right to support, but since no specific threshold has yet been set, it remains unclear how many people would be affected.
