I would like to stress that the changes do not apply to the conditions for the right of Polish families to the benefit. The essence of the “Family 500+” programme remains the same. It is still common, and all children, regardless of family income, may use the support – said the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg.

Cases concerning the right to receive the child-raising benefit for periods before 1 January 2022 are still being handled by the existing authorities. Local governments continue to pay child-raising benefits granted from applications submitted before 1 January 2022 until the end of the period for which they were granted, i.e. until the end of May 2022.

From 1 February 2022, the call for applications for the new benefit period, which will apply from 1 June 2022, will be launched – via the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE), electronic banking and the Emp@tia portal.

We adapt the “Family 500+” programme to the expectations and needs of parents. Our experience shows that the vast majority of applications are submitted online this way or that – pointed out the Minister of Family and Social Policy, Marlena Maląg. “Naturally, parents who need help in submitting an application electronically may count on support – she added.

In each ZUS establishment, interested clients will be able to make use of computers, on which it will be possible to complete the application, also with the assistance of an employee of the Social Insurance Institution. In addition, from February, i.e. from the date of commencement of accepting applications for the new benefit period, ZUS is planning to create additional, mobile application points in other establishments/offices (e.g. Post Office, KRUS) so as to reach local communities, thus helping families both in setting up a profile on PUE ZUS and in completing and sending the application via the Internet.

Thus, during the period of submitting applications for the new benefit period, across the country there will be a very extensive network of points where every family will be able to use the assistance in submitting the application. It should be noted that the points where it will potentially be possible to obtain assistance in submitting applications will operate in more than 8 thousand places (about 7.5 thousand points – Post Office, about 260 – KRUS, about 320 – ZUS), i.e. in the much larger number than the number of communes in Poland.

ZUS provides assistance with regard to the child-raising benefit in the following ways:

• special hotline 22 290 55 00 (Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 15.00)
• ZUS Telephone Service Centre (on working days (Mon-Fri) from 7.00 to 18.00 at the phone number 22 560 16 00 or via e-mail to the following address: cot@zus.pl)
• all ZUS establishments.