On Tuesday, 23 July this year, the Council of Ministers adopted a position paper concerning the citizens' bill on widows' pensions. It reads:

The Council of Ministers, along with the coalition groupings that comprise it, recognises this issue. Therefore, in point 20 of the coalition agreement signed on 10 November last year by the leaders of the Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, the PSL, and the New Left, they pledged to ensure decent living conditions for pensioners. This includes introducing measures to guarantee that seniors have adequate support following the death of a spouse.

The citizens' bill introducing a widow's pension fits in with the objectives enshrined in the coalition agreement.

The drafters accurately identify the socio-economic problem faced by many pensioners after the death of their spouse, and the direction outlined in the draft for solving this problem, although requiring detailed analyses and adjustments, should be assessed as desirable – reads the position of the Council of Ministers.

In the government's view, the bill should undergo further processing and be completed in Parliament – in accordance with the comments made by the Council of Ministers. The government pledges its full cooperation in finalising the bill and working out its ultimate form.

Caring for the elderly is a responsible policy

Responsible social policy is about caring for the elderly when they are in a difficult life and economic situation. Such a moment is the loss of a spouse. When a loved one dies, it is a profound personal tragedy, as well as an economic threat and a degradation of living standards. "Because when a second person disappears, half of the cost of housing does not disappear," said Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

As the Head of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy pointed out, she is extremely pleased that "as a result of effective coalition cooperation, the government is aligning with the more than 200,000 citizens who signed the citizens' project."

We care for the most vulnerable and deliver on our promises – emphasised Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk.

Key notes

The drafted solution allows for the collection of a survivor's pension alongside another pension benefit (e.g. old-age pension, incapacity benefit). The primary aim of this new legislation is to safeguard against the deterioration of the financial situation of the elderly following the death of a spouse.

The Council of Ministers believes that full and effective implementation of this objective requires clarification of the eligibility criteria for the survivor's pension and the application of the concurrence rule specified in the bill. This includes consideration of the final shape of the limit on the benefits payable in a concurrence. Hence the proposed cap on concurrent benefits so that the so-called widow's pension can be paid without the consequence of reducing the sum of concurrent benefits to a limit of three times the lowest pension.

According to the government, the solutions should come into effect on 1 January 2025, while the entitlement and payment of benefits under the concurrence rule would follow from 1 July 2025. This solution is necessary in order for the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and other pension authorities to be adequately prepared to perform this task.

Important dates

According to the government's position, it is also necessary to update the so-called rolling model for arriving at the final, target amount of the second concurrent benefit payable. This model must take into account, on the one hand, the need to achieve the objectives of the bill and, on the other hand, the financial capacity of the state budget, the Social Insurance Fund and the Pension Fund of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund.

The deadlines proposed by the Council of Ministers stipulate the following rates for the payment of the benefit:

• From 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2026, at a rate of 15 per cent.
• From 1 January 2027, at a rate of 25 per cent.

The financial impact of implementing these solutions would be:

• In 2025: between PLN 3.2 billion and PLN 4.2 billion.
• In 2026: between PLN 6.7 billion and PLN 9 billion.
• In 2027: between PLN 11.9 billion and PLN 15.8 billion.

– depending on whether 75 per cent or 100 per cent of its potential beneficiaries would use the allowance.

The estimated number of beneficiaries of the bill is approximately 2 million people.

Verification of the functioning of the solutions in 2028

The determination of the amount for the second concurrent benefit must be viewed as a social policy tool to mitigate the impoverishment of pensioners' households following the death of a spouse and should be considered within the broader context of the socio-economic situation of the elderly.

Therefore, in 2028, the Council of Ministers will review the ratio of concurrent benefits to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of increasing it to a maximum of 50 per cent. This review will consider the socio-economic conditions of the country and the income situation of the groups entitled to benefits under this Act.

The bill has already received a favourable opinion from the parliamentary Commission for Social and Family Policy. The second reading of the draft is scheduled for Thursday, 25 July.