At present, the monthly honorary benefit for centenarians is granted by the President of the Social Insurance Institution pursuant to a decision taken by the Prime Minister in 1972 and it is treated as an “exceptional benefit”.

The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy has prepared a new regulation which, once it has passed through the entire legislative path – already as the Act – will enter into force on 1 January 2025. President Andrzej Duda has just signed the Act on Honorary Benefit for Centenarians.

Why is this so important?

The Act will replace the current non-statutory and provisional mechanism for granting the benefit, which has been in place for more than 50 years. The new legislation not only regulates the mechanism itself, but also allows the benefit to be valorised.

This is important because demographic changes mean that the number of centenarians will increase. This Act is a guarantee that this growing group will receive the benefit.

For whom is this honourable benefit?

The Act provides that the benefit will be paid ex officio to any person entitled to a pension or an annuity who has reached the age of 100. Today, there are more than 6,000 people aged 100 or over in Poland.

Importantly, persons with Polish citizenship will be entitled to this benefit.

Persons who are not entitled to a pension or the annuity paid by the pension authorities will be granted the right to an honorary benefit on application.

How much will the honorarium benefit amount to?

The honorary benefit will amount to PLN 6246.13 gross per month and will be valorised annually, for the first time on 1 March 2025. The valorisation shall take place in March on the same basis as the valorisation of pensions and the annuities.