Speaker A
Here you can also see a scan of a ZUS decision from April 2026. A fairly recent case concerning a Ukrainian citizen who paid a total of 2,200 PLN in contributions in Poland. I don’t know if she worked for a month or two.
A Ukrainian woman paid 2,200 PLN to Polish ZUS but received 73,000 PLN backpay and a lifelong pension subsidy due to bilateral agreements.
Key Takeaways
- Bilateral agreements can significantly increase pension benefits beyond direct contributions.
- Polish social security subsidizes pensions to ensure minimum pension levels for foreign workers with combined seniority.
- Delayed pension decisions can result in substantial lump-sum back payments.
- The minimum pension in Poland is increasing, which will raise future subsidies.
- There is perceived disparity between pension benefits for foreign nationals and Polish contributors.
What the video covers
- A Ukrainian citizen paid 2,200 PLN in contributions to the Polish social security system (ZUS) over a few months.
- Her direct Polish pension from these contributions amounts to about 9-13 PLN per month.
- Due to a bilateral agreement, her Ukrainian work period is added to her pension seniority in Poland.
- This results in Poland subsidizing her pension to nearly 1,600 PLN monthly to meet the minimum pension level.
- She receives an additional 370 PLN monthly from Ukraine based on her work history there.
- A delayed pension decision led to a back payment of 73,000 PLN from ZUS covering 2021-2026.
- The minimum pension in Poland is rising, so her subsidy will likely increase to 2,000-2,500 PLN in the future.
- The video contrasts her pension benefits with those of Polish citizens who contribute similarly but do not receive such subsidies.
- The case highlights the financial impact of international agreements on pension systems and social security.
- The presenter questions the fairness of the system given the large payout relative to contributions.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and case overview
- 00:20Contribution amount and direct pension calculation
- 00:36Comparison with Polish contributors
- 00:50Impact of bilateral agreement with Ukraine
- 01:05Monthly pension breakdown and subsidy
- 01:23Back payment from delayed pension decision
- 02:02Long-term pension subsidy and future outlook
- 02:26Summary and presenter’s commentary
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Months, at most maybe three months. She didn't work much. She paid 2,200 PLN into the Polish ZUS. And the pension from that 2,200 PLN came out to 9 PLN and 6 grosze. And that is very good. If a Pole worked in Poland for two months,
Speaker A
and contributed 2,200 PLN to ZUS, they would also get a 9 PLN pension. That is good, honest, and fair. You don't contribute to the system, you don't get money. You contribute 2,000 PLN to the system, you get 9 PLN a month in
Speaker A
pension. That’s how it works for a Pole in Poland. But this lady is not Polish, though she is in Poland, she is Ukrainian. Therefore, based on the agreement with Ukraine, her work period in Ukraine is added to her seniority.
Speaker A
As a result, the Polish state currently pays her nearly 1,600 PLN a month so she can reach the minimum pension level, which is 2,000 PLN. She worked in Ukraine, and for the year 2026, for example, she receives 370 PLN per month
Speaker A
from Ukraine. The Polish pension, after the latest indexation, is a grand total of 13 PLN per month. Consequently, there is a subsidy of 1,600 PLN per month—1,600 PLN for having paid a total of 2,200 PLN—plus, since the pension decision was delayed by several
Speaker A
years. The lady received a ZUS transfer of 73,000 PLN as back pay for her pension from 2021 to 2026, until the moment this decision was issued. So, this lady from Ukraine paid a total of 2,200 PLN in contributions in Poland.
Speaker A
We will be subsidizing her up to the minimum pension for the rest of her life. At the moment it is 1,600, but in some time it will probably be 2,000 or 2,500, because the minimum pension in Poland is rising. Plus, she received a
Speaker A
back payment of 73,000 PLN, a ZUS transfer of 73,000 PLN. I don’t know how many Poles are lucky enough to ever receive a transfer from ZUS for over 70,000 PLN. She received it; she put in 2,000, has already taken out almost
Speaker A
80,000, and will continue to take out 1,600 every month, and more in the coming years. Yeah.
Topics:Polish pension systemZUSUkrainian pensionsocial security contributionspension subsidybilateral pension agreementminimum pension Polandback payment pensioninternational pension rightsPoland Ukraine pension
