On 1 March this year there will be a record valorisation of pensions, with an index of 114.8% and a guarantee that pensions will increase by at least PLN 250. The minimum pension will be PLN 1588.44. “By the end of this year, a pensioner will earn clear around PLN 2,300 more”, said Marlena Maląg, Minister of Family and Social Policy, during a joint conference attended by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Minister of Education and Science Marzena Machałek.
A summary of the government’s programme of support for senior citizens was made at the Senior Plus House in Gryfów Śląski. Government representatives informed that this year, the 13th and 14th pensions will once again be paid and will also be valorised.
“In the implementation of our policy, credibility is key. Senior citizen policy in 2015 was very poor, the lowest net pension was PLN 760. We have been increasing it. There has never been such an increase in pensions in the history of the Third Polish Republic”, Prime Minister Morawiecki stressed.
The head of government recalled that the retirement age has been lowered in Poland since 2017: 60 for women and 65 for men. “We have fulfilled the promise we made to the voters. We have responded to the expectations of Polish society, as many as 84% of Poles supported the return to the previous retirement age”, said the Prime Minister.
Pensioners will receive higher benefits as early as 1 March. The minimum benefits will be higher by PLN 250 gross (PLN 227.50 net). This means an increase of 18.7 % in minimum benefits compared to last year. High valorisation is a safety cushion for seniors”, said the Minister of Family and Social Policy.
Minister Maląg added that for the 13th and 14th pensions and the valorisation, amounting to 114.8 % this year, the government will allocate PLN 70 billion from the state budget. In 2015, the total cost of support was only PLN 3.6 billion. Now it is twenty times more. This is accompanied by tax changes such as PIT-0 for seniors and an increased tax-free amount.
Adrian Andrzejewski