Poland - Accidents at work and occupational disease
In this section, we describe the benefits to which you are entitled if you have had an accident at work or have an occupational disease which has made it impossible for you to earn a living.
The benefits described are:
- Employment injury pension or occupational disease pension (renta z tytułu wypadku przy pracy lub choroby zawodowej)
- One-off payment (jednorazowe odszkodowanie)
Under what circumstances am I entitled to benefits?
An accident at work is deemed to be a sudden event caused by an external factor, leading to injury or death, and which took place in connection to work.
An occupational disease is an illness featured in the list of occupational diseases if it was caused by elements in the workplace which were detrimental to health or by the action of performing work.
Benefits are paid from compulsory work accident insurance, which covers the majority of workers. This insurance cannot be obtained on a voluntary basis.
What conditions need to be met?
The benefits for work incapacity are granted to an insured person who has become unable to work due to an accident at work or occupational disease.
The benefit is granted irrespective of the length of the accident insurance period and the date on which work incapacity occurred.
A one-off payment is paid to an insured person who, due to an accident at work or an occupational disease, has suffered permanent or long term health damage.
Compensation is also paid to family members of the insured person who has died due to an accident at work or occupational disease.
In addition to the benefits for accidents at work or occupational diseases mentioned above, the following are also available:
- sickness allowance (zasiłek chorobowy) paid the first 182 days;
- rehabilitation benefit (świadczenie rehabilitacyjne);
- compensation allowance (zasiłek wyrównawczy).
Training pensions (renta szkoleniowa) for people who cannot carry out their current work because of an accident, but who will be able to work in a different occupation after retraining.
A survivor's pension (renta rodzinna) is paid out to family members of a deceased insured person or of a person covered by a disability pension who is entitled to the pension paid out for an accident at work or occupational disease.
A supplement to a survivor's pension is payable to an orphan (dodatek do renty rodzinnej dla sieroty zupełnej).
Medical care supplement (dodatek pielęgnacyjny)
Coverage of the costs related to dental treatment, preventive vaccinations and orthopaedic supplies (within the scope stipulated by law).
What am I entitled to and how do I apply?
Pension for work incapacity related to an accident at work or occupational disease.
Minimum benefit amounts are as follows: Figures from 1 March 2022:
|
Employment injury pension or occupational disease pension and survivor's pension |
Minimum PLN 1,606.13 per month |
|
pension for partial work incapacity due to an accident at work or occupational disease |
Minimum PLN 1,204.60 per month |
Lump-sum work-injury and occupational disease compensation.
From 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, lump-sum total of work-injury and one-off payment:
|
PLN 1,133 |
for every percentage point of permanent or long-lasting health damage; |
|
PLN 1,133 |
for every percentage point of permanent or long-lasting health damage, if due to a worsening state of health, the damage to health increases by at least 10 per cent; |
|
PLN 19,819 |
for a person with full work incapacity who is unable to live independently and also due to the worsening state of health of the person on a pension; |
|
PLN 101,926 |
if a spouse or child of the deceased insured party or beneficiary of a pension is eligible for lump-sum compensation; |
|
PLN 50,963 |
if a family member of the deceased insured person or pensioner other than a spouse or child is eligible for lump-sum compensation; |
|
PLN 101,926 |
if both the spouse and one or more children of the insured deceased party or policy holder are eligible for lump-sum compensation and an additional PLN 19,819 due to an increase in compensation for each child present; |
|
PLN 101,926 |
if two or more children of the insured deceased party or policy holder are eligible for lump-sum compensation and an additional PLN 19,819 due to an increase in compensation for a second child and each following child; |
|
PLN 19,819 |
if, apart from the spouse or children, other family members of the insured deceased party or policy holder are also entitled to lump-sum compensation; each of them is entitled to the following amount, irrespective of compensation granted to the spouse or children; |
|
PLN 50,963 |
if only family members other than the spouse or children of the insured deceased party or policy holder are eligible for lump-sum compensation, and an additional PLN 19,819 due to increase in compensation for the second person and every following eligible person. |
To claim an incapacity for work pension and lump-sum compensation, an application must be made to the Social Insurance Institute (ZUS).
Documents to be completed
- Pension for incapacity to work caused by an accident at work or occupational disease: basic details on the ZUS website
- Lump-sum compensation: basic details on the ZUS website
Know your rights
The links below set out your rights; they are not European Commission sites and do not reflect its opinions:
- Principles for calculating the disability pension amount
- Amount for lump-sum work-injury and occupational disease compensation
- Who qualifies for work-injury and occupational disease insurance?
European Commission websites and publications:
Who do I contact?
Ministry of Family and Social Policy - Department of Social Insurance
ul. Nowogrodzka 1/3/5
00-513 Warsaw
Tel.: +48 538117390
Email: info@mrips.gov.pl
Internet: www.gov.pl/rodzina
Social Insurance Institute (ZUS) - Headquarters
ul. Szamocka 3, 5
01-748 Warsaw
Internet: www.zus.pl
ZUS call centre
Consultation hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on working days. An automatic information system is available 24/7.
number intended for connections with mobile telephones and fixed and foreign lines: +48 225601600
Skype: zus_centrum_obslugi_tel
Email address for general enquiries: cot@zus.pl
Search engine of ZUS offices by place name or municipality and postcode