Starting March 1, 2026, millions of Polish seniors will receive higher pension and disability benefits. The annual indexation covers not only basic pensions from ZUS and KRUS but also a range of allowances, including care and housing supplements. Income thresholds for benefit eligibility are also changing. Simultaneously, changes regarding public holidays and minimum wages for selected professional groups are being processed.
Start of benefit indexation
From March 1, 2026, all pensions and disability benefits increase, along with key allowances paid by ZUS and KRUS.
New income thresholds
Income limits for housing allowances (3,561 PLN and 2,671 PLN) and thresholds for benefit suspension have been changed.
Debate on public holidays
The government is analyzing petitions for additional days off for holidays falling on Sundays and the status of Good Friday in 2026.
The annual indexation of pension and disability benefits, effective from March 1, 2026, is a key element of the state's social policy. This process aims to adjust payment amounts to current inflation and wage growth in the economy. This year, seniors can expect a real increase in their finances, covering both universal pensions and benefits for farmers paid by KRUS. ZUS has also updated the amounts of allowances, such as the care allowance and special benefits for centenarians, which are reaching record levels. The pension indexation mechanism in Poland was introduced in its current form in the 1990s to protect the real value of benefits from the effects of inflation, which was particularly severe during the political transformation period. An important aspect of this year's changes is the update of income thresholds. For the housing allowance, the newly established limits are 3,561 PLN and 2,671 PLN, respectively, which will directly affect the number of people eligible for this form of support. Individuals with the lowest incomes will also benefit from an increased minimum pension amount. At the same time, the media are reminding about the upcoming 13th pension, whose payment schedule is closely linked to the March indexation, providing an additional cash injection ahead of the upcoming Easter holidays. Alongside financial matters, public attention is focused on the organization of leisure time. Petitions regarding granting days off in exchange for holidays falling on Sundays are being analyzed in the Sejm and the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, which concerns 2026, when several celebrations coincide with days off. Furthermore, debates are ongoing about establishing Good Friday as a non-working day, similar to regulations concerning Christmas Eve. For healthcare sector workers, key information remains the announcements of raising the minimum wage to 9,000 PLN gross, which is set to take effect in the middle of the year. „Waloryzacja jest narzędziem sprawiedliwości społecznej, chroniącym tych, którzy przez lata budowali polską gospodarkę.” (Indexation is a tool of social justice, protecting those who built the Polish economy over the years.) — Government representative In practical terms, March 1, 2026 falls on a Sunday, which is not a trading Sunday, meaning retail sales restrictions remain in place. Seniors should also pay attention to transfer dates. Because the first day of March falls on a non-working day, some payments were ordered by ZUS in advance at the end of February. Simultaneously, reminders about the upcoming switch to daylight saving time are appearing, although the adjustment of dates in the 2026 calendar is causing controversy.