February is a crucial month for seniors who must settle their additional income by February 28th. Starting in March, new, higher earnings limits for benefits come into effect. Exceeding the threshold of PLN 6,438.50 gross will result in reduced payments, while earnings above PLN 11,957.10 gross will lead to the suspension of the pension or disability benefit for individuals below the retirement age.
Critical Deadline: February 28
The final date for submitting information about last year's income to ZUS by working pensioners and disability benefit recipients.
New Limit: PLN 6,438.50
Exceeding this gross amount starting March 1 will result in a reduction of the early retirement or disability pension payment.
Suspension of Benefits
Monthly earnings above PLN 11,957.10 gross mean the complete suspension of ZUS payments.
Indexation from March
Automatic increase of all pension and disability benefits by the indexation rate.
The end of February is a time for crucial settlements with the ZUS for Polish seniors. Individuals receiving early retirement or disability pensions are required to submit a certificate of income earned in the previous year by February 28th. Failure to meet this formal requirement may result in the need to repay overpaid funds or the suspension of current payments. This obligation does not apply to seniors who have already reached the standard retirement age (60 for women and 65 for men), as they can earn additional income without limits. The system of income limits for pensioners was introduced to limit the insurance fund's expenditures in situations where a benefit recipient has an alternative, high source of income before reaching full eligibility for unconditional benefit receipt. Starting March 1, 2026, the monetary thresholds, the exceeding of which affects the benefit amount, change significantly. The new limits result from the average salary for the fourth quarter of 2025 announced by the Central Statistical Office (GUS). The lower threshold has been set at PLN 6,438.50 gross. If a pensioner's additional income falls within this amount, the benefit will remain unchanged. However, if earnings exceed this barrier, ZUS will reduce the payment by the amount of the excess, but not more than the predetermined maximum reduction limit. The situation becomes more difficult after exceeding the upper threshold of PLN 11,957.10 gross. „Przekroczenie przychodu o kwotę wyższą niż 130 proc. przeciętnego wynagrodzenia powoduje zawieszenie wypłaty emerytury lub renty.” (Exceeding income by an amount higher than 130% of the average salary results in the suspension of pension or disability benefit payments.) — ZUS Statement Meanwhile, the minimum pension as of March 1st increases to PLN 1,978.49 gross as part of the annual indexation. However, Eurostat analyses indicate persistent wage and pension disparities between women and men, resulting from women's shorter work history and career breaks related to motherhood. Despite the increase in limits, Poland still has a large group of people transitioning to early benefits, which burdens the social insurance system in the long term.