The latest deregulation package is as many as 17 changes in the law. Among them, among others those regarding insurance, taxes and issues in the area of monument protection, civil law or commercial companies.
One of the projects was the amendment to the Act on pensions from the Social Insurance Fund. However, it is not about pensions, but a funeral allowance.
The most important change assumes the introduction of the regulation, according to which – in principle – determining the right to funeral allowance and its amount will not require the decision to be issued by ZUS.
The exception will be two situations. The first concerns the costs of the funeral for more than one person or entity (employer, social welfare home, commune, poviat, legal person of the Church or religious association), i.e. when the funeral allowance is divided between these people or entities.
The second situation – when the decision will be issued in the event of the costs of the funeral by a person other than a family member, employer, social welfare home, commune, poviat, legal person of the Church or religious association, i.e. when the funeral allowance is granted in the amount of documented funeral costs (currently not higher than 4,000, from 2026 – 7,000).
The latter case is very rare, because the funeral usually consumes the full amount of benefit.
Determining the right to funeral allowance will therefore not require the ZUS to issue a decision if the funeral allowance is granted in the amount of 4,000. PLN regardless of the costs of the funeral (from January 1, 2026 – PLN 7,000), i.e. when one person was incurred by one person – a family member of the deceased.
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The funeral parlor will submit an application to ZUS
The project also provides for the introduction of the regulation according to which the application regarding the granting of funeral allowance He will be able to be submitted directly to the disability pension body or via a funeral parlor. Thanks to this – as we read – the mediation mode of funeral plants will be regulated in applying for a funeral allowance.
Today, funeral plants have often taken their application to ZUS, and ZUS has transferred the benefit directly to their account. Thanks to this, the family of the deceased did not have to worry about formalities. Now such a procedure has been entered in the Act.
In government information, it was noted that the solutions provided for in the project are part of the model of submitting applications for retirement and disability benefits. The pension act assumed that applications regarding the granting of benefits are submitted in the disability pension bodily or via the contribution payer.
Benefit paid faster
The project also provides for shortening the deadline for the payment of the funeral allowance. A principle was introduced to guarantee the decision on the right to funeral allowance within 14 days of clarification of the last circumstance necessary to issue this decision. Today it is 30 days, although ZUS emphasizes that it usually treats such matters priority.
After issuing the decision, the Social Insurance Institution will also pay the benefit within 14 days from the date of clarification of the last circumstance necessary to issue this decision.
However, if the determination of the right to funeral allowance and its amount does not require a decision, the allowance will be paid within 14 days.
Funeral allowance
Let us remind you that a few weeks ago a bill was adopted by the funeral allowance. From January 2026, it will increase from 4 to 7 thousand. zloty. The act has already been signed by the president.
The previous amount of the allowance has not been changed since 2011. The initiator of the changes was the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy. The new regulations also provide for the possibility of annual valorisation of the benefit – from March 1 of a given year, if inflation in the previous year exceeds 5 percent.
The rules for granting the so -called targeted allowance for people who incurred extraordinary, difficult to predict the costs of the funeral – for example, if it is necessary to bring the body from abroad or storage of the corpse longer.
Such an allowance will be available regardless of income and will not be limited to a specific amount. At the same time, the principle was introduced that its beneficiary may be obliged to reimburse all or part of the benefit if the costs incurred are covered, e.g. from a inheritance or insurance benefits.
