Funeral allowance you may be entitled to benefits from the Social Insurance Institution if you have incurred funeral costs.
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Funeral allowance 2025. Who is entitled to it?
To receive a funeral allowance, you must incur funeral costs and have documents confirming this (e.g. an invoice). You are entitled to the benefit: :
- family member
- employers,
- social welfare home,
- commune,
- district,
- a legal person of a church or religious association,
- a stranger.
He is considered a member of the family: spouse (widow, widower, and separated spouse), parents, stepfather, stepmother and adoptive person, own children, children of the other spouse and adopted children, children accepted for upbringing within a foster family, other children accepted for upbringing and maintenance before reaching the age of majority, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, persons over whom legal guardianship has been established.
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How much is the funeral allowance? Amounts in 2025
A person who incurred the funeral costs and is a member of the deceased's family, you are entitled to a funeral allowance of PLN 4,000, regardless of the amount of funeral costs incurred.
However, if you are a stranger to the deceased, an employer, a social welfare home, a commune, a poviat, a legal person of a church or a religious association, then The funeral allowance is payable up to the amount of the costs incurred, but not more than PLN 4,000.
If the funeral costs are incurred by more than one person or entity, the funeral allowance is divided between the applicants in proportion to the funeral costs incurred.
The amount of the funeral allowance will change from January 1, 2026.
From January 1, 2026, the funeral allowance will increase from PLN 4,000 to PLN 7,000. The act has already been signed by the president.
The current amount of the benefit has not been changed since 2011. The new regulations also provide for the possibility of annual indexation of the benefit – from March 1 of a given year, if inflation in the previous year exceeds 5%.
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Changes in the funeral allowance
The deregulatory package adopted by the government in July assumes, among other things, that – in principle – determining the right to a funeral allowance and its amount will not require a decision by the ZUS.
There will be two exceptions. The first concerns the incurring of funeral costs by more than one person or entity, i.e. when the funeral allowance is divided between these persons or entities.
The second situation – when the decision will be issued if the funeral costs are borne by a person other than a family member, employer, social welfare home, commune, district, legal person of a church or religious association, i.e. when the funeral allowance is due in the amount of documented funeral costs (currently no higher than PLN 4,000, from 2026 – PLN 7,000).
When to submit documents for funeral allowance?
The documents necessary to pay the funeral allowance must be submitted within 12 months from the date of death of the person who is entitled to the benefit.
If you were unable to meet this deadline due to:
— subsequent discovery of the body or identification of the deceased person or
— other reasons completely beyond your control
submit the documents within 12 months from the date of the funeral.
Funeral allowance. What documents do I need to submit?
— application for payment of funeral allowance (Z-12);
— shortened copy of the death certificate;
— bills relating to funeral costs incurred;
— a certificate from the contribution payer (e.g. employer) that you or the deceased are subject to retirement and disability insurance – in the case of an insured person (this does not apply to people who have non-agricultural activities and people who cooperate with them);
— documents that will confirm that you are from the deceased's family (for example, a shortened copy of the birth certificate);
— an identity document, for example an ID card or passport.
A detailed list of necessary documents is available here on the ZUS website.
Source: ZUS, Business Insider Polska
