From January to December 31, 2025, the Social Insurance Institution received PLN 1,156,000 throughout Poland. widow's pension applications. By the end of the year, over a million eligible people had already used the benefit. Thanks to this combination of benefits, entitled persons gained an average of PLN 350.63 per month.
Please remember that widow's pension is not a separate benefit. It is a combination of two benefits: your own (e.g. pension) and a survivor's pension after your deceased spouse.
Check: Widow's pension with new rules from 2026. Seniors can gain more
You can get 100 percent. own benefit and 15 percent survivor's pension or vice versa, with the survivor's pension for a person being 85%. benefit that the deceased was entitled to. From January 1, 2027, the amount of the second benefit will be increased to 25%.
These people can apply for widow's pension
You can apply for a widow's pension at any time. However, certain conditions must be met:
- the woman is at least 60 years old and the man is at least 65 years old,
- marital partnership existed until the date of the spouse's death,
- the right to a survivor's pension arose no earlier than when a woman turned 55 or a man turned 60,
- the person applying for widow's pension has not remarried.
Look: Widow's pension – everything you need to know to get it
The benefit cannot be granted if at least one of these conditions is not met. At the same time, there is a limit on the amount of payment – the total amount of widow's pension cannot exceed three times the minimum pension, i.e. PLN 5,636.73 gross. The limit is valid until February 28. People whose benefit exceeds this limit will not receive widow's pension.
