Thousands of children will lose 800 plus. The announcements will come into effect in June

• The new 800 plus benefit period will begin on June 1.
• To obtain the benefit, you must submit an application to ZUS.
• 800 plus is awarded regardless of family income. The aid is not subject to taxation.
• From June, thousands of children will not receive 800 plus.

- The new benefit period will begin on June 1 this year and will last until May 31, 2026. ZUS only accepts electronic applications and pays benefits non-cash - to the bank accounts of beneficiaries - informs Beata Kopczyńska, regional spokeswoman for ZUS in the Silesian Voivodeship.

A parental benefit of PLN 800 per month is available for each child under 18. Applications can be submitted by parents, guardians and people providing foster care. ZUS has received almost 3.7 million applications so far, including 416.4 thousand from the Silesian Voivodeship.

The purpose of the benefit is to partially cover the costs of raising and caring for a child and to improve the living conditions of the youngest citizens. The 800 plus benefit is granted regardless of the family income. It is free from enforcement by bailiffs and is not subject to taxation. Applications submitted electronically

To obtain the right to the benefit, you must submit an application to ZUS. Thanks to the fact that ZUS accepts applications only electronically , the process of obtaining this right is simple and quick. Parents can submit 800 plus applications via: Electronic Services Platform (PUE)/eZUS, Emp@tia portal, electronic banking and the free mZUS mobile application (available in Google Play and App Store).

It is worth remembering to submit the application in due time and check that all the data is correct. The date of payment of the benefit depends on the date of submission of the application. If the parent submits a correctly completed application:

• until 30 April 2025 – will receive the benefit for the new period until 30 June 2025, i.e. without any interruption.
• from 1 May to 30 June 2025 – the benefit will be paid at a later date, but the parent will receive it with compensation from June 2025.
• after 30 June 2025 – the parental benefit will be due from the month in which the parent submits the application.

Let us also recall that after last year's amendment to the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens Living in Poland, adopted on 1 July 2024, the right to both 800 plus and the Good Start benefit was made dependent on whether the child fulfils the obligation of one-year preschool preparation, the school obligation, the obligation to study in a kindergarten or a school belonging to the Polish education system.

Only Ukrainian parents whose children attend school can receive the benefit.

The Act was passed in the middle of last year, but the changes will come into force from the benefit period starting on 1 June 2025. This is related to the period for which the benefits are granted - when the amendment to the regulations came into force, the benefit was already granted for the settlement period lasting until the end of May 2025.

It is not known exactly how many Ukrainian children will stop receiving the benefit, but estimates suggest it could be several tens of thousands.