With welfare reforms now law, ZUS—the Polish Social Insurance Agency—released detailed guidance late on 28 January for Ukrainian parents who wish to keep receiving the 800+ child allowance from February 2026. The agency confirmed that payments will be **suspended on 31 January** unless applicants file a new e-form between 1 and 29 February including proof of legal stay, PESEL numbers and, crucially, evidence of economic activity.
Applicants must upload an employer-stamped certificate or a current revenue-office extract for self-employment. ZUS will cross-check the data against its contributions database; mismatches will trigger a 30-day grace period before permanent denial. Parents also have to confirm that the child attends a Polish school, a measure aimed at preventing “benefit tourism” by cross-border commuters.
Mobility managers relocating staff from Ukraine should prepare onboarding packs that bundle PESEL registration, school-enrolment letters and employment contracts. Failure to help families meet the documentation threshold could push talent to neighbour states with simpler schemes, such as Germany’s Kindergeld.
![Poland’s Social Insurance Agency Publishes New 800+ Application Instructions for Ukrainian Families]()
For families that still need help with residence permits, PESEL registration or other immigration paperwork, VisaHQ’s Poland team can step in. The firm’s specialists (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offer fast-track document preparation and liaise directly with local offices, streamlining the process so applicants can submit complete, ZUS-compliant files within the February window.
ZUS predicts that up to 150,000 beneficiaries will need to reapply. To avoid system overload it has staggered submission windows based on the last digit of the applicant’s PESEL; large employers are encouraged to file outside peak hours. The agency also warned that falsifying employment proof constitutes benefit fraud punishable by fines up to PLN 16,000.
Because the allowance counts as qualifying income for mortgage affordability, banks have begun contacting foreign borrowers to ensure continuity of payments. HR departments should be ready for employee questions about potential loan-repayment gaps.
Applicants must upload an employer-stamped certificate or a current revenue-office extract for self-employment. ZUS will cross-check the data against its contributions database; mismatches will trigger a 30-day grace period before permanent denial. Parents also have to confirm that the child attends a Polish school, a measure aimed at preventing “benefit tourism” by cross-border commuters.
Mobility managers relocating staff from Ukraine should prepare onboarding packs that bundle PESEL registration, school-enrolment letters and employment contracts. Failure to help families meet the documentation threshold could push talent to neighbour states with simpler schemes, such as Germany’s Kindergeld.
For families that still need help with residence permits, PESEL registration or other immigration paperwork, VisaHQ’s Poland team can step in. The firm’s specialists (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offer fast-track document preparation and liaise directly with local offices, streamlining the process so applicants can submit complete, ZUS-compliant files within the February window.
ZUS predicts that up to 150,000 beneficiaries will need to reapply. To avoid system overload it has staggered submission windows based on the last digit of the applicant’s PESEL; large employers are encouraged to file outside peak hours. The agency also warned that falsifying employment proof constitutes benefit fraud punishable by fines up to PLN 16,000.
Because the allowance counts as qualifying income for mortgage affordability, banks have begun contacting foreign borrowers to ensure continuity of payments. HR departments should be ready for employee questions about potential loan-repayment gaps.
