The number of 800+ payments for Ukrainians has significantly decreased. The reason is not only changes in the rules but also significant delays in processing applications. As a result, many families have still not received decisions from ZUS.
Changes have affected more than 150,000 families living in Poland. According to Gazeta Wyborcza, after the new rules came into effect, 117.5 thousand families submitted applications, which is less than the expected number. By the beginning of May, only 62.7 thousand applications had been processed, of which 12.5 thousand were rejected. Ultimately, 50.5 thousand payments have been assigned, while more than 50 thousand families are still waiting for decisions.
Why Delays Occur
The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy explains that the decrease in the number of payments is related not only to the number of applications but also to the complicated procedure for verifying data
ZUS is required to additionally verify:
- the legality of residence in Poland
- the applicant’s employment
- the consistency of data in the application
This significantly increases the time required to process documents.
Conditions for Receiving 800+ for Ukrainians
The payment is assigned for a child under 18 years old and does not depend on the family’s income. However, unlike Polish citizens, additional requirements apply to foreigners:
- legal residence in Poland
- employment activity of the parents
- the child attending school or kindergarten in Poland
ZUS verifies employment activity based on data from social security systems. This includes:
- employment under an employment contract or contract for services
- running a business
- receiving a sports or doctoral scholarship
- unemployment status with benefits or participation in training with a scholarship
From June 1, 2026, similar requirements will also apply to other foreigners from non-EU and EFTA countries, including citizens of Belarus, as well as Ukrainians without «UKR» status who have legal residence in Poland and access to the labor market (until May 31, 2026, they can continue to receive benefits under the previous conditions).
