800 Plus programme for Ukrainians in Poland starts this week: who can apply

Starting from 1 February, Ukrainians in Poland will be able to apply for 800 Plus assistance. However, there have been changes to this programme. Read what you need to know here

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On Saturday, 1 February, applications for 800 Plus state aid in Poland will be accepted. The new rules are especially important for Ukrainian families, as now the allowance will be granted only if the child is enrolled in the Polish education system. Here's how and when to apply, and what changes await recipients in the new billing period.

Who is eligible for 800 Plus?

According to the general rules, the programme can be applied for by parents or guardians of children under the age of 18. However, as of 1 July 2024, a key condition has been introduced for Ukrainian families: the child must be enrolled in a Polish educational institution.

How to confirm that your child is studying in Poland

Children enrolled in the Polish education system are registered in the System Informacji Oświatowej (SIO). Parents are advised to check with the school or kindergarten administration in advance whether their child's data is entered in this register. This will help to avoid delays or refusal to grant benefits.

When to apply?

The child was born recently. If you have a newborn, you have three months from the date of birth to submit your application. In this case, the benefit will be calculated from the date of birth (you will receive compensation from the same date).

The child is already in school. For continuous payments in the new billing period (from June 2025 to May 2026), it is important to meet the deadlines

- by 30 April (to receive the benefit from June);

- or in May/June to keep compensation for the missed months.

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Deadlines and the new calculation period

▪️ Start of application: 1 February 2025.

▪️ The new calculation period is from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.

To ensure that payments are not interrupted and start on 1 June, it is important to submit an application by 30 April.

If parents apply later, but within the period

▪️ from 1 to 31 May - payments will be received by 31 July with compensation for June;

▪️ from 1 to 30 June - the benefit will be paid by 31 August with compensation for June and July;

▪️ after 30 June - 800 Plus will be assigned only from the month of application (without compensation for previous months).

How to apply?

You can apply for 800 Plus only electronically through the following resources:

- Emp@tia (state social assistance portal),

- PUE ZUS (e-services platform of the Social Insurance Office),

- mZUS (ZUS mobile application),

- e-banking (some banks in Poland support the submission of applications through their online banking systems).

What should Ukrainians do?

First of all, we recommend checking whether your child is registered with the SIO. Make sure that your child's data is entered in the register of the Polish education system. Without this, assistance may not be granted.

It is also worth preparing the necessary documents in advance. These are usually a birth certificate and proof of legal residence in Poland. For Ukrainians who arrived in the country after 24 February 2022, a PESEL document with UKR status may be required.

Please note that any delay may result in a postponement of the start date of payments or a refusal.

Poland advocates limiting the 800 Plus programme

As we wrote earlier, an active discussion is taking place in Poland regarding changes to the Family 800+ social assistance programme.

The main idea behind the proposed changes is to pay social assistance only to those migrants who work and pay taxes in Poland. This is intended to stimulate labour activity among foreigners and reduce state budget expenditures.

For example, the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, who is a presidential candidate from the Civic Coalition, has called for the restriction of the 800+ programme for Ukrainians who are not officially employed.

We remind you! Thousands of Ukrainians have moved to Poland in recent years, boosting the economy and promoting cultural exchange. Now that the number of Ukrainian citizens in this country has reached hundreds of thousands, Ukrainians are building their own communities. We explained why Poland sees this as a problem.

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