Unemployment benefit (zasiłek dla bezrobotnych) is the basic social benefit for people in Poland who have lost their job and meet certain conditions. Since 1 June 2025 the rules for granting it have been set by the Act of 20 March 2025 on the labour market and employment services (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2025, item 620). The amount of the benefit is indexed every year (most recently from 1 June 2026), and to receive it you must meet a number of formal and substantive requirements. Knowing the unemployment benefit rules matters both for people looking for work and for employers planning redundancies.
Unemployment benefit in Poland is financed from the Labour Fund (Fundusz Pracy), and you acquire the right to it through a sufficiently long period of employment or other work for which social insurance and Labour Fund contributions were paid. The mechanism is meant to give basic financial security to people who have temporarily lost their income from work. The amount of the benefit depends on your length of service and on how long you have been receiving it, which is meant to encourage a quick return to the labour market. How a break in contributions affects ZUS benefits is described under ZUS contribution holidays.
Basic conditions for unemployment benefit
To be entitled to unemployment benefit, you must meet several fundamental conditions set out in the Act on the labour market and employment services (Article 218). The first and most important requirement is a sufficient record of work, which must total at least 365 days within the 18 months immediately before you register with the labour office.
The work record that gives you the right to benefit must cover at least 365 days worked within the 18 months before you register as unemployed. The work must have been paid at no less than the minimum wage, and social insurance and Labour Fund contributions must have been paid on that pay
Many forms of work count towards the qualifying period. Employment under an employment contract (umowa o pracę) with at least the minimum wage counts, except for unpaid leave lasting more than 30 days in total. Parental leave (urlop wychowawczy) also counts, and it is treated as a period of work even though no work is performed.
Civil-law contracts, such as an agency contract or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia), also count, provided that the contribution base was at least the minimum wage. Business activity is treated in the same way, as long as the base for social insurance and Labour Fund contributions was at least the minimum wage — periods of preferential contributions do not meet this condition.
The qualifying work record also includes periods of basic military service, periods of receiving a disability pension (renta z tytułu niezdolności do pracy), and the time for which compensation was awarded for unlawful termination of an employment contract or for shortening the notice period
To receive benefit, you must also formally register as unemployed with the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy, PUP) — online or in person (Article 55 section 2). You cannot register before your employment relationship has ended. The labour office checks your documents and the data from ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) and CEIDG (Central Register and Information on Economic Activity), and the starosta (head of the district) issues a decision granting or refusing the benefit.
The new Act no longer includes the condition, known from the Act on employment promotion, that the office has no suitable job offer for you; it is not among the conditions in Article 218. However, benefit is not payable from the date of registration to anyone who, through their own fault, did not take up or interrupted a form of assistance to which the office referred them, refused socially useful work without a valid reason, or refused to take part in preparing an individual action plan (Article 220 section 1 points 6–8).
Situations that exclude the right to benefit
Not everyone who loses their job is entitled to unemployment benefit. The law sets out a number of situations in which an unemployed person cannot claim the benefit, even though they meet the basic formal conditions. The most important of these is how the previous employment relationship ended.
Benefit is not payable at all to a person who, before registering, ended their last employment relationship by giving notice themselves (Article 219 section 1 point 1). If the last employment relationship ended by mutual agreement of the parties, benefit is payable only after 90 days from registration, and the benefit period is shortened by those 90 days (Article 220 section 1 point 5, section 2 point 3, Article 225 section 3). These rules do not apply where the last employment relationship is not the basis for acquiring the right to benefit (Article 219 section 2). There are also exceptions for situations beyond the employee's control.
The exceptions cover: for notice — a change of residence and termination by the employee without notice under Article 55 § 1 or § 1¹ of the Labour Code (Kodeks pracy) (a medical certificate that the work harms the employee's health, or a serious breach of duties by the employer); for mutual agreement — a change of residence, the employer's bankruptcy or liquidation, or a reduction in staff for reasons relating to the employer
Another group excluded from benefit is employees who, through their own fault, caused their employment to be terminated without notice (disciplinary dismissal). Disciplinary dismissal happens, among other things, in the case of a serious breach of basic employee duties, so the Act gives no right to benefit in this situation (Article 219 section 1 point 2).
Benefit is also not payable from the date of registration to people who received compensation for a shortened notice period. This compensation makes up for not being able to work during the notice period, so benefit is payable only after the period for which it was paid (Article 220 section 1 point 1, section 2 point 1).
A special group is graduates on a paid graduate internship (praktyka absolwencka) who receive a payment above half of the minimum wage. The internship does not take away unemployed status (Article 64 point 2), but benefit is payable only after it ends (Article 220 section 1 point 3, section 2 point 2).
- Ending the last employment relationship by notice given by the employee (no benefit)
- Ending employment by mutual agreement without one of the exception reasons (benefit after 90 days)
- Disciplinary dismissal through the employee's fault (no benefit)
- Receiving compensation for a shortened notice period (benefit after the period for which it was paid)
- A graduate internship paying more than half of the minimum wage (benefit after it ends)
- Failing, through your own fault, to take up a referral to a job, traineeship or training
Registering with the labour office and procedures
The process of obtaining unemployment benefit starts with registration at the district labour office competent for your place of residence — through an online form or in person at the office. Registration is constitutive, which means that without it you cannot obtain unemployed status or the right to benefit. The procedure requires you to submit the relevant documents and meet all formal conditions.
After you register, the labour office checks your documents and whether you meet all the conditions for benefit. This includes checking your work record, the amount of pay you received and how your previous employment ended, largely on the basis of data from the ZUS and CEIDG systems (Article 59).
Unemployment benefit is payable for every calendar day from the date you register with the labour office (Article 218 section 1), subject to the exceptions in Articles 219 and 220. The first payment is made after the application has been approved and the labour office has confirmed that all conditions are met
An unemployed person has a number of obligations towards the labour office, and failing to meet them may mean losing the right to benefit. The most important is the duty to notify the office of starting any paid work, business activity or other circumstances that affect unemployed status. You have 7 days from the event to notify the labour office.
Benefit payments are automated and made at regular intervals. The labour office monitors your situation and can check at any time whether you still meet the conditions for the benefit. Checks may include your current status with ZUS, contact with previous employers or a review of your job-search activity. For employers, we prepare HR documents when an employee leaves, including employment certificates — see our HR and payroll services.
- Report to the district labour office competent for your place of residence
- Submit an application for registration with the required documents
- The labour office checks whether you meet the conditions for benefit
- A decision granting or refusing the benefit is issued
- Payments start after a positive decision
- Contact the labour office at least once every 90 days (Article 65 section 1 point 11)
- Report any changes affecting your unemployed status within 7 days
How long unemployment benefit is paid
Since 1 June 2025 the period for which you can receive unemployment benefit no longer depends on the unemployment rate in your district. The Act on the labour market and employment services provides for two periods, depending on your personal situation (Article 225 section 1).
As a rule, benefit is paid for 180 days. This applies to all unemployed people who do not belong to the groups entitled to a longer period, regardless of where they live.
The benefit period is 365 days for unemployed people with disabilities, members of large families holding the Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny), people over 50 with a qualifying period of at least 20 years, people raising a child under 18 alone, and unemployed people with a dependent child whose spouse is also unemployed and has lost the right to benefit because the benefit period has ended
The benefit period follows directly from the Act and is stated in the starosta's decision. If a woman gives birth while receiving benefit or within 30 days after the benefit period ends, the period is extended by the time for which she would be entitled to maternity benefit (Article 225 section 2).
The benefit period is shortened by periods of intervention work, public works, training and traineeships that fall within the time when benefit would be payable (Article 225 section 3). Taking up work or business activity means losing unemployed status and benefit payments. However, if you lost your status for less than 365 days and register again within 14 days of the end of the employment or activity, benefit is payable for the remaining period (Article 226 section 1). Another benefit that may be payable after losing a job is sickness benefit after employment ends.
| Group of unemployed people | Who it covers | Benefit period | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| General rule | Unemployed people outside the groups entitled to a longer period | 180 days | Article 225 section 1 point 1 |
| Special groups | People with disabilities, Large Family Card, 50+ with a 20-year period, single parents, unemployed spouses with a child | 365 days | Article 225 section 1 point 2 |
| Birth of a child | A woman who gave birth while receiving benefit or within 30 days after it | Extended by the maternity benefit period | Article 225 section 2 |
Losing the right to unemployment benefit
You can lose the right to unemployment benefit in various situations resulting from your own conduct or a change in your circumstances. The most common reason is taking up work or starting a business, which automatically means losing unemployed status.
Situations in which the unemployed person, through their own fault, does not cooperate with the labour office are particularly important. This covers failing to take up or interrupting a form of assistance to which the office referred them — including a referral to an employer as part of job placement. This results in loss of unemployed status and, with it, the right to benefit (Article 65 section 1 point 2, section 2). It also matters how the job came to an end — we cover this under how your employment contract ends.
Refusing socially useful work without a valid reason, and failing through your own fault to take up public works, intervention work or another form of assistance, leads to loss of benefit and unemployed status for 90 days (Article 65 section 1 points 2 and 3). After that time you can register with the labour office again
The same consequences follow from failing, through your own fault, to take up a traineeship or training offered by the labour office, refusing to take part in preparing an individual action plan, or having no contact with the office for 90 days (Article 65 section 1 points 2, 11 and 12). These forms of assistance are meant to improve your chances on the labour market.
You can also lose benefit if you do not notify the labour office of important changes in your situation within the statutory 7 days. This applies in particular to starting any paid work, even casual or short-term work (Article 232).
The Act does not provide for warnings or escalating sanctions: in the cases under Article 65 section 1 points 2, 3, 11 and 12, you lose your status straight away for 90 days, whether or not it is your first breach. The mechanism is meant to encourage unemployed people to look for work actively and cooperate with the labour office.
An unemployed person registered with the labour office was referred to a job as a shop assistant in a grocery store. The pay offered was the minimum wage, and the workplace was 15 km from their home. The unemployed person did not take up the job, arguing that work in retail did not match their technical education. The starosta found that the failure to take up the job was the unemployed person's fault and issued a decision removing their unemployed status, and with it the right to benefit, for 90 days.
Amount of unemployment benefit in 2026
The amount of unemployment benefit in Poland is set in the Act, depends on how long you have been receiving it and on your length of service, and is indexed every year on 1 June (Articles 224 and 228). Indexation uses the average annual consumer price index for the previous year, announced by the President of Statistics Poland (GUS), and the amounts after indexation are announced by the minister responsible for labour.
Since 1 June 2025 the benefit amount has had two levels depending on length of service. Unemployed people with less than 20 years of service receive 100% of the benefit amount — the former reduction to 80% for service under 5 years no longer applies. People with at least 20 years of service receive 120% of the benefit amount (Article 224 section 2).
The amount of unemployment benefit differs depending on how long you have been receiving it. In the first 90 days of entitlement you receive a higher amount, and from day 91 the benefit is reduced (Article 224 section 1)
The current benefit rates apply from 1 June 2026 (notice of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 2 March 2026, M.P. 2026, item 268). For people with less than 20 years of service, the benefit is PLN 1,783.90 gross in the first 90 days, and then falls to PLN 1,400.90 gross.
Unemployed people with at least 20 years of service receive PLN 2,140.68 gross for the first 90 days, and then PLN 1,681.08 gross. The next indexation will take place on 1 June 2027.
All unemployment benefit amounts are given gross, which means they are subject to PIT (personal income tax) and the health insurance contribution. The amount actually paid to the unemployed person is lower by the tax and contributions deducted
The indexation mechanism is meant to keep the real value of the benefit in the face of inflation and rising living costs. Indexation is carried out automatically on the basis of economic indicators, without any additional administrative decisions.
| Length of service | Percentage of the benefit amount | First 90 days (gross, from 1.06.2026) | Following days (gross, from 1.06.2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 100% | PLN 1,783.90 | PLN 1,400.90 |
| From 5 to under 20 years | 100% | PLN 1,783.90 | PLN 1,400.90 |
| At least 20 years | 120% | PLN 2,140.68 | PLN 1,681.08 |
Calculating your length of service for benefit
Calculating your length of service correctly is key to determining the amount of unemployment benefit. It is based on periods in which you were employed and social insurance and Labour Fund contributions were paid on your pay. However, not all periods of work are taken into account.
Your length of service includes above all periods of employment under an employment contract, provided the pay was at least the minimum wage. The exception is unpaid leave lasting more than 30 days in total, which does not count towards the qualifying period.
Parental leave is a special case: although no work is performed, it counts in full towards your length of service. This is meant to protect people raising children and to ensure their right to benefit when they return to the labour market.
Civil-law contracts such as a contract of mandate or an agency contract count towards your length of service only if the social insurance contribution base was at least the minimum wage. The same applies to business activity — only periods in which the contribution base was at least the minimum wage count, so periods of preferential contributions are not included
Periods of basic military service also count, which matters especially for people who served in the army before starting their career. Periods of receiving a disability pension, which may interrupt continuity of employment, are treated in a similar way.
An interesting case is the time for which compensation was awarded for unlawful termination of an employment contract or for shortening the notice period. This is meant to protect employees from the effects of improper actions by employers.
The 20 years that decide whether you receive 120% of the benefit (and also the 365-day period for people over 50) include periods from your whole working life listed in Article 218 section 1 and section 2 points 1, 2, 4 and 5, as well as periods under Article 224 sections 3–4 (for example employment before 1997); periods of receiving a disability pension count only towards the 365 days that give the right to benefit. Calculating your length of service requires accurate records of all periods of employment and checks of the pay received. The labour office may ask for certificates of employment and earnings and other documents confirming periods of work.
Rights and obligations of an unemployed person
Unemployed status with benefit comes with a number of rights and obligations meant to ensure effective support in finding work and proper use of public money. Knowing these rights and obligations is key to using the support system correctly.
Your basic right as an unemployed person is to receive benefit in the set amount and for the set period, provided you meet all the requirements. You also have the right to free job placement services, career guidance, and participation in training and activation programmes.
The Act on the labour market and employment services does not contain a definition of "suitable work" or a pay threshold below which you may refuse a job. The sanction applies to failing, through your own fault, to take up a referral to a job or another form of assistance (Article 65 section 1 point 2), so it is worth reporting and documenting any objective reason for refusing, such as your health
Your obligations are just as important, and failing to meet them may mean losing the right to benefit. The most important obligation is to look for work actively and to stay in contact with the labour office at least once every 90 days. You must also report any changes affecting your status within 7 days.
You must take up work to which the office refers you, and take part in training and other forms of assistance offered by the labour office. Failing to do so through your own fault may mean losing the right to benefit and unemployed status for 90 days.
A particular obligation is to notify the labour office of starting any paid work, even casual or short-term, within 7 days of starting it. This also applies to starting a business or other forms of work.
- Actively looking for work and recording your job-search activity
- Contacting the labour office at least once every 90 days
- Taking up work to which the office refers you
- Taking part in training and activation programmes
- Reporting changes affecting your unemployed status within 7 days
- Cooperating with career advisers and job placement staff
- Following the labour office's rules and administrative procedures
