How to get Family 500+ social benefit? A step-by-step guide.

Since 2016, a parental benefit of the “Family 500 Plus” has been introduced in Poland, which is paid monthly at PLN 500 until the child reaches the age of 18. It is worth to know that financial support applies not only to Polish families but also to foreign children living in Poland since 2019. However, families of foreigners must fulfill certain conditions to apply for 500 plus in Poland.

Who can receive this benefit?

According to the Polish State Aid in Raising of Children Act (ustawa o pomocy państwa w wychowywaniu dzieci), the right to 500+ parental benefit is granted to both Polish citizens, as well as foreigners.

First of all, the 500+ benefit is granted to foreigners who have a child and stay in Poland based on residence and work permit for more than 9 months. Both citizens of European Union and countries with which Poland has signed social security agreements can receive this benefit without any problems.

The benefit of the “Family 500+” can be received by foreigners who either:

• have citizenship of a European Union country or of the European Free Trade Association – EFTA country (four countries belong to the EFTA: Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland);
• have citizenship of a country that has signed a bilateral social security agreement with Poland (m.in. USA, Canada, Moldova, South Korea or Ukraine);
• have temporary residence permit for highly qualified employment and reside together with family members in Poland;
• have a residence card with the ‘access to the labor market’ and reside in Poland together with family members (note: this basis doesn’t apply to: persons authorized to work in EU countries for a period not exceeding 6 months, non-EU and EFTA third-country nationals studying or performing seasonal work and third-country nationals working on a visa);
• legally residing in Poland as part of an intra-company transfer and reside together with family members in Poland (note: this basis does not apply to persons with a right of residence in Poland for a period not exceeding 9 months);
• stay in Poland for research purposes (note: this basis does not apply to persons with a right of residence in Poland for a period not exceeding 6 months).

In short, to be eligible to receive 500 Plus Benefit, you must have a child and meet one of the above requirements.

Please mind that Belarus (Białoruś) citizens cannot benefit from such support at the moment. This is because there is no social security agreement between Poland and Belarus.

How do I complete the formalities?

In order to be eligible for the 500+ Benefit, you (parents, single parent, legal guardian or person effectively caring for the child) must submit an application. The application must be filed at Urząd Gminy or Urząd Miasta (Municipality Office or Town Office) competent for the place of you residence.

The application should state the following details:

1. name,
2. date of birth,
3. the address of the place of residence,
4. marital status,
5. nationality,
6. sex,
7. PESEL number or, if no PESEL number has been assigned, the number and series of other identity document (e.g. passport number),
8. the e-mail address and telephone number,
9. details of children under your care (name, surname, date of birth, marital status, nationality, sex, PESEL number, or, if no PESEL number has been assigned, the number and series of the identity card);

It is worth remembering that you don’t have to have a place of residence coinciding with the place of registered address (zameldowanie) – if the place of residence is different from your registered address, the application will be considered by Urząd Miasta or Urząd Gminy competent for your place of residence – not registered address.

The application should also be accompanied by attachments – certificates or declarations or other evidence necessary to determine the right to receive the benefit.

The application and the attachments may be submitted in paper form or via ePUAP system.

If a child’s parent applies after 30th September 2019, the benefit shall be payable from the month of application.

Applications may not be submitted earlier than the date of birth of the child, starting date of care or adopting the child, as appropriate.

The right to parental benefit shall be determined for the period from 1 June to 31 may of the following year, starting from the month in which the application was submitted with the duly completed documents and shall be paid monthly.

If an incorrectly completed application is submitted, the Office shall request you to correct or supplement the application within 14 days from the date you receive the request. In the event of submitting an incomplete application, the Office shall accept the application and set a deadline of no less than 14 days and no longer than 30 days to complete missing documents. Failure to comply with the call will result in the application not being considered.

Summarizing

Obtaining the 500 Plus parental benefit may undoubtedly facilitates foreigner’s family life in Poland. However, it is worth considering legal assistance when submitting an application in order to settle the matter quickly and without any problems.

If you are interested in getting any help with any issues related to your stay in Poland, feel free to contact us and take advantage of our services.