When a Polish pension beneficiary passes away before the end of a quarter, and his payment is consequently terminated, his or her heir can apply for the months for which the beneficiary would have been paid on the third month of the quarter. ZUS, the Polish national insurance agency, calls this an “unrealized benefit.”
For example, if a beneficiary passes away in February, ZUS will stop payment prior to the March 20 payment date. However, he or she was still entitled to payment for the first two months of the quarter, i.e., January and February. (ZUS still pays a benefit for the month of a death of a beneficiary.) An heir of the decedent is eligible to claim these benefits within 12 months of the death of the beneficiary. For more information about the unrealized benefit and how to apply, please visit our Website here.