Alimony Fund Poland 2026/27: Up to 1,000 zł, Limit 1,665 zł
Short answer: The alimony fund pays the court-ordered maintenance, up to 1,000 zł a month, when collection has failed and family income is up to 1,665 zł net per person. Apply by 31 October for the new period.
The alimony fund (fundusz alimentacyjny) helps a child or young person when a parent does not pay court-ordered maintenance and collection has failed. The municipality pays the benefit, up to 1,000 zł a month. The yearly application window runs from 1 July to 31 October, so it is open right now. This guide follows the Gov.pl service page "Uzyskaj świadczenia z funduszu alimentacyjnego" and the Monitor Polski notice of 22 January 2026 that sets the income limit for the benefit period starting 1 October 2026.
What the benefit is
If a parent does not pay the maintenance awarded to a child and the enforcement is ineffective, you can ask for alimony fund benefits, which the municipality (gmina) pays out. The benefit equals the amount of maintenance set, but no more than 1,000 zł a month, according to Gov.pl.
Income limit from 1 October 2026
The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy announced in Monitor Polski of 27 January 2026 (item 138) that the income amount used to decide the right to the benefit is 1,665.00 zł for benefit periods starting on or after 1 October 2026. Gov.pl uses the same figure: the income per person in your family in the calendar year before the benefit period must not exceed 1,665 zł net a month.
If you go above the limit, the municipality checks whether the "złotówka za złotówkę" (zloty for a zloty) rule can apply. Then the benefit is reduced by the amount by which the income limit is exceeded.
When enforcement counts as ineffective
The official page says enforcement is ineffective when:
- the enforcement body, most often a court bailiff, fails over the last two months to collect the full amount of current or overdue maintenance, or
- the parent who owes maintenance is abroad and there is no legal basis for action against them where they live now, or their whereabouts are unknown
Who can receive it
The person entitled must:
- have a right to maintenance from a parent, for example under a court judgment or a court settlement
- not receive the maintenance because enforcement is ineffective
- be under 18, or under 25 if still studying at a school or university, or of any age if they have a certificate of significant disability
The benefit is not available if the entitled person is in an institution that provides full maintenance free of charge (for example a social care home, a youth educational centre, a correctional facility or a military school), is in foster care, or has married.
Are foreigners covered
According to the page, the right belongs to Polish citizens who live in Poland and to foreigners who live in Poland and have:
- a permanent residence permit, an EU long-term resident permit, or a temporary residence permit for work in a profession requiring high qualifications, or
- refugee status or subsidiary protection
If your permit is of another type, ask the office handling your case whether it qualifies, since the page lists only these categories.
Who files
The application can be filed by an adult entitled person, by the legal representative of the entitled person (a parent for a minor, or a legal guardian), or by an attorney.
What to prepare
- your details and those of family members, and of the people you apply for
- PESEL numbers and an e-mail address
- a bank account number, if you want payment to an account
- details of the school or university, for an adult student
- details of the enforcing body, if you do not attach its certificate of ineffective enforcement
- income details, if your situation requires them
- the enforcement title, for example the court judgment or a copy of the court settlement
- a certificate from the enforcement body or a declaration that enforcement is ineffective
- a guardianship ruling, if you are a legal guardian
- the residence card, if you are a foreigner
- documents showing a change of income, if your family's income has changed
The office may ask for more documents.
How to apply online
1. Click "Złóż wniosek" on the Gov.pl page. It takes you to the Emp@tia portal. 2. Log in with a trusted profile or a qualified electronic signature. 3. Choose "Świadczenia z Funduszu Alimentacyjnego". 4. Fill in and send the application, attaching scans or photos of any documents. 5. Wait for the answer in your Emp@tia mailbox.
The system points you to the right office by your place of residence. It is usually the city or municipal office or the social welfare centre, which checks the application, assesses the income criterion and issues an administrative decision.
Deadlines and when you are paid
You apply online every year from 1 July to 31 October for the next benefit period. You can also apply after 31 October, during the benefit period. Then you receive benefits from the month of the application until the end of the period, 30 September of the next year. The benefit period runs from 1 October to 30 September.
For a correct and complete application for a new period, the page gives these payment deadlines:
- filed in July or August: benefits by 31 October at the latest
- filed in September: benefits with back pay from October by 30 November
- filed in October: benefits with back pay from October by 31 December
- filed in November: benefits with back pay by 31 January
- filed in December or January: benefits by the last day of February of the next year
An application filed during the benefit period is decided within a month, or up to two months for a particularly complicated case. If the application is incomplete or has errors, the office asks you to correct it. If you do not, it is not examined.
If the office refuses
You can appeal to the local government appeal board within 14 days of receiving the decision. Filing the appeal is free. Submit it to the institution that issued the refusal, in person or by post, preferably by registered letter, and keep the proof of dispatch.
* Photos: A group of children in winter coats walking to or from school (Wikimedia Commons, public domain); Air Force gavel (Wikimedia Commons, public domain). Both are illustrative and not from Poland.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the alimony fund pay?
The amount of the maintenance set by the court, up to 1,000 zł a month, according to Gov.pl.
What is the income limit for 2026/2027?
1,665 zł net per person a month, in the calendar year before the benefit period, according to the Monitor Polski notice for periods starting 1 October 2026. Above it, the benefit can be reduced zloty for zloty.
When can I apply?
Online from 1 July to 31 October for the new period. Later applications are possible, with benefits from the month of filing.
Can a foreign parent apply?
Only if they live in Poland and hold one of the permits or statuses listed by Gov.pl, such as permanent residence, an EU long-term resident permit, a highly qualified work permit or refugee status.
