Care allowance for a sick child Poland: zasiłek opiekuńczy, 60 days
Short answer: Poland's zasiłek opiekuńczy pays 80% of the benefit base for up to 60 days a year when you stay home with a sick child under 14. Only one parent receives it. Claim within 6 months of the last day.
If your child is ill and you cannot go to work in Poland, you may be entitled to a care allowance (zasiłek opiekuńczy) paid from sickness insurance. This guide summarises the official gov.pl service page on care allowance for a sick child. The page shows a last update of 9 September 2022, so confirm the current rules with ZUS or your payer before you rely on them.
Who can get it
According to the gov.pl page, you need to meet two conditions. First, you cannot work because you are caring for a sick child, and you are one of these: the child's parent, adoptive parent, foster parent, legal guardian, or a person who is not the parent but raises and supports the child.
Second, you have sickness insurance and you are one of these:
- An employee on an employment contract.
- A contractor on an agency, mandate or other services contract, including a nanny under an activating contract.
- Someone cooperating with a contractor.
- An outworker.
- A non-agricultural business owner or a person cooperating with one.
- A member of an agricultural production cooperative.
- Clergy.
Both the mother and the father have the right to the allowance, but only one parent receives it: the one who files the claim.
The page adds one limit. You do not get the allowance if other members of your household can look after the sick child. That rule does not apply if the child is under 2 years old.
How much it pays
The page gives one rate: 80% of the benefit base (podstawa wymiaru zasiłku). For an employee, the base is average gross monthly pay over the 12 months before the month of care, minus the social insurance contributions you pay yourself. For people who are not employees, it is average monthly income over the same 12 months, reduced by 13.71%. If you have been insured for less than 12 months, other calculation rules apply, and business owners and clergy have special rules. The page says ZUS or the payer calculates the exact amount, so treat any figure you work out as an estimate.
How many days
The allowance is paid for a limited number of days in a calendar year:
- Up to 60 days if the child is under 14 years old.
- Up to 14 days if the child is over 14.
- Up to 30 days if the child is over 14, under 18 and disabled.
The 60 days is a combined limit for all care allowances in the year. The page gives the example of two children under 14: you get 60 days in total, not 120. The same total applies if you also receive the allowance in other situations, such as caring for a healthy child under 8 or for another sick family member. If you care for a disabled child aged 14 to 18 and another sick family member, you get 30 days in total, of which up to 14 days can be for the other person.
What documents you need
The page lists:
- Claim form Z-15A.
- A printout of the electronic sick note (e-ZLA), only if your payer has no profile on the ZUS PUE platform. If the payer has a profile, the e-ZLA reaches ZUS and the payer automatically.
- A medical certificate printed in the alternative mode, for example when the doctor had no internet connection.
- A payer certificate, if ZUS will pay: Z-3 for an employee, Z-3b for a business owner, a person cooperating with one, or clergy, and Z-3a in other cases such as a mandate contract.
- An identity document, such as an ID card or passport, if you file in person at ZUS.
- For a disabled child over 14 and under 18, a document confirming the disability, as the page describes.
If the child is sick abroad
The page says that if you care for the child during a stay abroad, you get a certificate from a foreign doctor instead of a Polish one. It must show the name of the medical facility and the doctor, the date of issue and the doctor's signature, and the start and end dates of the care period. A translation into Polish is not needed if it was issued in an EU or EFTA country or a country with a social security agreement with Poland. In other countries a translation is needed, but it does not have to be a sworn one.
Where and when to file
File right away if you have all the documents. You can also claim for a past period, within 6 months of the last day for which you could receive the allowance. The page gives an example: care from 1 to 8 July means filing by 8 January of the next year. If something stopped you, such as being in hospital, you have 6 months from the day the reason ended.
Where you file depends on the payer:
- With the payer, such as your employer, if it employs more than 20 people.
- With the payer or at the ZUS branch for the payer's seat, if it employs up to 20 people. File the e-ZLA printout with the payer.
- At the ZUS branch for the payer's seat, if you run a non-agricultural business, cooperate with one, or are clergy.
You can send documents by post, file them in person or use a representative. When ZUS pays, you can file the claim electronically through PUE ZUS.
Cost, waiting time and appeals
The service is free. Payment is due within 30 calendar days of filing all documents, to the bank account you give in the claim. If ZUS refuses, you get a decision. If your payer refuses or pays the wrong amount, you can ask ZUS for a decision. You can appeal to the regional labour and social insurance court through the ZUS branch within one month of receiving the decision. Appeals are free.
What the page does not say
The page does not address foreigners separately, gives no zloty amounts and has a 2022 update date. Ask ZUS or your payer how your contract and insurance status apply.
* Photos: Edvard Munch, The Sick Child (public domain) and Children's hospital ward, 1887 (public domain, DPLA), both from Wikimedia Commons, used as illustrative images only.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of care allowance can I get for a sick child?
According to the gov.pl page, up to 60 days a year for a child under 14, up to 14 days for a child over 14, and up to 30 days for a disabled child over 14 and under 18. All care allowances share a 60-day yearly limit.
Can both parents claim for the same sick child?
Both have the right, but the allowance is paid to only one parent, the one who files the claim.
What if no one else can care for the child?
The page says you are not entitled if other household members can care for the child, except when the child is under 2.
What if I miss the deadline?
You can claim for a past period within 6 months of the last day covered, or within 6 months after a reason that stopped you from filing.
