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Parental payment

Parental payment is a support payment made by the state after the birth of a child. Polish people call this parenting payment “kosinak’s payment”. The payment got this title thanks to Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, a Polish physician and politician who was the first to offer this parenting payment to those who are unable to take their maternity leave.
The amount of the parenting payment is fixed and is 1000 PLN (parenting payment is not taxed). The parental payment is not dependent on the family income criteria. The parental payment is provided to parents who cannot take maternity leave according to work conditions such as work contracts or assignments, studying, or in situations where parents are unemployed. It is not necessary for both parents to be officially unemployed. There is also no need to be officially registered at Municipal Labour Office (Urzęd Pracy).

Foreigners may apply for parental payment if they live in Poland and hold:
• permanent residence permit in the Republic of Poland,
• long-term European Union resident permit in the Republic of Poland,
• temporary residence permit with the annotation “access to the labour market”. This clause does not apply to foreigners being nationals of a non-EU country but who are authorized to work in an EU country for up to 6 months or holds a residence permit for the purpose of studies.
• temporary residence permit for the purpose of work or studies on the territory of Poland, issued to a person holding a long-term EU resident permit issued by another UE Member State,
• refugee status or subsidiary protection.

Parental payment may be provided to:
• mother or father of the child (the father is entitled to parental payment if the period of receiving parental payment at the request of the mother of the child has been shortened after she has used it for at least 14 weeks from the date of birth, or in case of mother’s death or in situation when mother abandons the child).
• the legal guardian of the child (the person, who actually takes care of the child at the discretion of the family court) in case of childcare of a child under 7 years of age (or under 10 years of age if a child requires special care);
• foster family (with the exception of a professional foster family who signs an agreement with the President of Poland on foster care and one parent receives payment) in case of childcare of a child under 7 years of age (or under 10 years of age if a child requires special care);
• a person who has adopted a child under the age of 7 (or under 10 if a child requires special care).

The duration of parental payment depends on the number of children that were born or are under care.
• 52 weeks – in the case of birth/adoption of one child,;
• 65 weeks – in the case of birth of twins, adoption or taking care of two children;
• 67 weeks – in the case of birth of triplets, adoption or taking care of three children;
• 69 weeks – in the case of birth of quadruplets, adoption or taking care of four children;
• 71 weeks – in case of birth of five or more children, adoption or taking care of five or more children.

Should a parent/guardian of a child be entitled to several types of payments:
a) parental payment or
b) child care assistance or
c) special child care assistance or
d) supplementary payment for family during maternity leave or
e) allowance for a guardian referred to in the Law of April 4, 2014 on the determination and payment of allowances for guardians
– only one of these benefits may be granted to the entitled person.

The application for the parental payment must be submitted within three months from the date of birth/adoption of the child.
If the application is submitted on time, the right to parental payment is established from the month of birth or adoption of the child.
However, if the application for payment was not submitted on time, but not later than 52 weeks from the date of birth (adoption, care) of one child and, accordingly, longer in the case of birth (adoption, care) of more children, parental payment shall be granted from the date when the application was submitted.
In Lublin, applications for parental payment can be submitted in paper form at the Municipal Family Support Center on Zemborzycka St. 88. The application may also be submitted electronically.