Poland: 800+ for Ukrainians now depends on employment and the child attending a Polish school

Poland has substantially changed the rules for the 800+ family benefit (świadczenie wychowawcze) for Ukrainian citizens. It is no longer an automatic payment for every child: it is now tied simultaneously to the employment (professional activity) of one parent and to the child's in-person attendance at a Polish school or kindergarten. The changes were introduced in two stages, and the last — and strictest — took effect on 1 February 2026.

What exactly changed

Previously, Ukrainian families with UKR status received 800 zł a month per child on effectively the same terms as Polish citizens, with no employment check. Now two mandatory conditions have been added.

1. The schooling condition (in force since 1 June 2025)

Under the law of 15 May 2024, from 1 June 2025 the 800+ benefit for Ukrainians is possible only when the child actually (in person) attends a Polish school or fulfils the pre-school obligation ("zerówka") at a Polish institution. Remote learning at a Ukrainian school no longer qualifies for the benefit. ZUS verifies attendance against data from the education system.

2. The employment condition (in force since 1 February 2026)

Under the law signed by President Karol Nawrocki on 26 September 2025, from 1 February 2026 entitlement to 800+ for Ukrainian citizens with UKR status also depends on the applicant's professional activity in the month preceding the application. ZUS verifies this against insurance-system data. A separate condition remains residence in Poland for both the child and the applicant.

What counts as "professional activity"

• work under an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia);
• running a business (działalność gospodarcza);
• receiving a sports or doctoral scholarship;
• receiving unemployment benefit or taking part in training/an internship from the labour office.

Income threshold

Two levels are provided depending on the form of activity:

• at least 50% of the minimum wage — for work under contracts and business activity;
• at least 30% of the minimum wage — for certain other categories of activity.

The minimum wage in 2026 is 4,806 zł gross, so roughly this is about 2,403 zł (50%) and 1,442 zł (30%) a month.

Who is exempt from the income requirement

• parents of children with disabilities;
• applicants filing for children who are Polish citizens.

Key dates and what to do

1. 31 January 2026 — ZUS suspended automatic 800+ payments for Ukrainian citizens with UKR status.
2. From 1 February 2026 — to resume the benefit, a new application must be filed for the 2025/2026 payment period (via PUE/eZUS, a bank, Poczta Polska or Empik).
3. The changes affected about 150,000 recipients. For other foreigners (non-EU/EFTA), ZUS will begin a similar employment check from the June 2026 payment.

If you meet both conditions (you work/have income and your child attends a Polish school), it is important to file the new application on time, otherwise the benefit will not resume automatically. Check the exact conditions and your application status on the official ZUS website and the state portal Zielona Linia.