In order to support parents who cannot work because they have to look after their children under the age of 8 due to the closure of crèches, kindergartens and schools, the Social Insurance Fund will grant an extraordinary additional care allowance for a period of 2 weeks in the amount of 80% of the assessment basis for the allowance.
This measure has been prolonged for an extra 2 weeks and extended to the parents caring for disabled children over the age of 8: https://www.zus.pl/o-zus/aktualnosci/-/publisher/aktualnosc/1/zmiany-w-dodatkowym-zasilku-opiekunczym/2551095
Additional care allowance for the duration of childcare in connection with the closure of a crèche - children's club - kindergarten - school because of COVID-19
March11,2020
Additional care allowance after March 25, 2020
Extensive preventive measures
The next two weeks are a time of extensive activities to prevent the rapid spread of coronavirus in Poland. We act preventively and preventively. Thanks to such activities, we will limit large groups of people in Poland. The fewer people in one place, the less likely the coronavirus or other viruses will spread quickly. Hence the decision to limit places full of people so that we can act preventively. This is the suspension of classes at schools, kindergartens, nurseries, and colleges.
All activities are possible thanks to the so-called special act - a special law regarding specific solutions in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. Thanks to this law, parents of children up to the age of 8 will be entitled to additional care allowance in the event of unforeseen closure of the nursery, kindergarten, school or children's club.
Current information can be found at: gov.pl/koronawirus (link to an external website)
Sample statement (32kb doc file)
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Who is entitled to additional care allowance for the duration of childcare in connection with the closure of a nursery - children's club - kindergarten - school due to COVID-19?
Additional care allowance is payable to parents or legal guardians of children who:
- they look after a child under 8 years old,
- are covered by sickness insurance (e.g. employees, contractors, persons conducting non-agricultural activities).
- Additional care allowance is granted in the amount of 80% of the allowance assessment basis.
How do I get extra care allowance?
The employee or contractor makes a statement to his contribution payer, e.g. employer, payer.
If the additional care allowance is paid by ZUS, the contribution payer submits the insured's declaration to ZUS. This can be done via the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE). In this case, a scan of the statement confirmed as being true shall attach to certificate Z-3 / Z-3a.
Persons conducting non-agricultural activities and persons cooperating with them submit a declaration to ZUS.
No Z-15A application or Z-3b contribution payer certificate is needed.
The statement may be sent to us electronically - via the Social Insurance Institution (PUE). On the PUE ZUS website, the statement should be submitted using the application ZAS-58 Skarga / Application of the recipient / contribution payer regarding sickness, maternity or funeral allowance benefits .
The template of the declaration can be downloaded on the ZUS website (doc 32kb file) .
Instructions on how to submit a statement via the PUE ZUS website (doc file 527kb).
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Is additional care allowance available from March 12 or only from March 16, 2020?
Additional care allowance is available from March 12 to 25, as this is the closing period for facilities in connection with COVID-19.
The allowance is due in accordance with your statement, i.e. for the entire period, also for non-working days, if you enter the entire period of closing the facility in the statement, or for working days, if you specify such periods in the statement.
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Can additional care allowance be granted until March 27, when the nursery - children's club - kindergarten - school is closed from March 16 to March 27 in connection with COVID-19?
If the school is closed from March 16 and the parent is looking after the child from that day to March 27, he will be entitled to additional care allowance from March 16 to March 27, 2020.
According to the current legal status, the limit on additional care allowance is 14 days.
If the school is closed from March 16 to 27, this limit will not be exceeded.
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Does the period of additional care allowance count towards the 60-day limit?
No. The period of payment of additional care allowance (14 days) is not included in the general limit of 60 days for childcare under 14 years of age.
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How old are the children under the additional parental allowance?
Children under 8 years old. The allowance may be used up to the day preceding the child's eighth birthday.
Example
Mother has applied for care allowance from March 16, 2020 in connection with school closure. Her daughter was born on March 22, 2012. She is entitled to care allowance from March 16-21, 2020.
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How do you complete the period of personal childcare in the statement?
You can specify the total period of childcare or exclude from this period the days on which you were not obliged to work, e.g. Saturday and Sunday, or the child was looked after.
You can indicate the entire period from March 12 to 25, or another period, e.g. from March 16 to 25, or periods in which the child was to attend a closed institution, e.g. March 12-13, 16-20, March 23-25, or other periods during which the child has little care.
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Who should I inform about the use of benefits?
The employee should inform his employer, the contractor - his principal, and the person conducting non-agricultural activities - directly to ZUS.
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When should I report the use of benefits?
At any time, but the payment of the benefit depends on it. No payment is possible without a declaration.
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How do you count 14 days of extra care allowance?
Carer's allowance is paid for each day of care.
If both parents of the child work, one parent may apply for additional childcare allowance. They can also share childcare within the 14-day limit. Parents are entitled to additional care allowance for a total of 14 days, regardless of the number of children needing care.
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Is an additional care allowance payable to an employee who does not work and receives parking pay?
The employee will not receive additional care allowance because he retains the right to remuneration for the period of parking.
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Will I receive additional care allowance if the child's father is working remotely?
A parent who works remotely cannot provide childcare. Therefore, the other parent is entitled to additional care allowance.
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Will the child's father receive additional childcare allowance if the child's mother is on leave to improve health?
Yes. A person taking leave for improvement of health cannot provide childcare.
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Is there an additional care allowance when a five-year child is looked after by a grandmother who refused to take care of her grandson during the period of the growing coronavirus epidemic?
No, because additional care allowance is only payable when the nursery, children's club, kindergarten or school the child attends.
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Is there an additional care allowance or care allowance on general terms when the child's parents employ a nanny on an activation contract that has ceased to look after their child due to the closure of their daughter's school because of COVID-19?
Additional childcare allowance is not payable to a child's parent if the nanny has stopped looking after their child. Parents are not entitled to childcare allowance because the immediate reason for caring for a child is not closing the school / nursery, because the child did not go to school / nursery. The condition for closing the institution to which the child attends is not fulfilled for their acquisition of the right to additional care allowance.
A parent is also not entitled to care allowance under the general principles set out in the Benefit Act (within 60 days), because closing the facility to which the nanny child attends is not a direct reason for the parent having to provide care for his child. If the child is looked after by a nanny, childcare allowance is generally granted if the nanny gets sick.
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Who finances the allowance?
Carer's allowance and additional care allowance are granted from the Social Insurance Fund. This means that benefits are not charged to the employers' fund. Even if the employer pays the benefit (if required), the amounts paid are settled by ZUS.