Do you think that the best is already behind you? It's not true! Now begins a new phase of your life, which may even be more interesting than before. Retirement is a time to pursue your passion, it is a moment to make your dreams come true. To fully enjoy life in retirement, get to know the rights and privileges of the retired now.
Polishpensioner , unlike German or British, sits at home, takes care of grandchildren, at best farms, and is generally poor. "Autumn of life" is a period when you cannot afford to be entertained and develop your interests. Time to break the stereotype. More and more Poles believe that they fully enjoy life only after retirement. Grown children, fulfilled professional ambitions, you can finally take care of yourself. According to psychologists, the key to success is to accept the new situation and the changes it brings.
Retirement - caring for money
The fear of worsening one's financial situation is the most frustrating. Currently, the averagepensionis PLN 1788 gross, the lowest - about PLN 728 gross. According to the Central Statistical Office, in 2009, approx. 61 percent. received a benefit that was lower than the average, and 300 thous. people - below PLN 800 (the minimum subsistence figure in 2009 is PLN 905). Departmental pensions are on average PLN 1,000 higher, and for farmers from KRUS - PLN 600 lower than those paid by ZUS. Only 18 percent. retirees describe their financial situation as good, 60 percent. as average, and 22 percent. she claims to be bad. Among retirees who earn extra money, they work the most to repair their budget. A smaller group are people who want to increase their future benefits. Some of them do not quit their jobs because they want to be professionally active. With age, financial motives play a smaller role and work becomes an end in itself.
Who can retire?
Pensions from ZUS receive about 5 million Poles. To go into state retirement, a woman must be 60 years of age and a man 65 years of age. The required period of employment (20 years for women, 25 years for men) should also be documented. The internship applies only to the so-called old retirement pension, ie people who were born before 1949. In the new pension system, the employment period does not significantly affect the amount of the benefit, but the level of the individual insurance account is important. Newthe system is divided into 3 pillars:
1st pillar -Social Insurance Fundoperated by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) - here contributions of working people are paid (19.52%, and in the case of having the 2nd pillar, 12.22% of gross remuneration ). Pension rights in this pillar are not inherited; Pillar II - Open Pension Fund - everyone chooses a fund investing funds transferred by ZUS to an individual account (currently 2.3% goes to an account in OFE, and 5% - to a sub-account in ZUS). It is real capital that works for future retirement. Contributions are exempt from income tax and are partially inheritable;
III pillar - occupational pension programs, individual retirement accounts and other voluntary forms of saving for retirement. In order to have a satisfactory benefit, you also have to put
aside in the 3rd pillar.
Outside of Poland, at the age of 60, ladies, including in Greece, Belgium and Great Britain. But in most EU countries, the age of women is to be raised to or equal to that of men. Many countries already set the age limit of 67 for both genders.
Early retirement - for whom?
Although early retirement was abolished from 1 January 2009, some may benefit from it under the old rules. These are men born before January 1, 1949, who are 60 and 25 years of work experience and a ZUS certificate of total incapacity to work or 60 and 35 years of work. The right to early retirement is granted to women born in the years 1949–53, who by 31 December 2008 have completed 30 years of work experience. Ladies who met these conditions did not have to retire immediately. They may apply for it in the following years. But the application must be submitted before the age of 60 - otherwise ZUS will calculate a pension under the new rules. Early retirement may be granted to people born after 1948, working in special conditions or in a special capacity, e.g. railwaymen, artists, creators. Important! Those who by the end of 1998 have achieved the following: 20/25 years (woman / man), including 15 years in special conditions or of a special nature, and who do not belong to OFE, retain the right to early retirement regardless of government changes in this regard. ZUS will pay the benefit after the age of 55 (woman) and 60 (man).
Special pensions - for whom?
Special pensions concern professions excluded from the general pension system, e.g. policemen, military, firefighters. They can retire after 15 years of service (then the pension will amount to 40% of the last salary, the longer someone works, thehe will get more). Miners are allowed to retire regardless of their age after 25 years of service.
Pre-retirement solutions
15 years of work in special or special conditions, including at least one day before 1999 and one day after December 31, 2008, overall work experience of 20 years (female), 25 years (man) and completed 55 years (female) and 60 years (male) en titles you to apply for a
bridging pension. People working in certain professions, such as pilots, steel workers, may finish their work even 10 years before the statutory retirement age. Who, until 1999, has not worked 15 years under special or special conditions, will receive a bridging pension if his profession is included in the current list attached to the Bridge Act and meets the conditions relating to seniority and age.
You can get a pre-retirement benefit only if you lose your job due to the fault of your employer (e.g. insolvency). By the date of termination of the employment contract, you must be 56 (female) or 61 (male) and 20 (female) or 25 (male) worked; 35-year-
n and work experience (female) and 40-year-old (man) en title you to the benefit regardless of age. To be eligible for the benefit, you must have worked in the company for at least six months before it declares bankruptcy, register with the employment office and receive unemployment benefits for at least six months. The benefit from 1 March 2011 is PLN 867.25.
Know your privileges
The list of offers with lower prices for retirees is still growing. You will find them here.
Travel by train. Pensioners (also in early retirement) are legally en titled to a 37% discount for 2 journeys a year in 2nd class on passenger trains, fast or express trains. Prerequisite: you must show a special ID issued by the regional branch of the Polish Association of Pensioners and Disabled People, together with an identity document. It is possible to purchase more than one ticket for a one-way journey if a change is necessary. PKP Intercity offers the Senior Card to people over 60 and often traveling by rail. You can buy it at all major stations for PLN 150, then you can enjoy a 50% discount for travel in class 1 or 2 around Poland on PKP Intercity trains throughout the year. The discount does not apply to seats. On the other hand, Regiokarta Senior (costs PLN 49) en titles you to buy cheaper tickets for a year (up to 30%) for regional trains of carriers: Przewozy Regionalne, Koleje Dolnośląskie and Arriva RP. When going abroad, it is worth calculating whether it will pay off to use a special Inter Rail card. Covers routes all over Europe (withexcept Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Albania and the B altic states). As part of the tickets, in some countries you have free admission to museums, discounts on hotels, ferries, restaurants (www.intercity.pl.).
Public transport. In most cities, retirees can benefit from a 50% discount, and people over 70 travel for free.
Flights. Discounts are 10-25 percent. depending on the line. You can count on being transported to the plane in a wheelchair, and in exceptional cases on a special place on the plane.
Travel by coach. Discounts may reach 20-35 percent. PKS does not have a permanent discount system. The discount is available on some journeys (also abroad), and its amount depends, among others from time and route.
Shopping. For example, in Carrefour on Tuesdays, customers over 60 years old can gain 10 percent. discount. To use it, you need to do the shopping for a minimum of PLN 50
and report to the customer service point with a receipt and ID card.
Drugs. Some pharmacies introduce discount cards for loyal customers. Others offer one-off discounts for seniors or sell non-refundable drugs at a wholesale price at certain times.
Radio and television. People over the age of 75 do not pay the subscription, pensioners who have reached the age of 60 and their retirement benefits are below the national average, and those who receive pre-retirement benefits.
Passport. Retirees pay half the price (PLN 70). After seventy, the passport is free.
The fee for the dog. In some cities, seniors are exempt from it.
Entertainment. Cinemas, theaters, museums offer 40-50 percent. discounts. Sometimes entry for retirees is free. You can count
on a reduced ticket in a gallery, botanical garden, national park. Most swimming pools offer cheaper tickets and passes.
Retirement, then work
Our employment rate for people aged 55-64 is 32.3%, while the European average is 46%. According to ZUS, about 600,000 people work in Poland. retirees, but this data is incomplete. According to the statistics of the Central Statistical Office of Poland (GUS), at the end of 2009, 317,000 retirees and disability pensioners were employed in companies with over 9 people. However, the calculations do not take into account those working in smaller factories or the multitude of retirees earning extra money in the shadow economy. A retiree is not profitable to hire full-time, because it does not involve any tax benefits. In addition, all contributions must be paid. People who have retired earlier, avoid this form of employment on their own, because when you work full-time, there are limits in making extra money. A "young pensioner" can earn up to 70 percent with impunity. average monthly salary (currently PLN 2,356.30 gross). Ifexceeds this amount, his pension will be reduced. And when it earns over 130 percent. average salary (from September this year - PLN 4376), ZUS will suspend the benefit. Only contracts for specific work and copyright contracts (concerning journalists, authors) do not reduce the benefits from ZUS. You can also start a sole proprietorship - no matter how much you earn, your pension will not be suspended. According to ZUS data, only 38 thousand. retirees receive lower benefits due to extra money, and 11 thousand. had to suspend pensions.
People who have already reached the statutory retirement age can earn as much as they want, regardless of the form of employment. It is worth knowing that if ZUS contributions are made on these earnings, you can apply for a pension conversion. Among working retirees there are many teachers, public administration officials, doctors, seniors are eagerly employed in shops and security companies. According to the regulations, in the last 2 years, the retiring person did not have to notify the employer about it. It is impossible now. If you want to receive an old-age pension from ZUS, you must leave your job for at least one day. After that, you can even work in the same place. The problem is whether your employer will re-hire you. For fear of losing their job, some people will not be dismissed, and the Social Insurance Institution will save on it.
At the club and at the university
The worst thing you can do is lock yourself in four walls. Because for mental hygiene, it's better to leave the house and do anything else than sit in front of the TV.
Senior centers and clubs are outdoing each other in offers for people who want to live a full life. Often, in the park or on the street, you can see a group of seniors walking with poles. It is a really great form of activity - it activates all muscles, shapes the body, relaxes. When you walk, you switch off your thinking, look at your neighbor's athletic figure and come home charged with positive energy.
Universities of the Third Age - there are several hundred of them in Poland. They operate at universities or under their patronage, as part of some foundations and associations, at community centers and libraries. You pay symbolic money for classes and you don't need to have any other studies. Everyone, even the most demanding seniors, will find something for themselves. Apart from lectures (e.g. in literature, art history, economics, philosophy), foreign language courses and computer classes are also conducted. The offer includes a swimming pool, yoga, gymnastics, aerobics, dance lessons, trips around Poland
and trips abroad at a discounted price. There are painting and handicraft clubs, workshops with a beautician, hairdresser and dietitian who will tell you how totake care to keep youth.