Poland has suspended payment of childcare benefits for thousands of Ukrainian war refugees due to them leaving the country, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) said, according to Euractiv.
From June, ZUS suspended the payment of 18,000 zlotys (€4,027), said the spokesman for ZUS, Paweł Żebrowski.
As he explained, ZUS has a statutory obligation to withhold the payment of the childcare benefit for a refugee from Ukraine immediately after their departure from Poland.
Many Ukrainians can still perceive Polish benefits if they meet certain conditions.
Suspending payments “does not involve losing the right to the benefit if the person returns to Poland within 30 days and this fact is recorded by the border guard,” Żebrowski explained, as quoted by Business Insider.
In such a case, he added that the Ukrainian citizen’s legal right to stay in Poland remains and can again receive benefits and compensation for the suspended month, provided that he meets the other conditions.
However, some Ukrainian citizens have lost their legal right to stay in Poland even though they returned to the country within 30 days of leaving, the ZUS spokesman said, adding that they probably did not present the special electronic document when crossing the border and did not report the use of temporary protection.
A person who failed to comply with these requirements and has lost their right to perceive benefits should contact the Border Guard post at the border crossing they crossed with a request to correct the data in the Border Guard register and correct the status of their stay.
In Poland, Ukrainian refugees can receive the same benefits Polish citizens are entitled to, like child and family allowances, childbirth allowance, and pensions.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, an estimated 1.2 million Ukrainian citizens currently live in Poland.