Rehabilitation benefits

The rehabilitation benefit is granted to a person who is covered by sickness insurance and has already used up the entire sickness allowance, but is still incapable of work. However, the benefit will only be granted if further treatment or rehabilitation can help the person restore his/her earning capacity.

The rehabilitation benefit is payable for a maximum of 12 months, It amounts to:

• 90% of the assessment basis of the sickness allowance during the first 90 days of its receipt,
• 75% of this basis for the remaining period,
• 100% of this basis, if the incapacity for work occurs during pregnancy.

The rehabilitation benefit from accident insurance in the event of incapacity for work caused by accident at work or occupational disease is payable to persons covered by accident insurance. It amounts to 100% of the assessment basis.

The rehabilitation benefit is not available, inter alia, to persons entitled to:

• old-age pension,
• disability pension,
• unemployment benefit,
• pre-retirement allowance,
• pre-retirement benefit,
• health leave,
• teachers’ compensatory benefit.

The benefit is also not available to persons on unpaid leave or parental leave, or to persons who have an established right to an old-age or invalidity pension under the Act of 10 December 1993 on pension provision for professional soldiers and their families or the Pension Provision Act.

The decision whether the health condition justifies granting the rehabilitation benefit is made by ZUS certifying doctor. The person concerned who does not agree with his/her decision, may appeal to ZUS medical board. He/she must do so within 14 days of the date the decision was received. In turn, the president of ZUS may raise an objection that the decision is defective and refer the case to ZUS medical board for consideration. He/she may do it within 14 days after ZUS certifying doctor had issued the decision.

The assessment basis for the rehabilitation benefit is equal to the assessment basis for the sickness allowance after adjustment.

In 2021, an average of 93.2 thousand people received a rehabilitation benefit per month. Its monthly average amount was PLN 2,064.14. The expenditure on the rehabilitation benefit in 2021 amounted to PLN 2,309.2 million. The Social Insurance Institution pays the rehabilitation benefit to employees of work establishments that report no more than 20 employees for sickness insurance. However, in work establishments with more than 20 employees reported for sickness insurance, the rehabilitation benefit is paid by the employer during the period of insurance.

Legal status as of 2022