Support Benefit Also for Diabetics: Disease Diagnosis Alone Is Not Enough

Individuals with diabetes can now receive a monthly support benefit ranging from 792 PLN to 4,353 PLN from ZUS, provided they meet specific independence criteria rather than just holding a medical diagnosis.

Support Benefit Also for Diabetics. Disease Diagnosis Alone Is Not Enough

All persons who have obtained at least 70 points on the support need level scale can now apply for the support benefit, and payout amounts have also increased starting from March 1. A person with diabetes can receive from 792 PLN up to 4,353 PLN per month from ZUS, but a diagnosis alone does not grant the right to the funds. What decides the granting of the benefit?

Support benefit in diabetes. What does the decision depend on?

Diabetes can lead to serious complications that limit the patient’s independence over time. Vision loss, mobility problems, or the necessity to use the help of other people can make the patient meet the conditions for receiving the support benefit.

However, this is not a special allowance paid exclusively to diabetics. The benefit is granted to persons with disabilities who meet statutory conditions, regardless of the type of disease that led to the restriction of independence.

In practice, this means that two people with diabetes can receive completely different decisions regarding the granting of support. One may not receive the benefit at all, while the other obtains the highest amount provided by the act.

From 2026, 70 Points Is Enough. This Is the Final Stage of Reform

The support benefit was introduced gradually. Initially, access to it was granted to individuals requiring the greatest support. Currently, the benefit is also available to people with 70 to 77 points. This means the threshold above which the benefit is paid has been lowered.

Attention! The fundamental condition remains obtaining a decision from the voivodeship disability assessment board, known as WZON.

No Benefit for Diabetes Alone. Independence Matters

This is one of the most important rules that people suffering from diabetes should remember. A diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes in itself does not mean the right to the support benefit. The level of support need is of key importance. Therefore, what is assessed is the extent to which a person with a disability is capable of independently performing specific activities related to everyday functioning. Therefore, the consequences of the disease causing e.g., the following may have significance:

Attention! In the case of diabetes, what is significant may not be glycemia results or the duration of the disease itself, but rather the actual impact of its consequences on the life of a specific person.

Diabetes Complications May Matter in WZON Assessment

Long-term diabetes can lead to complications affecting various organs. If these cause the loss or severe limitation of independence, they can influence the assessment of the support need level. In practice, the following may have significance:

However, there is no simple conversion factor according to which a specific complication automatically means a specific number of points. WZON assesses the situation of a specific person. Therefore, even a serious medical diagnosis does not allow a priori judgment on how many points will be awarded.

How Much Is the Support Benefit in 2026?

The amount of the benefit depends directly on the number of points awarded by WZON. The amounts constitute a specific percentage of the current social pension. From March 1, 2026, the social pension is 1,978.49 PLN. Consequently, the amount of the support benefit is as follows:

Level of support need – Amount of benefit – Monthly amount: 95–100 pts – 220 percent of social pension – 4,353 PLN; 90–94 pts – 180 percent – 3,561 PLN; 85–89 pts – 120 percent – 2,374 PLN; 80–84 pts – 80 percent – 1,583 PLN; 75–79 pts – 60 percent – 1,187 PLN; 70–74 pts – 40 percent – 792 PLN.

The benefit amounts change along with the amount of the social pension. Therefore, the next indexation of the base will also affect the amount of the support benefit.

Up to 4,353 PLN Regardless of Earnings

In the case of the support benefit, the income criterion does not apply. This means that ZUS does not make the payment of money dependent on how much a given person earns or what income their household achieves. The benefit:

ZUS also indicates that the support benefit can be received simultaneously with, for example, a pension, social pension, or supplementary benefit for persons incapable of independent existence. This means that a person with diabetes meeting the remaining conditions will not lose the right to the benefit just because they already receive a pension or retirement pay.

First WZON, Only Then ZUS

What needs to be done to receive the benefit? The procedure consists of two stages. First, one must apply to the voivodeship disability assessment board for the issuance of a decision determining the level of support need. Only after obtaining an appropriate decision can one proceed to the second stage, which is applying for the benefit at the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).

ZUS clearly indicates that the application for the support benefit should be submitted only when the WZON decision becomes final. If a person does not apply for a reconsideration of the case, the decision becomes final after 14 days from its delivery.

Application to ZUS Only Online

The application for the support benefit is submitted exclusively via electronic means. Therefore, it is not necessary to personally deliver a paper form to a ZUS facility. One can use the ZUS electronic system or other electronic channels provided by regulations. After the benefit is granted, the money is transferred cashlessly to the bank account indicated in the application maintained in Poland.

70 Points Does Not Mean 70 Percent of the Benefit

The number of points determines the level of support need, while the percentage indicates what part of the social pension will be used to calculate the benefit.

For example:

Therefore, a person with 70 points does not receive 70 percent of the social pension. In 2026, with a score of 70–74 pts, the benefit amounts to 792 PLN per month.