ZUS will return the money for the dead. The heirs can recover even a fewer tens of thousands of zlotys

Not everyone knows that The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is obliged to pay the heirs the money remaining in the account of the deceased. It may even affect several tens of thousands of zlotys, and many eligible people never apply for reimbursement. Who can get that money back and how?

Money for the dead in ZUS – who can inherit it?

Each individual withdrawing contributions to ZUS has an individual account in which pension contributions are collected. If the insured individual fails to retire, These measures do not disappearbut may be paid to heirs or persons designated as entitled.

According to the regulations, the money after the deceased insured can go to:

• Wife – first, if there was a wealth union
• Children and grandchildren – if the spouse is not present or indicated in the documents
• siblings or household members – in the absence of another authorised persons
• Persons identified in ZUS – if the deceased before his death appointed circumstantial persons to receive funds

It is worth remembering that if the deceased has not identified any eligible persons, the succession is carried out on a general basis – according to Civil Code.

How much money can you get back from the dead?

The amount that can be recovered from ZUS depends on many factors, including:

• Amounts of contributions collected in the account of the deceased
• Period of payment of contributions
• Has the individual had the funds collected in Open Pension Funds (OFE)

In the case of persons who have worked regularly and retired, returns may even scope PLN 30 000and in any cases more. If a individual died before reaching retirement age and any of the contributions were transferred to OFE, the heirs may besides recover the funds raised in the fund.

How do I get my money back after the dead ZUS?

To get the money back from ZUS after the deceased, you should go through a fewer simple steps:

1. Checking whether the deceased had the funds collected
   • This can be done by contacting ZUS or in the strategy PUE ZUSIf the heir has access to it.
2. Application for payment of appropriations
   • The application shall be submitted on the ZUS form ZP-2.
3. Addition of papers confirming the right to inheritance
   • Depending on the situation, this may be:
     • Death certificate
     • Order to get inheritance
     • Statement of ownership (for the spouse)
4. Waiting for the decision of ZUS
   • As a standard, ZUS examines applications within a fewer weeks, and the money is paid to the account of the authorized person.

What about the funds collected at OFE?

If the deceased possessed account in OFE, the heirs may besides search the return of the funds collected there. The procedure looks akin to the ZUS, but should be submitted separate application straight to OFE.

Important: If the individual who died did not indicate the persons entitled in the OFE, the money is part of the inheritance and is divided according to statutory inheritance rules.

Does ZUS study any returns due?

ZUS does not contact automatically with the heirs on the money they owe. That means that many people never know about recoverywhich stay in the accounts of the dead.

For this reason, it is worth checking for funds collected at ZUS and OFE and then submitting an appropriate application.

If the deceased regularly paid his pension contributions, his heirs could number on a refund of funds that could amount to respective tens of thousands of PLN. It is not worth leaving this money in ZUS – it is better to get it back and usage it according to your own needs.