There is only time until the end of the month to decide where part of the pension contribution (2.92% of the assessment basis) should go: whether to OFE or to a sub-account in ZUS. The decision made by the end of July only covers future (new) contributions, not those that have been paid to the retirement account so far. According to data from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, at the end of June 2024, the number of people saving in OFE was 14.39 million.
– Everyone has to make this decision themselves. This year, this applies to people who, by August 2024, will not have reached the age of 50 in the case of women (women born since 1974) or the age of 55 in the case of men (men born since 1969) – explains Iwona Kowalska-Matis regional ZUS press spokesman in Lower Silesia
According to the spokeswoman, the point is that, in accordance with the regulations, a "safety slider" is activated for people who are 10 years below the retirement age. This means that ZUS no longer transfers contributions to OFE, and OFE gradually transfers the funds it has collected to ZUS, which the Social Insurance Institution records on the individual sub-account of the insured person.
The spokeswoman explains that the pension contribution paid by the employer to the Social Insurance Institution is 19.52%. gross remuneration along with all cash allowances (so-called assessment basis). The decision concerns 2.92 percent. basis for calculating pension contributions. If the insured decides that these 2.92 percent is to be transferred to OFE, 12.22% will go to his retirement account. contributions, 4.38 percent to a sub-account kept by ZUS.
– However, if someone does not want their contribution to go to OFE, then the entire contribution will be allocated to the second pillar in the amount of 7.3%. (2.92 percent + 4.38 percent) will be recorded on the ZUS sub-account – explains Iwona Kowalska-Matis.
The decision of the insured persons is therefore only 2.92%. basis for the assessment of the contribution, which can be saved on a sub-account in ZUS (I option) or transferred to OFE (II option).
– To inform us about his decision to transfer part of the contribution to OFE, the client must submit to ZUS a completed "Declaration on transferring the contribution to an open pension fund or recording the contribution on a sub-account kept by the Social Insurance Institution" – explains Kowalska-Matis. – Failure to declare will mean continuing the current method of collecting pension funds – he adds.
Who does not have to and cannot make a declaration?
People who do not want to change their previous decision regarding the division of pension contributions and people who will reach the general retirement age in 10 years or earlier do not have to submit the documents.
– In their case, the so-called a safety slider that protects the insured's funds accumulated in OFE against possible loss of their value. Therefore, 10 years before reaching the general retirement age, ZUS does not transfer contributions to OFE, and OFE gradually transfers funds to ZUS, which are recorded on the sub-account – explains Kowalska-Matis.
If the insured person has not been a member of an OFE so far and would like to have part of his/her contribution transferred to the account of a selected OFE, he/she must conclude an agreement with the OFE of his/her choice within 4 months of submitting the ZUS-US-OFE-03 declaration.
The next transfer window will be from April 1 to July 31, 2028.
The form with the symbol ZUS-US-OFE-03 is available on the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE) portal, on our website www.zus.pl, and at each ZUS branch in the customer service room. The declaration can be submitted electronically – via the Electronic Services Platform (PUE) of ZUS, in person – at any ZUS branch, or by post – to the address of any ZUS branch.
