ZUS: Application Service Centres for Reliefs Launching

Centres for Handling Relief Applications (CUL) are being launched across the country. These Centres will process applications for relief related to contribution arrears, unduly received benefits, and enforcement relief. This solution aims to ensure greater standardisation in decisions concerning relief cases. At the same time, it will not change the way clients submit applications to ZUS – relief and remission advisers will continue to provide assistance in this area.

Relief applications submitted to ZUS from 1 June are randomly assigned for handling to one of ten Centres established in ZUS branches in Bydgoszcz, Gorzów Wlkp., Legnica, Wałbrzych, Rybnik, Rzeszów, Zabrze, and the I and II Branches in Łódź and Wrocław.

Advantages of the simplified procedure

“The aim of establishing the Centres is to improve the quality of services provided and to ensure consistency in decisions taken by ZUS. Decentralising the substantive handling of these cases enables automatic and random allocation of applications to individual Centres. This will ensure even greater standardisation of decisions,” explains ZUS Vice President Paweł Jaroszek.

When submitting applications for relief, clients may seek assistance from relief and remission advisers.

“Our clients can still submit applications for relief at any ZUS branch where relief and remission advisers are appointed to assist clients. The advisers’ tasks include supporting applicants during the application compilation process and assisting with the completion of declarations necessary for application review,” says Paweł Jaroszek.

Relief granted by ZUS in the form of an instalment plan provides a convenient way to repay debts. From the day following the submission of the application, no late-payment interest is charged on the amounts covered by the relief. In the case of contribution arrears, a deferral fee is charged during this period, amounting to 50% of the interest rate for late payment applicable on the date the agreement is concluded. Entering into an instalment plan allows the applicant, among other things, to continue business activity.

Another advantage of debt repayment in instalments is the suspension of enforcement actions undertaken by ZUS and the possibility for the entrepreneur to obtain a certificate of no arrears in contribution payments. The condition for granting an instalment arrangement is submitting an application to ZUS and providing the documents necessary to assess the applicant’s financial situation. The required documents are determined individually, depending on the type of liability, business activity, and form of taxation.

According to ZUS, applications will be assessed by CUL employees who will not have contact with the applicant, which is intended to ensure objective decisions and reduce the risk of potential abuse.

When can applications be submitted?

The launch of the first 10 Centres for Handling Relief Applications is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2021.

More information is available on the Social Insurance Institution’s website: https://www.zus.pl/