Kształtowanie się Zakładu Ubezpieczeń Społecznych jako podmiotu ubezpieczeń społecznych w Polsce

Abstract

The functioning of the Social Security Institution (ZUS) is one of the elements of social policy of the State It aims at securing existence and fundamental needs of benefit recipients. The Institution is an entity which handles the social security system. It ensures social security in case of sickness, disability, old age or death. The Social Security Institution is a combination of a financial institution (contribution collection, payment of benefits, tax collection from old-age pensioners and recipients of sickness allowances) with a social institution. Every month social security contributions are paid to ZUS for 14,5 million persons; they are contributed by over 2 million taxpayers. Every month 7,3 million pensions and sickness allowances are paid from ZUS as well as 400 thousand securities and short-term benefits which total around PLN 14 million. The functioning of the Institution cost little, i.e. over 2 % of money in its operations. In relation to the scale of tasks performed, this amount is low. It has stood practically at the same level for years due to a public sector pay freeze.