Shield allowance for energy, gas and food prices

Applications for a new benefit—the shield allowance—could be submitted from January 2022.

The shield allowance is a key element of the government’s anti-inflation shield, which is intended to offset rising energy, gas and food prices. Under the proposed regulations, it will be available to a household whose average monthly income does not exceed PLN 2,100* in a one-person household or PLN 1,500* per person in a multi-person household.

*income as defined in Article 3(1) of the Act of 28 November 2003 on family benefits (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 111, and of 2021, items 1162, 1981, 2105 and 2270).

Annual subsidy amounts under the shield allowance:

a one-person household will receive PLN 400 or 500* provided that income does not exceed PLN 2,100,
a two- or three-person household will receive PLN 600 or 750* provided that income does not exceed PLN 1,500 per person per month,
a four- or five-person household will receive PLN 850 or PLN 1,062.50* provided that income does not exceed PLN 1,500 per person per month,
a household of six or more people will receive PLN 1,150 or PLN 1,437.50* provided that income does not exceed PLN 1,500 per person per month.

*the increase in the subsidy amount depends on the heating source – the higher allowance is available when the household’s main heating source is a solid-fuel boiler, fireplace, wood-burning stove, air heater, kitchen range, heating kitchen stove, coal-fired kitchen or tiled solid-fuel stove, powered by coal or coal-derived fuels, entered in the Central Register of Building Emissions, referred to in Article 27a(1) of the Act of 21 November 2008 on supporting thermal modernisation and renovations and on the Central Register of Building Emissions (Journal of Laws of 2021, items 554, 1162 and 1243).

In the case of the shield allowance, the so-called zloty-for-zloty rule will apply. This means that the allowance will be granted even if the income criterion is exceeded, and the allowance amount will be reduced by the amount of the excess.

If the calculated shield allowance is lower than PLN 20, the allowance will not be granted.

Remember: the Act on the shield allowance provides that one person may belong to only one household. If more than one person submits an application for payment of the shield allowance for a multi-person household, the allowance is granted to the applicant who submitted the application first.

How do I submit an application for the shield allowance?

Applications could be submitted:

electronically – from January 2022 to 31 October 2022, signed with a qualified electronic signature or authenticated using a trusted profile;
traditionally (on paper) – from January 2022 to 31 October 2022:
- at the headquarters of the Municipal Social Welfare Centre in Bolesławiec, Housing and Energy Allowances Department, at 7 Cicha Street, room 1.

The application form for the shield allowance can be obtained at the MOPS headquarters at 7 Cicha Street in Bolesławiec and on the website of the Social Welfare Centre: www.mops.boleslawiec.pl.

Please: enter your email address on the application form – information about the award of the shield allowance will be sent to the email address provided in the application.

For questions or doubts, please contact us by phone at 075 645 78 11 from Monday to Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m..

Benefits awarded for complete applications submitted in January 2022 will be paid in 2 equal instalments, i.e. by 31 March and by 2 December. Those who do not submit an application by the end of January will still be able to apply for support. In that case, they must submit a complete application by 31 October 2022. In this case, payment of the allowance will be made no later than 2 December 2022.

Determining entitlement to the shield allowance

A household is understood to mean: a natural person living and managing a household alone, or a natural person and related or unrelated persons who are in an actual relationship with that person, live with them and manage a household together (a multi-person household). Average monthly income is determined on the basis of income earned in the penultimate calendar year for applications submitted by 31 July 2022, i.e. for 2020, and for applications submitted from 1 August 2022, on the basis of income earned in the last calendar year, i.e. for 2021. Income is calculated on the basis of the definition of income and the calculation method set out in the Family Benefits Act.

Applications submitted after 31 October 2022 will not be considered.

The shield allowance will be paid by municipalities, which will receive grants from the state budget.

Legal basis: the Act of 17 December 2021 on the shield allowance (Journal of Laws of 2022, item 1).

How to fill in an application for payment of the shield allowance

Complete the application in CAPITAL LETTERS – this will make it easier to check the application. Mark checkboxes with V or X.

In the field “authority conducting the proceedings concerning the award of the shield allowance,” enter the name of the authority (if it has not already been entered) that will consider the application for payment of the shield allowance. This may be the commune head, mayor or city mayor. You can confirm this information at your commune office.

Part I: details of the applicant and their household, section I, item 1

Applicant’s details

As the applicant, you represent your household – enter your details. The details of the other household members (in the case of a multi-person household) must be entered in the later part of the application.

Enter the series and number of the document only if you do not have a PESEL number.

Address of residence

Provide the current address at which you live.

In sections 06 and 07, you may enter your telephone number and email address. By providing your email address, you will receive a message from the commune with information about the award of the shield allowance. If you do not enter an email address, you will collect the information about the award of the allowance at your commune. PART I, ITEM 2.

Details of household members

Here you declare whether you manage your household independently (a one-person household) or jointly with other people (a multi-person household).

If your household is a multi-person household, in addition to selecting the “multi-person” option, enter the number of members of your household (including yourself).

If you submit a paper application and there is not enough space to enter all members of your household (your household consists of more than 7 people), print or ask a commune employee for an additional application page to enter the remaining household members. PART I, ITEM 3.

Information on solid-fuel heating sources

By selecting the “I confirm” option, you declare that:

the main heating source of your household is one of the listed solid-fuel heat sources;
this heating source has been entered in the Central Register of Building Emissions.

Meeting both of the above criteria may entitle you to the shield allowance increased by 25%.

By selecting the “I deny” option, you declare that you are applying for the shield allowance at the basic rate, i.e. PLN 400–1,150 depending on the size of the household. PART I, ITEM 4.

Authority to which health insurance contributions were paid for you and the members of your household

If you submit an application between 1 January 2022 and 31 July 2022, enter the year 2020 in the “date” field. If you submit an application after 31 July 2022, enter the year 2021.

Also select the authority to which health insurance contributions are paid for you and the members of your household.

You may select more than one option. PART I, ITEM 5.

Details concerning the income of household members

SUBITEM 5.1
If you or a member of your household pay child support, enter the total amount in the given calendar year.

Indicate the calendar year specified in Part I, item 4 of the application (concerning the authority to which health insurance contributions were paid).

SUBITEM 5.2

By selecting “YES,” you confirm that you or members of your household have earned income not subject to personal income tax.

In that case, it will be necessary to complete Part III of the application. This part is located on the following pages of the application and contains detailed explanations concerning types of income not subject to personal income tax.

Part II: Declarations

In this part, you confirm that you are applying for the shield allowance and that all the information you provided in the application is true.

NOTE: You may incur criminal liability for making a false declaration!

Part III: Applicant’s declaration concerning their own income or that of a household member other than income subject to personal income tax under the rules set out in Articles 27, 30b, 30c, 30e and 30f of the Act of 26 July 1991 on personal income tax

Part III should be completed only if the “YES” box was selected in the first question in Part I, item 5.2.

Income not subject to taxation includes, for example, parental benefit, child support, and scholarships for the unemployed financed from European Union funds or the Labour Fund. A detailed list of income not subject to personal income tax is provided in the later part of the application.

Details of the household member to whom the declaration relates

If several members of your household received this type of income, a separate declaration must be completed for each of those people.

Enter the total income received by the household member indicated above. In the later part, specify the sources from which the income was received. Possible income sources can be found in footnote no. 2.