Solidarity in social insurance on the example of the Polish pension system

The author examines social solidarity and its role in social insurance, focusing on Poland’s reformed pension system. Key aspects analyzed include pension financing methods, risk structure, eligibility conditions, and benefit calculations. The 1999 reform significantly reduced the system’s redistributive function, yet traces of this function persist. One example is the guarantee of a minimum pension, financed by the state budget, which reflects societal solidarity rather than solidarity within the insured risk community. The system also redistributes funds between pensioners who exceed or fall short of the average life expectancy at retirement. The author concludes that the reformed pension system retains its insurance character. While social insurance includes an element of benefit equalization, granting relatively higher benefits to low earners, this is applied selectively to alleviate economic disparities. Full equivalence between contributions and benefits does not negate the system’s insurance nature.