The national welfare policy in Poland is the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and the Social Security Institution (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych, ZUS) acts as its executive agency.

One of the elements of the Polish social security system is a scheme of financial payments, financed within the social insurance framework from the Social Insurance Fund (Fundusz Ubezpieczeń Społecznych), which comprises: retirement insurance, pension insurance, sickness and maternity insurance as well as occupational accident and occupational illness insurance.

There is a family payments scheme, which exists in addition to the social insurance scheme, offering family benefits financed from the State Budget, and also an unemployment benefit scheme financed from the separate Labour Fund (Fundusz Pracy) in Poland.