Short-term sick pay does not equate to sick benefit for pension start date purposes under Polish law.

The Supreme Court dismissed the legal question regarding whether short-term sick pay qualifies as sick benefit for pension eligibility. The petitioner argued that receiving wages during a brief illness period should count as receiving sick benefits, but the Social Insurance Institution contended these are distinct financial instruments. The court ruled that because the relevant statutes do not equate these payments, the pension right arises only upon stopping the sick pay, not the sick benefit.