Beyond the poverty line: how retirees survive
The war hit all Ukrainians hard, but it is especially difficult for our pensioners, those people who have devoted their whole lives to hard work and raising children. Their modest reserves, built up over the years, are melting before their eyes due to inflation and rising prices for utilities, food and medicine. It is extremely difficult to survive for those pensioners who receive the minimum pension from the state – 2,361 hryvnias. They are forced to save on everything that negatively affects their health and quality of life. In addition, many of them continue to work or look for additional sources of income, despite their age and health.
The journalist of IA “FAKT” Julia Bozhok spoke with pensioners of Zhytomyr to find out how they live now or, more correctly, survive.
“My pension is meager, our family budget with my wife is 7,000 hryvnias for the two of us, these funds are not enough even for basic needs. However, the first thing we do is pay for utilities, and only then – food and medicine. We try to save a lot.”, – Mark Gerasimchuk regrets.
Mrs. Maria also says with sadness:
“Currently, there is no normal, fair pension in Ukraine. I am outraged by the fact that pensioners who receive 8,000 receive an additional 1,000 from the state, and those with a minimum pension for some reason do not have a raise. The saddest thing is that the prices are increasing For example, I had to buy ointment, I expected it to cost 300 hryvnias, as before, but I paid almost 500. I don’t know how to survive on these 2,000 hryvnias, which the state pays. I only have enough for utilities and bread, otherwise children, I would have died of hunger a long time ago. What is not famine for poor pensioners now?”.
81-year-old Maria Stefanchuk bitterly recalls her work experience:
“I have worked all my life, standing on my feet, 40 years, 12 hours a day, but the state does not appreciate this. Although I receive 8 thousand, but today I have to pay: for light, water and gas. Tariffs are growing for everything And this pension is not enough. Do the math for yourself – I pay more than 2,000 for the utility bill during the heating season, 5,000 goes to medicine and 2,000 remains for food. I don’t even know when was the last time I ate meat. But my friends receive a minimum pension and are forced to climb through garbage cans. Tears choke when you look at it, and they worked some as a teacher, some as a nurse.”.
Mr. Volodymyr is outraged by the unfair treatment of pensioners:
“Twobut the state deceives poor pensioners a lot – indexation took place, they were supposed to add more to the pension, but they added pennies. I have a minimum payment from the state, and everything gets more and more expensive with each passing year. You know, for some reason no one thinks about how pensioners can survive on 2 thousand hryvnias. What can you buy for them? A liter of milk costs 30-40 hryvnias, bread – 18 hryvnias, eggs – 40 hryvnias per dozen. If you buy it, you get 90 hryvnias. And how many of these products are enough? I am a sick person, but I am not being treated as I should because there is no money. That’s how I survive.”
“We need to increase pensions, andotherwise we simply will not survive. I have a pension of 3 thousand hryvnias. Utility bills take a lot out of my modest budget, because I live in a private house and pay a lot for gas. Therefore, when I receive a pension, I immediately save it for the utility bill, and if there is any left over, I spend it on the cheapest products, often buying expired products. And what to do? You have to survive somehow!”, – complains Mrs. Olena.
The situation with pensions in Ukraine is generally extremely disappointing. According to the State Statistics Service, the average pension in the country is now 5,791 hryvnias, and the minimum pension (2,361 hryvnias) is even less than the subsistence minimum, which is 2,920 hryvnias. At the same time, the prices of food products and medicines have increased by tens of percent over the past few months.
The war only worsened the condition of pensioners, many of them lost their homes, children, loved ones and sources of income. Our retirees need decent pensions, but at the moment this issue is not a priority. In addition to financial support, pensioners also need emotional support. Many of them feel lonely and confused. It is important that they know that they are not forgotten and that they have someone to turn to for help.