The Cabinet of Ministers has simplified the procedure for obtaining pensions for Ukrainians abroad, IDPs and in TOT

At a time when millions of Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes because of the war — some lost their housing, some lost their jobs, and some lost their country — the right to social protection takes on a new meaning. Among those who have found themselves at the epicenter of this struggle for elementary stability, there is the most vulnerable category — the elderly. Pensioners who, as a result of the invasion, were left without the ability to receive legal benefits, became hostages of complex bureaucracy and forced resettlement. For them, a pension is not just a payment, but a life necessity, the only source of existence in new, often hostile circumstances. That is why every simplified procedure, every relaxation or a single rule instead of several is not a technical update, but an act of social justice.

What has changed and why it is important for refugees

The Cabinet of Ministers adopted important changes in the procedure for paying pensions and insurance payments, which primarily concern those who, due to the war, found themselves outside the boundaries of their usual space – internally displaced persons (IDPs), Ukrainians who left the country, and those who are forced to live in temporarily occupied territories. About this  reported in the Ministry of Social Policy.

Before the adoption of the new rules, pensioners from different categories had to go through complex and often opaque procedures to confirm the right to a payment. IDPs who received the relevant certificate before February 24, 2022, citizens who left abroad after a full-scale invasion, or persons who remained in the TOT — all of them were subject to separate rules. These algorithms were different and therefore discriminatory and burdensome, especially for older people who often did not have access to advice, the internet or banking tools.

These restrictions have now been lifted. The government has approved a single procedure that simplifies access to pension payments regardless of where a citizen is located — in Kyiv, in the occupied territory, or in Europe.

Uniform rules for all Ukrainians

According to the new conditions, pensioners living abroad or in temporarily occupied territories must undergo physical identification once a year – by December 31. This can be done through Ukrainian banks, consular offices or other means of identification to be determined by the state. This rule only applies to proving that a person is alive and has access to their funds — because a common case is receiving a pension for deceased relatives, which creates abuse and harms the system as a whole.

In addition, citizens who are on TOT must make at least one financial transaction from their account every six months. It also serves as a confirmation of account activity, without the need for excessive monitoring or intervention.

One of the key changes is the possibility of receiving a pension to an account in any Ukrainian bank. This means that an elderly person who, because of the war, is in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany or in a territory where the Pension Fund bodies are temporarily closed, will still be able to freely receive their funds if they have an open account in any Ukrainian banking institution.

Today, pensioners abroad are not migrants of their own free will, but people who found themselves in a situation where it was dangerous to stay. Many of them lost relatives, housing, became hostages of chronic loneliness in a foreign environment. Some ended up in temporary shelters or dependent on humanitarian aid. For such people, early retirement is the only thing that keeps them in touch with their native country, gives them the feeling that the state remembers them.