Some Ukrainian pensioners may lose their pension payments. In recent years, the number of pensioners in Ukraine has decreased by approximately 1.8 million compared to 2015 (from approximately 12.1 million to 10.3 million). This was stated by Mykhailo Vulakh, a lawyer for the protection of pensioners' rights.
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“The number of pensioners in Ukraine has decreased by 1.8 million. This is more than the entire population of the city of Kharkiv, and before the war. Thus, in recent years, the number of pensioners in Ukraine has decreased by approximately 1.8 million compared to 2015 (from approximately 12.1 million to 10.3 million). Part of this reduction is not only due to mortality, but also due to problems with registration: unaccounted length of service, lost archives, traveling abroad without registration, or unofficial work,” explained Mykhailo Vulakh.
As you know, in Ukraine, the requirements for seniority are increasing every year. In 2025, to retire at 60, you need to have at least 32 years of seniority. In order to retire in 2028, 60-year-old pensioners must have at least 35 years of seniority.
Part of the work experience may not be counted if there is a break in work, lack of deductions to the PFU, or unregistered employment contracts. Lost archives or closed enterprises that did not transfer data are also a problem.
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Also, experience will not be credited if there are no scanned records in the PFU system.
If a person cared for children or people with disabilities or was abroad without a pension, their length of service is also in question.
It is imperative to check accruals and length of service, even if a pension has already been assigned.
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The lawyer advises checking the pension accrual in the PFU electronic account.
Check in your electronic account what length of service was taken into account when calculating your pension and check with your paper work book to see if the entries were made correctly.
Archival certificates are required to confirm the length of service. If the company has closed, you need to look for it among the legal successors or in the archives.
Documents confirming experience are required (employment certificates, childcare/disabled care, medical certificates).
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Vulakh advises that if you have submitted an application to the Pension Fund with copies of documents, keep the registration number. If you receive a written response with a refusal, contact the regional branch of the Pension Fund.
If your pension is less than two minimums (less than UAH 4,722), you can use free legal assistance.
If a pensioner is denied at all instances of the Pension Fund, he or she can file a lawsuit in court.
“If the PFU refuses to recalculate or ignores confirmed documents, after exhausting administrative procedures, you can file a lawsuit in court. If your pension is very small, you can get free legal assistance,” the lawyer advises.
The lawyer reminded that seniority can be purchased. For example, a month of seniority in 2025 = 1,760 UAH (22% of 8,000), a year = 21,120 UAH. Whether this is profitable depends on each individual case.
As “FACTY” reported, banks have begun tracking pension cards to accurately determine the number of pensioners in Ukraine.
