The situation where you are just one step away from retirement but lack one year of insurance work experience is familiar to many Ukrainians. In 2026, this "missing year" can be purchased for 45,656 UAH as a lump-sum payment. But is it worth rushing? Sometimes it is more profitable to wait and accumulate work experience naturally.

The economics of the pension decision

If a woman who has reached the age of 60 purchases the missing year of work experience, she can receive her pension immediately. With an expected monthly payout of 5,000 UAH, the investment will pay off within nine months. Everything received after this period is pure profit.

The alternative is to wait a year without buying work experience. In this case, the person keeps the 45,656 UAH but loses approximately 60,000 UAH in pension payments for the same period. The loss amounts to about 14,000 UAH — and this does not account for future indexations.

When buying work experience makes no sense

If a person continues to work officially with a decent salary, they may earn significantly more over the course of a year than they would receive in pension benefits. In such a case, purchasing work experience is economically unviable — it is better to accumulate it naturally by continuing to work.

Furthermore, the size of the future pension depends not only on work experience but also on the salary level from which insurance contributions were paid. Therefore, before making any decision, it is worth contacting the Pension Fund to clarify:

  • the exact amount of existing insurance work experience;
  • the expected pension amount;
  • the possibility of concluding an agreement to pay contributions for the missing period.

Context: increase in minimum pensions and important reminders

In Ukraine, the subsistence minimum has been raised to 3,209 UAH — 289 UAH more than a year ago. This has automatically increased minimum pensions and certain social benefits tied to this indicator.

It is also important to remember: quitting a job or closing a sole proprietorship (FOP) does not automatically change pensioner status. To avoid losses in payments, the Pension Fund must be notified of the status change within 10 days.

Previously, RBC-Ukraine reported that certain categories of citizens — workers in education, medicine, and social protection — may receive a lump-sum payment equal to ten pensions instead of a monthly pension, provided they have special work experience.

Conclusion: there is no universal solution

Every case is individual. For some, it is more profitable to buy work experience and start receiving a pension immediately; for others, it is better to wait and accumulate it naturally. The key is to perform calculations taking into account personal circumstances, current income, and projected payments. Only in this way can a balanced decision be made to avoid financial losses.