Ukraine Pension Fund: when entitled to several types of pensions, a person chooses the most beneficial benefit themselves

The Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) has confirmed that citizens who are entitled to several types of pensions at the same time may choose for themselves which specific benefit to receive. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the authority. Under the current procedure, if a person simultaneously acquires the right to an old-age pension, a length-of-service pension, a disability pension, or a survivor's pension, only one benefit is assigned — and the choice between them is left to the pensioner themselves.

How the choice of pension type works

The key principle explained by the Fund is that several pensions on different grounds are not automatically summed up: a person is assigned one most suitable benefit. This means that, when there are multiple grounds, the pensioner effectively has the opportunity to compare the options and settle on the one that provides a higher income. This approach helps avoid a situation in which a person is forced to make do with a less beneficial type of pension, unaware of the possibility of choosing.

How to change the type of pension

The decision on the choice of pension is not final: it can be changed if necessary. For example, if a pensioner wishes to switch from a length-of-service benefit to an old-age pension, they must file the corresponding application with the Pension Fund. After the application is reviewed and the amount is recalculated on the chosen ground, the size of the benefit is adjusted. Thus, choosing a pension is not a one-time action but a right that can be reconsidered depending on changes in circumstances and the profitability of the calculation.

Early retirement at age 50 for certain categories

Separately, the Fund reminds about the possibility of early retirement at age 50 for mothers of many children and mothers of children with disabilities. Under the PFU's conditions, the right to such a pension is available to women who have raised five or more children or a child with a disability before the age of six, provided they have at least 15 years of insurance record. This provision expands the circle of people who can receive pension benefits before the general age threshold.

Plans to increase pension amounts

Against the backdrop of the explanations on choosing the type of benefit, the Government of Ukraine is considering measures to increase pension amounts to 6,000–7,000 hryvnia. To this end, it is reportedly planned to change the accrual formula and launch the accumulation level of the pension system. It is important to emphasize that, at the present time, these steps remain at the planning and reform stage, not implemented changes, so the actual sizes of benefits are still determined by the current formula and the indexations carried out.

Altogether, the PFU's explanations give pensioners a practical guideline: when there are several grounds for a pension, it is worth checking which type has been assigned and, if necessary, filing an application to switch to a more beneficial one. This is especially relevant for those whose right to a pension arose on several grounds simultaneously, as well as for mothers of many children, who may be eligible for an early benefit at age 50.