Elderly citizens who have left temporarily occupied territories for government-controlled areas of Ukraine now have the opportunity to be exempt from passing annual physical identification. To do this, they need to officially transfer their pension file. This clarification was provided by the Pension Fund of Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of timely data updates for uninterrupted benefit payments.
Features of Pension File Transfer and Payment Rules
According to current legislation, pensions are paid to the address specified by the citizen as their actual place of residence within Ukraine. Official registration or a declared place of residence does not play a decisive role, which is stipulated in Article 47 of the Law on Compulsory State Pension Insurance. The Pension Fund recommends that IDPs promptly change their payment address to government-controlled territory to avoid having to re-verify their identity every year by December 31, as required by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 299 dated February 11, 2025, for those remaining in occupied territories or abroad.
Methods of Submitting Applications and Mandatory Conditions
Applying for the transfer of pension payments to a new place of residence can be done in two convenient ways. The first option involves a personal visit to any nearest service center of the Pension Fund of Ukraine with the necessary package of documents. The second method is available remotely through the official web portal of electronic services in the user's personal account. After successful processing of the submitted application, the pensioner's actual place of residence is recorded in the pension file.
Important Nuances of Receiving Funds and Russian Pensions
The main condition for granting and continuing payments to Ukrainian pensioners who left the occupied territories is not receiving pension benefits from the Russian Federation authorities, which must be reported to the agency. Fund representatives emphasize that the total duration of a person's stay in the temporarily occupied territory before departure does not affect this requirement. Funds are traditionally credited no later than the 25th of each month, and in case of delays through the fault of the fund, citizens are paid the full amount without time limits along with compensation.
