Panic has arisen in Ukrainian society due to reports that a technical glitch in the calculation of targeted assistance could cost citizens their social benefits. However, the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) has officially dispelled these fears: erroneously receiving a double amount of 1500 UAH will not be grounds for canceling a pension or blocking bank cards.
Technical Glitch and Agency Response
The situation escalated after some citizens received targeted state support twice. This occurred due to a glitch in the accrual system that happened in May. While many people, unaware of the error, had already spent the funds on groceries and utilities, the agency began forced deductions. This led to the blocking of cards for those who did not have enough funds in their accounts to make the return.
Currently, the PFU has assured that the situation is under full control. The agency is conducting a thorough data reconciliation to identify all cases of duplicate deposits. The main message to citizens is unequivocal: no social benefits will be canceled due to this incident.
How Will the Money Be Returned?
The Pension Fund has clearly outlined the algorithm of actions. The return of erroneously accrued funds will be carried out exclusively by legal methods. Citizens are urged not to attempt to return the money themselves, as this could complicate the process.
Special attention is paid to those who have already managed to use the money. If a person has spent the erroneously received amount, this is not grounds for punishment or blocking future payments. For such cases, an individual approach is applied, and agency specialists will explain the next steps.
Criticism and Context
The support program of 1500 UAH was launched in April 2026 to mitigate the impact of rising global fuel and food prices. It was originally assumed that the payment would be provided only once, even if the citizen belonged to several preferential categories.
However, the lack of timely notification about the error and subsequent harsh measures to deduct funds sparked sharp criticism. The head of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Danylo Hetmantsev, severely criticized the Ministry of Social Policy for double deductions and the lack of communication with the population. Currently, the agency is trying to rectify the situation by offering citizens to contact territorial PFU bodies for clarification.