The Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) has clarified the circumstances under which pension payments may be temporarily suspended. One of the grounds highlighted by the Fund is a bank report regarding the absence of financial transactions on a pensioner's card account for six months. According to RBC-Ukraine, this is one of several possible reasons for a "pause" in payments, meaning that even if funds are formally credited to the card, a long period of inactivity on the account can lead to a review of the payment status.
Why payments might be paused
The PFU emphasized that suspension can occur for several reasons, not just card inactivity. A second reason cited is the failure to inform the fund that the individual is not receiving a pension from Russia. Thus, the Fund links the continuation of payments not only to the technical status of the bank account but also to the currency of information regarding whether the payment is being duplicated by another state. As long as these conditions are not met or confirmed by the pensioner's statement, the Fund reserves the right to suspend transfers.
How to restore payments
The issue of restoring a pension is resolved after submitting an appropriate application. According to the PFU, this can be done via the Fund's electronic services web portal. To submit an application, you need a remote qualified electronic signature "Diia.Signature" (Diia ID) or a qualified electronic signature (QES). For individuals temporarily abroad, an alternative channel is available: the application can be sent by mail, indicating current bank account details and confirming that payments from other states, specifically from Russia, are not being received.
Annual physical verification
Separately, the PFU reminded individuals of the need for annual physical verification. Pensioners temporarily residing outside Ukraine or in territories occupied by Russia must complete this by December 31. The same requirement applies to those who moved from the occupied zone to Ukrainian-controlled territory if the payment is sent to an address in the occupied region. If payments were stopped due to failure to complete verification, they will be resumed after the procedure is finished—this must be done within one year from the date of suspension, while simultaneously confirming that the individual does not receive payments from Russia.
Related rules: benefits and assignment date
Contextually, the PFU and legal experts previously pointed to related regulations. For instance, recipients of utility subsidies must notify the fund of any changes—family composition, place of residence, or the list of utility services—within 30 calendar days. Additionally, lawyer and insolvency practitioner Serhiy Lytvynenko explained that pensions are assigned from the date of application to the PFU, not retroactively; the exception is an application made no later than three months after reaching retirement age. These norms, together with the new clarification on card "inactivity," form a set of conditions that determine the continuity of pension payments.
