Social Benefits Can Be Canceled or Recalled: Explanation from the PFJ

The Pension Fund of Ukraine has issued an important clarification regarding the rules for granting and potentially canceling state social assistance. Vulnerable categories of citizens, including persons with disabilities and those who for various reasons have not acquired the right to a labor pension, are at risk of having their payments terminated. The state is tightening control over the targeted use of budget funds and the legality of assigning financial support.

Main Reasons for Termination of Payments

According to current legislation, there is a strictly regulated list of grounds for the complete cessation of social payments. Key factors include the provision of false information by citizens when applying for assistance, the official death of the recipient, and the improvement of the health status of a person with a disability, confirmed by medical and social expertise.

Recovery of Illegally Received Funds

The PFJ pays special attention to situations where payments continued to arrive as a result of citizens concealing critically important changes. This refers to the employment of the recipient, a significant change in family composition, or other property factors affecting the right to receive benefits. Under such circumstances, the state reserves the legal right to demand the return of all funds paid in excess of the established norm.

Judicial Perspective and Reform Context

If a citizen refuses to voluntarily return illegally received money, social protection authorities transfer the case materials to judicial authorities. Against the backdrop of tightening control over social assistance in Ukraine, large-scale changes to the entire pension system are also being actively discussed. The government previously presented the concept of a three-tier model, including a solidarity level, professional funded pensions, and personal savings of citizens.

Plans to Increase Minimum Pensions

An additional factor in the transformation of the social sphere is statements by representatives of the legislature. In particular, the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Danylo Hetmantsev, announced an ambitious task to gradually increase the minimum pension in the country to the level of 6-7 thousand hryvnias, calling this a priority direction of state policy.