The unemployed in Ukraine are to be paid more and longer: what MPs propose
3 October 2025 21:13
MPs propose to increase unemployment benefits in Ukraine to UAH 12,000. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the card of the relevant draft law on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.
This is Bill 14096, which was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada on October 1, 2025. The initiators of the document are Ihor Vasyliev and Halyna Tretyakova.
The draft law itself provides for the restoration of the Unemployment Fund’s board’s control over its budget. Thus, the Fund will once again have the right to review and approve the budget, which, according to the authors of the bill, will allow for fairer distribution of funds and strengthen social protection for citizens who have lost their jobs.
Vasiliev and Tretyakova explain that during martial law, the government was granted the right to independently approve the Fund’s budget without the approval of its board. This decision made it possible to respond quickly to challenges, but led to an imbalance in spending.
In particular, over the past two years, UAH 15 billion has been withdrawn from the Fund’s budget to the state treasury. At the same time, only a small share of the Fund’s revenues was allocated to the main purpose of the Fund – unemployment benefits. In 2024, only UAH 2.1 billion out of total revenues of UAH 27.3 billion (7.6%) was spent on such payments, and UAH 6.3 billion (28%) is planned for 2025, but experts doubt that these figures will be met.
What will change for the unemployed
The draft law also provides for an increase in the period of receiving benefits from 90 to 180 days. For people of pre-retirement age, payments can last up to 360 days. In addition, it is proposed to increase the maximum amount of unemployment benefits to 150% of the minimum wage set as of January 1 of the relevant year.
For example, the current minimum benefit amount is UAH 3,600, which is 45% of the minimum wage (UAH 8,000). With the changes, the government aims to ensure a fairer balance between minimum and maximum payments, taking into account the insurance contributions that employees have paid to the Fund.
Position of the authors of the bill
The drafters of the document explain that the return of powers to the Fund’s Board will help to avoid distortions in expenditures and direct most of the resources to insurance payments rather than to secondary programs.
It is about strengthening the role of the Fund’s board in decision-making and ensuring greater transparency in the use of funds,” the explanatory note says.
If the draft law is adopted, no additional expenditures from the state budget will be required: funding will be provided within the Fund’s existing resources.
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The government expects that such changes will strengthen social protection for the unemployed, provide support for those who really need help, and restore confidence in the state insurance system.
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