Pensions without certificates: parliament prepares to change rules for confirming length of service
5 February 15:21
The Verkhovna Rada’s Profile Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights recommended that parliament adopt draft law No. 3705-d in its entirety. This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada on Telegram, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The document provides for:
- simplifying the process of obtaining pensions for citizens who have lost their documents due to the war;
- extending the deadline for physical identification of pension and social benefit recipients until July 1, 2026.
What is the essence of the bill
The key idea is to remove as many bureaucratic barriers as possible for people who cannot confirm their work experience or identity due to the loss of documents as a result of hostilities or occupation.
The bill proposes:
- confirming insurance experience through electronic registries, without additional certificates;
- if there is no data in the registers, to establish work experience:
- based on other documents,
- testimony from two witnesses,
- or a court decision;
- require the Pension Fund to independently inform the person about the absence of data and assist in its restoration.
Thus, the responsibility for searching for and verifying information is partially transferred from the citizen to the state.
Identification: what the Committee proposes
Separately, the Committee recommends:
- immediately extend the physical identification deadline to July 1, 2026, for those who are currently undergoing verification;
- automatically resume pension payments from January 1, 2026, to those who did not receive them due to failed identification.
These decisions should ease tensions surrounding mass appeals and suspension of payments, particularly for internally displaced persons.
Why the problem arose
The Committee explains that the state is currently conducting a mass verification of payments and identification of recipients of pensions and social assistance.
As a result
- some citizens were unable to undergo physical identification on time;
- people are flocking to the Pension Fund’s service centers;
- this has led to queues and overloaded institutions.
The issue came to a head at the end of 2025, when the deadline for mandatory identification for persons abroad and in temporarily occupied territories expired.
The government’s response
On February 3, a meeting was held with the participation of First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Kornienko and representatives of all parliamentary factions and groups.
The meeting heard a report by Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity Denys Ulyutin on the situation in the Pension Fund.
As a result:
- On February 4, the Committee decided to hold emergency hearings;
- representatives of the government, the Pension Fund, experts, and the public sector will be invited to participate in the discussion.
The Committee scheduled emergency hearings for February 9, 2026. Their topic will be the organization of verification of payments and identification of recipients of pensions and social assistance.
Particular attention will be paid to:
- queues at Pension Fund service centers;
- mass termination of IDP payments due to failed identification by December 31, 2025.
The Ministry of Social Policy assures that the increased workload is temporary and that all payments are being made in full and without delay.
Until the end of 2025, pensioners and recipients of social benefits who are:
- abroad,
- or in temporarily occupied territories, had to undergo mandatory physical identification in order to continue receiving payments.
It was this requirement that caused widespread disruptions and social tension.
