Pensions without documentation: Parliament is preparing to change the rules for verifying work history
5 February 15:21
The Verkhovna Rada’s Specialized Committee on Social Policy and the Protection of Veterans’ Rights has recommended that parliament adopt Bill No. 3705-d in its entirety. The Verkhovna Rada announced this on Telegram, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The bill provides for:
- simplifying the process of obtaining pensions for citizens who have lost their documents due to the war;
- extending the deadline for the 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 history or identity due to the loss of documents as a result of hostilities or occupation.
The bill proposes:
- verifying insurance work history through electronic registries, without additional certificates;
- if data is not available in the registries, to establish work history:
- based on other documents,
- the testimony of two witnesses,
- or a court decision;
- require the Pension Fund to independently inform the individual of the absence of data and assist in its restoration.
Thus, the responsibility for searching for and verifying information is partially shifted 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 currently undergoing verification;
- automatically resume pension payments as of January 1, 2026, for those who have not been receiving them due to incomplete identification.
These decisions should alleviate the tension surrounding mass appeals and the suspension of payments, particularly for internally displaced persons.
The Committee explains: the state is currently conducting a mass verification of payments and identification of pension and social assistance recipients.
As a result:
- some citizens were unable to complete in-person identification on time;
- people are flocking to the Pension Fund’s service centers;
- this has led to long lines and overburdened institutions.
The issue came to a head at the end of 2025, when the deadline for mandatory identification for individuals abroad and in temporarily occupied territories was approaching.
The government’s response
On February 3, a meeting was held with the participation of First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniienko and representatives of all parliamentary factions and groups.
At the meeting, a report was heard from Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity Denys Ulyutin regarding the situation at 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 civil society sector will be invited to participate in the discussion.
The Committee scheduled the emergency hearing for February 9, 2026. The topic will be the organization of payment verification and the identification of recipients of pensions and social assistance.
Special attention will be given to:
- queues at Pension Fund service centers;
- the mass suspension of payments to IDPs due to failure to complete identification by December 31, 2025.
The Ministry of Social Policy assures that the increased workload is temporary, and all payments are being made in full and without delay.
By the end of 2025, pensioners and recipients of social benefits who are:
- abroad,
- or in temporarily occupied territories, were required to undergo mandatory in-person identification to continue receiving payments.
It was this requirement that caused widespread disruptions and social tension.
