Childbirth Benefit to Increase to 50 Thousand: Who Will Receive It and Under What Circumstances
14 July 14:57
The Cabinet of Ministers will submit to the Verkhovna Rada a bill to increase childbirth benefits. This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a government meeting, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“The law provides for an increase in the one-time payment to women after the birth of a child from UAH 10.3 thousand to UAH 50 thousand. We are also significantly increasing payments to women who have given birth to a child but have no professional experience. Currently, such a payment is less than UAH 1000, and after the adoption of the law it will amount to UAH 7 thousand per month,” the Head of Government noted.
According to him, the document also provides for monthly payments to one of the parents or a guardian as a childcare allowance until the child reaches the age of one. The amount of this payment will be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers separately.
“We are implementing the “eNursery” program. After a child turns one, parents will have a choice: to return to work or to raise a child up to three years old,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
He noted that if the first option is chosen, the state will pay UAH 8 thousand per month, which can be spent on childcare. The second option provides for the retention of the unified social tax payment by the mother or father until the child’s third birthday.
Denys Shmyhal emphasized that the Government continues to implement the Baby Package program in two formats: as in-kind assistance or as a monetary compensation of over UAH 7,500.
He also reminded that among the new measures to support families, the Government approved the “Schoolchild’s Package” program, which provides UAH 5,000 for each first-grader to buy the necessary school supplies.
“We are not just adding new payments or changing their mechanism. We are introducing a new philosophy of state support. The focus is on people, their needs and opportunities,” said Denys Shmyhal and added that the Ministry of Social Policy will communicate in detail about all these options and how they can be used.
What will change
The draft law provides for an increase in the amount of a number of “children’s” benefits, in particular
- during pregnancy and childbirth and after the birth of a child:
increasing the one-time payment to women who have given birth to a child to UAH 50 thousand (currently it is UAH 10 , 320)
increase in theamount of assistance for uninsured persons to UAH 7,000 per month (currently, the amount of assistance is 25% of the subsistence minimum, i.e. UAH 757 per month).
extension of the “Baby Package” benefit. Parents of newborns will continue to receive in-kind assistance “Baby Box” or cash compensation in the amount of UAH 7,689.
- for the period of childcare:
childcareallowance until the child reaches the age of 1 for both insured and uninsured persons.
introduction of the “eNursery” program to pay for childcare services after the child reaches the age of 1, so that parents have a choice: to care for their child at home until the age of 3, or to return to work using childcare services for which the state will pay (earmarked funds of UAH 8,000)
if a mother (or father) decides to take care of a child under three years of age, they will continue to pay the unified social contribution for the entire period
- when enrolling a child in school:
the “Schoolchild’s Package” program – financial assistance for the purchase of school supplies (stationery), children’s clothing and footwear in the amount of UAH 5 thousand.
Additional support tools are also offered for families raising a child with a disability. In addition to publicly available benefits and services, they are entitled to
- early intervention services;
- increased childcare allowance “eNursery”(up to UAH 16,000);
- social service for the comprehensive development and care of children with disabilities;
- services of a child’s assistant or social support service during inclusive education;
- rehabilitation measures, etc.
How much will a family receive for the entire period
The Government estimates that the total support for one family until the child reaches the age of 18 will amount to at least UAH 1.08 million (in current prices).
These funds include:
- support during pregnancy and after birth,
- assistance in the preschool period,
- school support,
- support for students of vocational schools and colleges.
It should be noted that this is only a draft law. Next, it must be submitted to the Rada for consideration and adoption.
Currently, the childbirth allowance is UAH 41,280. A one-time payment of UAH 10,320 is made, and the remaining amount is paid over three years, UAH 860 per month.
Former Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Pavlo Rozenko criticized this decision in his public commentary.
“It was UAH 41,280. Today, the government solemnly raised it to UAH 50,000 (20% in 6 years). And now we are counting,” Rosenko wrote.
According to Rozenko, since 2019, no indexation of the childbirth payment has been carried out in Ukraine. At the same time, over the same period, inflation reached 95%, meaning that consumer prices almost doubled.
“From 2019 to 2025, inflation increased by 95% on an increasing basis. That is, prices in Ukraine have almost doubled in 6 years! And today the Government is saying that we haven’t raised the childbirth allowance for 6 years, and now we will index it by 20%!!!! 95% and 20%. Can you compare?!! And there will be PR, but PR!!!” the former Minister summarized.
