IDPs will be able to apply for assistance online: Parliament has adopted new rules

This has been reported by MP Pavlo Frolov, who is one of the bill’s sponsors. According to the bill’s details (No. 12301), parliament passed it in its entirety on 1 July, and on 6 July the bill was sent to the President for signature. As of 15 July, the legislation had not yet come into force.

How IDPs will be able to apply for assistance online

One of the main innovations will be the creation of an online portal for internally displaced persons. Through this portal, IDPs will be able to access government services remotely, submit applications and apply for the assistance provided for by law.

According to Frolov, it will also be possible to undergo a needs assessment online. This procedure is intended to determine what support a specific individual or family requires: cash payments, housing, social support or other services.

The specific list of available online services, the procedure for identifying applicants and the mechanism for exchanging information between government systems are to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Consequently, the online portal will not become operational automatically as soon as the law comes into force.

Will paper certificates for IDPs be abolished?

The law stipulates that state bodies must not require IDPs to provide paper documents containing information that they can obtain themselves from state registers.

This involves a transition to electronic data exchange between institutions. People will not have to repeatedly confirm information already held by the state, or transfer certificates from one authority to another themselves.

However, this does not mean a complete abolition of all documents. If the necessary information is missing from the register, contains errors or cannot be verified automatically, a person may need to update their details or provide confirmation in accordance with the procedure established by the government.

To confirm IDP status, it will be possible to obtain an electronic extract from the Unified Information Database on Internally Displaced Persons. Such a document is to be used on a par with other electronic documents.

What will change regarding pensions and state guarantees

The new version of the law enshrines the right of IDPs to pensions, social benefits and other state guarantees on a general basis. Eligibility for these should not depend solely on whether or not a person has IDP status.

This provision does not introduce new pensions or automatic increases in benefits. It is intended to separate a citizen’s general rights from the special status of an IDP.

For example, a person’s right to a pension arises upon reaching the relevant age, having completed the required period of insurance contributions, or meeting other conditions specified by law. Registration as an IDP should not be an additional condition for exercising this right.

What housing programmes does the law provide for?

The adopted document lays the groundwork for expanding housing provision programmes for displaced persons. Among the areas envisaged are the development of affordable rental accommodation and other mechanisms designed to help IDPs secure long-term housing.

However, the law itself does not mean that new flats or compensation will be provided immediately. The government must separately define the conditions for participation in the programmes, sources of funding, eligibility criteria and the procedure for allocating assistance.

When assessing needs, factors such as family composition, the presence of children, disability, income level, loss of housing, health status and other circumstances may be taken into account.

Who will be able to stay longer in temporary accommodation

The law amends the rules governing free accommodation in temporary accommodation facilities, or TAFs.

Currently, such facilities are used to house internally displaced persons who have no other accommodation. According to Frolov, socially vulnerable categories of IDPs will be able to remain in TPA free of charge not only during martial law but also for six months after its termination or repeal.

The new rules are intended to protect people who, due to their state of health, age, disability, low income or difficult family circumstances, are unable to rent accommodation independently after the specified period has ended.

The Cabinet of Ministers is to set out in detail the list of such categories, the conditions for continued residence and the procedure for confirming vulnerability.

When will the new rules come into force?

Parliament has already passed Bill No. 12301 at second reading and as a whole. The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada signed the document, after which it was forwarded to the President.

Until the President has signed the law and it has been officially published, the new rules do not apply. According to Frolov, the law is due to come into force three months after the signing procedure is completed.

This period is required for the Cabinet of Ministers to prepare subordinate legislation. The government must define the procedures for the operation of the electronic portal, the exchange of information between registers, online needs assessments, status verification and the implementation of new housing mechanisms.

Until these procedures are launched, IDPs will continue to apply for status, payments and other forms of assistance under the current rules.

What IDPs need to know right now

The mere fact that the document has been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada does not yet change the procedure for receiving assistance. There is no need to resubmit an application, renew an IDP certificate or opt out of current payments.

Once the law has been signed, the government and the relevant ministries must separately announce when the online portal will become operational, what services will be available on it, and how to make use of the new features.

Bill No. 12301 was registered in December 2024. It was initiated by Pavlo Frolov together with other MPs, and the relevant parliamentary committee recommended that the bill be adopted at second reading and in its entirety.

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