Pensions in Ukraine: changes that must be reported to the Pension Fund of Ukraine within 10 days

This has been reported by the Pension Fund of Ukraine. The Pension Fund reminds pensioners that they must notify the Fund of any change in employment status or termination of employment within 10 days. This obligation is set out in the Law on Compulsory State Pension Insurance and is also specified in the information sheet that a person signs when their pension is awarded.

This applies not only to employment as a salaried worker. If a pensioner has registered as a sole trader, they are also considered to be in employment. However, the mere fact of having no income from their sole trader business does not change their status: as long as there is no record in the state register of the cessation of business activities, the person remains legally employed.

What changes affect your pension

You must notify the Pension Fund of any circumstances that may affect the amount of your pension or your entitlement to certain supplementary payments.

First and foremost, these include taking up employment, leaving a job, registering as a sole trader, or ceasing business activities. You must also report any change in the status of the insured person, particularly if a pensioner begins or ceases activities related to earning an income.

Separately, the Pension Fund has reminded people that a change of residence or registration must also be reported within 10 days at the latest. This is important if the address affects pension payments, entitlement to supplementary payments or other benefits.

Why a pension overpayment may occur

A pensioner’s status — whether they are working or not — directly affects the amount of their pension payments. After leaving employment, a person may become eligible for supplements and increases that are only available to non-working pensioners. At the same time, upon taking up employment or registering as a sole trader, some of these payments may no longer apply.

If a pensioner fails to notify the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) of a change in status, payments may be calculated at the incorrect rate for a certain period. In such cases, an overpayment arises — funds that a person has received without legal grounds.

The Pension Fund warns that failure to notify, or late notification of, employment or the registration of a sole trader business leads to the unlawful payment of pension funds. Such sums are subject to repayment to the Pension Fund of Ukraine.

What documents are required

You must notify the Pension Fund of your employment, dismissal or the closure of your sole trader business by submitting an application and documents confirming the relevant changes.

These may include an order or directive regarding employment or dismissal, an employment record book with the relevant entry, a civil law contract, or an extract from the Unified State Register confirming the registration or termination of a sole trader’s business.

How to submit an application to the Pension Fund

You can notify the Pension Fund in person at any Pension Fund service centre. You can also submit your application remotely via the Pension Fund’s e-services portal using an electronic signature.

To submit your application online, you need to log in to the Pension Fund’s portal, select the section on pension provision, find the application for pension recalculation, choose the type of recalculation ‘employment/dismissal’, fill in the fields, attach scanned copies of the documents and sign the application with an electronic signature. You can view the outcome of your application in the ‘My Applications’ section.

What is important to remember

The main rule for pensioners is to notify the PFU of any changes within 10 days at the latest. This applies to employment, redundancy, sole trader status, cessation of business activities, change of residence and other circumstances that may affect your pension.

Failure to do so may result in your pension being recalculated, and any overpaid amounts will have to be repaid. Therefore, notifying the Pension Fund of Ukraine in good time not only safeguards your entitlement to benefits but also protects you from potentially owing money to the Pension Fund.

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