Mother of Five in Dnipropetrovsk Region Sentenced for Fraudulent State Aid Claims.

Court Convicts Mother of Five for Social Welfare Fraud

According to TSN.ua: A court in the Dnipropetrovsk region's Sofiyivskyi district has sentenced a mother of five for illegally receiving state assistance while cohabiting with the children's biological father. The woman was found guilty of repeated fraud and received a one-year suspended prison sentence. This case highlights the stringent enforcement of welfare rules in Ukraine, even for large families facing economic hardship.

The court established that the woman was raising five children and had officially married in January 2023. The financial damage to the state budget amounted to 8,044 hryvnias in 2023, which increased to 20,602 hryvnias in 2025, bringing the total state loss to over 28,000 hryvnias.

Court Ruling and Consequences

The woman was convicted under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 190 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, pertaining to fraud. She was given a suspended sentence with a one-year probation period. The court also ordered her to repay 23,455 hryvnias to the state.

In her testimony, the woman stated:

"I understood I had no legal grounds to receive the aid, but when filling out the application, I deliberately concealed the fact that I was living with the children's father."

This incident underscores the critical need for compliance with regulations governing state aid, particularly as social payments are a vital source of support for many large families. The case demonstrates the serious consequences of defrauding the social welfare system, even for those in genuine need of financial assistance. It may prompt a review of control mechanisms for state aid distribution to prevent similar abuses and ensure the fair allocation of public funds.