PFU to monitor pensions for IDPs: what awaits the fund owners.

Changes in pension payments for internally displaced persons

Pension payments for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which have not been used by the owners for more than a year, will be kept in the Pension Fund of Ukraine, not in 'Oschadbank'. The changes are provided for by the Law 'On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2025'.

'Oschadbank has long used these funds as its own free money for its operations. Now, to ensure greater financial stability of the pension system, these funds will be kept directly in the Pension Fund,' the statement said.

Who do the changes apply to?

The new rules will apply exclusively to pensioners who meet the following criteria:

• Are or have been internally displaced persons from the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, occupied before February 24, 2022;
• Received a pension as an IDP before the start of the full-scale invasion;
• Have not used the pension account for more than one year or have not undergone physical identification at 'Oschadbank' within six months after the established deadline.

Guarantees of fund preservation

The department emphasizes: the right to pension funds is fully retained by the owners. 'Only the place where this money will be kept is changing. In case of contacting the Pension Fund, recipients will receive the entire amount back to the bank account,' it is stated in the Ministry of Social Policy. If the pensioner has died, the unpaid pension can be received by their legal heirs.

When will the changes take effect?

The Cabinet of Ministers is preparing a draft resolution that will detail the procedure for transferring funds. The document will come into effect no earlier than July 1, 2025. After the order is approved, pensioners will be able to apply to the Pension Fund with a statement to receive their pension in full at once.

The changes are aimed at improving the financial stability of the pension system and preserving the funds of these pensioners in the Pension Fund of Ukraine for further payments.