The government plans to change the calculation of the minimum subsistence level: what it means for Ukrainians.

The head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy Danilo Hetmantsev expressed his concerns regarding the minimum subsistence level in Ukraine, stating that this indicator does not reflect the actual situation. He called for decoupling the minimum subsistence level from social payments used for its calculations so that it better corresponds to real living conditions in the future.

What is wrong with the minimum subsistence level

According to the Budget Declaration for 2026-2028, the government predicts the minimum subsistence levels for the upcoming years:

• in 2026 — 2,564 UAH;
• in 2027 — 2,715 UAH;
• in 2028 — 2,859 UAH.

Hetmantsev believes these amounts do not reflect the actual situation. He called for a review of the mechanisms for calculating the minimum subsistence level so that they better reflect reality.

We must eliminate inconsistencies. First, we need to decouple the minimum subsistence level from social payments since any increase without justification leads to additional costs for the state

Furthermore, discussing this issue, Hetmantsev emphasized the importance of implementing the plan to increase the minimum subsistence level, which would consider the country’s economic situation and the real needs of the population.

Minimum subsistence levels in 2025

Currently, the minimum subsistence level for different social groups of the population in 2025 is:

• children under 6 years old — 2,563 UAH;
• children aged 6 to 18 — 3,196 UAH;
• working-age persons — 3,028 UAH;
• persons with disabilities — 2,361 UAH.

These figures affect the size of social payments, tax benefits, and pension provision.

There is also a discussion about a possible restructuring of the pension system calculation and the demands to increase the minimum subsistence level and minimum wage put forward by trade unions.

This material reveals the problem of tracking the real levels of the minimum subsistence level in Ukraine and the necessity to make changes to its calculation mechanisms so that it corresponds to modern realities and the needs of the population.