Thousands of Ukrainians risk losing financial assistance: who will lose the pension and aid supplement.

The Verkhovna Rada is considering a bill regarding changes in the social support system for residents of mountainous settlements. According to the document, the number of recipients of supplements to pensions, scholarships, and social assistance may decrease by up to 20%.

The law on the status of mountainous settlements is currently practically ineffective due to the government's failure to fulfill the relevant conditions. This means that no new supplements are being assigned, and only those who had the right earlier continue to receive them.

New criteria for supporting mountainous settlements

The head of the social policy committee, Halyna Tretyakova, proposes new criteria for supporting mountainous settlements, in particular, narrowing the status of mountainous regions only to those places where there is a high level of unemployment and where communities receive state subsidies.

• High level of unemployment;
• Receipt of state subsidies.

Moreover, the bill provides for individual needs assessment and control over payments for greater effectiveness of social support. The reform is being conducted based on recommendations from the Accounting Chamber to save budget funds, but its critics assert that the real goal is to cut government spending.

The adoption of this law could lead to the loss of social benefits for thousands of Ukrainians who currently have the right to such support.