From January 1, 2026, some Ukrainian pensioners may have their monthly payments reduced. This does not apply to all pension recipients, but only to certain categories of citizens whose amounts exceed the legally established maximum. This is reported by 24 Kanal.
Who will have their pensions cut from January 1, 2026
The restrictions are stipulated by the State Budget for 2026 and will concern pensions granted under special laws. The reduction will apply only to part of the payments that exceed the limit level.
The following pensioners are affected by the limitations:
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judges under the Law on the Judiciary and the Status of Judges;
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prosecutors according to the Law on the Prosecutor's Office;
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liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster;
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military personnel and employees of law enforcement agencies, including the police, SBU, DBR;
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civil servants until the completion of the pension reform.
At the same time, the restrictions will not apply to military personnel and individuals who participated in defending Ukraine from Russian aggression since 2014.
How the maximum pension cuts will work
As explained by the Pension Fund, the reduction will only affect the amount that exceeds 10 living wages for non-working individuals. In 2026, this threshold will be 25,950 UAH.
The following coefficients will be applied to the excess:
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from 10 to 11 living wages — 50% of the excess payment;
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from 11 to 13 — 40%;
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from 13 to 17 — 30%;
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from 17 to 21 — 20%;
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over 21 — 10%.
The base pension amount will remain unchanged, and the reduction will only affect the amount exceeding the established limit.
Earlier, we reported that in 2026, the Ukrainian pension system will undergo significant changes. In particular, the requirements for insurance experience for retiring at the age of 60 will increase to 33 years.