How to Transfer Pension Payments
For readers following Ukraine's social policies during the conflict, these rules clarify how pension payments are managed for people connected to occupied areas. Under Article 47 of the Law of Ukraine on Compulsory State Pension Insurance, a pension is paid at the pensioner's actual place of residence within Ukraine, no matter whether that differs from the officially declared or registered address. The Pension Fund of Ukraine advises those who have moved away from temporarily occupied territories to change their pension payment address to their new location in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government.
Applying for a Payment Address Change
An application to transfer pension payments can be submitted directly at any service center of the Pension Fund of Ukraine, or through the personal account on the Fund's web portal. Once the application is processed, the pension file will indicate the pensioner's actual residence in a government-controlled area, and that location will be used for all future payments.
In addition, Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 299 dated 11 February 2025 sets out two categories of pensioners who must undergo physical identification every year by 31 December in order for their pension payments to continue:
- pensioners who reside temporarily outside Ukraine;
- pensioners residing in parts of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.
Video tutorials explaining the pension transfer process are available on the Pension Fund's web portal, allowing pensioners to review the full procedure step by step.
This information is vital for pensioners who had to flee their homes due to the military conflict, since it helps preserve their right to receive pension payments in new circumstances.
Since changing the payment address can greatly affect a pensioner's financial security, it is important for them to know all the available methods for switching payments. This also shows the state's commitment to ensuring that citizens continue to access social benefits, even when they face serious hardship.