Pension denials have become more frequent: who risks losing payments

Reaching 60 years of age does not guarantee automatic pension entitlement. In 2026, the right to benefits depends on insurance experience, and its lack may delay retirement until 63 or 65 years. This is reported by 24 Kanál.

There is no data available in public sources indicating an increase in pension denials. It concerns general rules applicable to people who are only applying for a pension.

Pension at 60 years: how much experience is needed in 2026

This year, to apply for old age pension, one needs to have:

• at 60 years: at least 33 years of insurance experience;
• at 63 years: from 23 to 33 years of experience;
• at 65 years: from 15 to 23 years of experience.

If a person lacks a few years of experience at the age of 60, it does not mean a permanent loss of pension rights. They can reapply later when they reach the next retirement age or acquire the necessary experience.

Who may be denied pension entitlement

Most often, issues arise for those who worked without official registration, had long breaks in employment, or did not pay social insurance contributions as individual entrepreneurs. Employment abroad also may not always be counted towards Ukrainian insurance experience if contributions were not made to Ukraine’s social insurance system during that time or if no relevant international agreement exists.

A pension will not be granted if a person has not reached the required age or does not have the minimum insurance experience for their age. This applies to the initial application for benefits, not to those already receiving a pension previously.

Periods of work after January 1, 2004, are confirmed by the data from the Register of Insured Persons. Experience for previous years is usually confirmed by a work book, archival references, or other documents.

How to check and supplement insurance experience

The simplest way to enhance experience is to work officially so that the employer pays social insurance contributions. One can also enter into an agreement for voluntary contributions via the PFU web portal.

Check accrued experience in the personal cabinet on the fund's portal. Information from the Register of Insured Persons is displayed there, including total insurance experience and the last period for which contributions were paid.

A pension application can be submitted online using a digital signature or in person. Payments are automatically assigned only to those who have previously filled out a special questionnaire on the PFU portal and submitted the required data.