In 2026, Ukrainians of retirement age can expect an increase in pension payments due to the rise in the minimum living wage and the planned indexation. Pension law expert Anastasia Kapustinska explained the main changes that will affect different categories of pensioners this year.
This is reported by Finway
Changes in Age Pension Payments
According to current legislation, specifically the Law of Ukraine “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance”, the minimum pension for age is set at the level of the minimum living wage for persons who have lost their ability to work, provided that men have 35 years and women have 30 years of insurance experience. Starting from January 1, 2026, this figure will increase, and the minimum pension for Ukrainians will amount to 2,595 hryvnias.
Additionally, for each full year of insurance experience beyond the specified 35 years for men and 30 years for women, the pension increases by 1% of its amount. This means that in 2026, the pension increase for retirees with longer service will be 25 hryvnias and 95 kopecks for each additional year.
“Thus, the pension increase for ordinary citizens in 2026 will be 25 hryvnias and 95 kopecks, which is 1 percent for each full year of insurance experience after 35 years for men and 30 years for women,” said Kapustinska.
Features of Pension Payments for Miners
Pensions for miners are calculated according to separate norms of legislation, specifically under the law “On Increasing the Prestige of Mining Work”. The minimum pension for underground workers (with at least 15 years of experience for men and 7.5 years for women) is set at 80% of their salary, but not less than three times the minimum living wage for persons who have lost their ability to work.
When calculating the pension, earnings for the entire insurance period accumulated since July 1, 2000, are taken into account. If the experience after this date is less than 60 months, or at the pensioner’s request, any 60 consecutive calendar months prior to July 1, 2000, may be considered for calculation if confirmed by appropriate documents.
In 2026, the minimum pension for miners will increase to 7,785 hryvnias, which is 702 hryvnias more than in the previous year. The final amount of the payment will be determined individually based on the salary for the entire period of insurance experience.