In Ukraine, certain categories of pensioners are fully exempt from paying utility bills. This benefit does not apply to all elderly individuals, but only to those who meet a number of criteria established by legislation.
This is reported by Finway
Who is entitled to full exemption from utility payments
According to the explanations from the Pension Fund of Ukraine, a 100% compensation for the cost of housing and utility services, as well as expenses for purchasing stove heating and liquefied gas, can be received by pensioners living in rural areas who worked in specific sectors before retiring. Such professions include:
- education;
- culture;
- medicine and pharmaceuticals;
- plant protection;
- libraries and museums;
- cultural institutions.
A mandatory condition for receiving the benefit is having at least three full years of experience in the relevant specialty at the time of retirement. It is worth noting that the compensation applies only to the pensioner themselves, without extending to other family members, and is valid for the current calendar year.
Additional conditions for receiving the benefit and the application process
To take advantage of the full exemption from utility payments, the average monthly income of the pensioner’s family must not exceed 4240 hryvnias. If the pension amount or total income exceeds this amount, the benefit is not granted.
One of them is full exemption from utility payments under certain conditions. We will explain in which cases elderly individuals can avoid paying for utility services and what documents are required for this.
To apply for compensation, the pensioner must contact the nearest Pension Fund office with two documents: an application and a certificate of entitlement to the benefit, which is issued by the institution where they worked. If the organization has already been liquidated, the work experience can be confirmed using the employment record book and by contacting the village council.
Additionally, there are other circumstances under which exemption from utility payments may be possible. In particular, if a person has not lived in their residence for more than 30 days (this must be documented), as well as in cases where services were provided poorly or not in full.