At the beginning of 2026, many Ukrainian pensioners faced a decrease in the amounts credited to their accounts. The Pension Fund of Ukraine explained the reasons for these changes and assured that basic pensions remained unchanged.
This is reported by Finway
Temporary Nature of Supplements and Features of the Beginning of the Year
The Pension Fund reported that the main factor for the decrease in pension payments was the expiration of temporary supplements that were established for certain categories of pensioners in 2024. These supplements were temporary and were not automatically extended at the beginning of 2026. Thus, from the new year, pension payments returned to the basic level.
Lack of Indexation and New Rules for Working Pensioners
Another factor was that traditionally, pension indexation does not take place in January. In Ukraine, pension recalculation usually occurs in March, so payments at the beginning of the year remain at the level of the previous months. Against this backdrop, considering inflation and rising prices, pensioners may feel a decrease in income, even if the amount of the basic pension has not changed.
The amount of payments was also affected by updated rules regarding taxation and deductions for working pensioners and recipients of increased supplements. In some cases, this led to a reduction in the amount that actually reaches the pensioner’s account.
“The Pension Fund emphasizes: the decrease in payments is temporary and does not affect the basic amount of pensions, and after the indexation in March, payments will be increased.”
According to the Pension Fund’s calculations, in January, the average decrease in payments ranged from 100 to 300 hryvnias, depending on the pension category and the structure of payments for each pensioner. At the same time, the agency noted that after the indexation in March 2026, pension payments will increase, allowing for compensation of the current decrease in amounts.