New Pension Rules Are Being Prepared in Ukraine: Some Payments Are No Longer in Sight.

Forecast of Social Standards for 2026: What to Expect?

The Ukrainian government is actively working on the draft state budget for 2026, which foresees some growth in social standards. After a long freeze, an increase in the minimum wage and the subsistence minimum is expected, which will also affect the size of pensions. The details of the upcoming changes were shared by pension expert Serhii Korobkin, analyzing the relevant letter from the Ministry of Finance sent to other departments.

'I remind you that last year it was decided not to increase the minimum wage and the subsistence minimum for a whole 3 years, but now the Ministry of Finance has started preparing the budget declaration for 2026-2028, and an increase is already being planned, i.e., payments are planned to be unfrozen,' Korobkin reported.

Forecast for Increasing the Minimum Wage and Subsistence Minimum

According to forecasts and proposals from the Ministry of Finance, quoted by the expert:

• Minimum Wage:
  • From January 1, 2026: will increase from the current (for 2025) 8000 UAH to 8688 UAH (an increase of 688 UAH).
  • From January 1, 2027: 9374 UAH.
  • From January 1, 2028: 10059 UAH.
• Subsistence Minimum for Persons Who Have Lost Their Ability to Work (equal to the minimum pension):
  • Current (for 2025): 2361 UAH.
  • From January 1, 2026: 2564 UAH (an increase of 203 UAH).
  • From January 1, 2027: 2715 UAH.
  • From January 1, 2028: 2859 UAH.

'This is not some kind of fiction. We have a specific document in hand, consciously drafted by the Ministry of Finance,' emphasized Serhii Korobkin.

The expert also mentioned populist draft laws, such as the initiative of Yulia Tymoshenko (No. 12462), which had no chance of implementation. 'This draft law didn’t even reach the hall of the Verkhovna Rada... as it is populist and unrealistic,' Korobkin stated.

Tasks for the Ministry of Social Policy for 2026

The letter from the Ministry of Finance outlined a number of tasks for the Ministry of Social Policy for the coming years, including increasing the revenues from the Unified Social Contribution and evaluating the effectiveness of experimental social programs.

Forecast of Ukraine's Economy for 2026

The Ministry of Finance optimistically states about the gradual recovery of the Ukrainian economy but recognizes that the country remains vulnerable to risks. A positive signal is the planned unfreezing of social standards after a long pause amidst the state of war.