Increase in social standards in 2026: key changes

From 1 January 2026, with the adoption of the State Budget for 2026, Ukraine increased key social payments. These changes affect the subsistence minimum, minimum wage, pensions, and other social benefits. 

Subsistence Minimum 

The subsistence minimum is the amount of money a person needs for basic living costs. From the start of 2026, it is: 

• 3,209 UAH per month per person (previously 2,920 UAH) 
• Children under 6 years — 2,817 UAH 
• Children 6–18 years — 3,512 UAH 
• Working-age adults — 3,328 UAH 
• People who cannot work — 2,595 UAH 
• People who cannot work, for calculating extra payments for living in areas affected by radiation — 1,600 UAH 
• For some government employees (judges, prosecutors, tax and customs officers) their pay is set based on previous rules at 31 December 2025. 

Minimum Wage 

The minimum wage is now 8,647 UAH per month (previously 8,000 UAH) or 52 UAH per hour.

How this affects pensions 

The increases in the subsistence minimum and minimum wage automatically change pensions and some allowances. 

• The minimum pension for non-working people aged 65 or older with full work history (30 years for women, 35 years for men) is now 3,458.80 UAH (40% of the minimum wage). 
• The minimum pension for other non-working retirees with full work history is now 2,595 UAH. 
• The maximum pension is 25,950 UAH (ten times the subsistence minimum for people who cannot work). 
• Pensioners who worked longer than required get extra payments. Each extra year adds 1% of 2,595 UAH to the pension. 

Important: If a pensioner is still working, these increases will only apply after finishing employment. 

Other automatic increases from 1 January 2026 

• Minimum pensions for miners and families of soldiers if the breadwinner has died 
• Extra payments for war veterans and their families 
• Extra payments for victims of Nazi persecution 
• Pensions for people with special merits to Ukraine 

Do you need to contact the Pension Fund? 

No. All pension recalculations from 1 January 2026 are carried out automatically, without the need to contact the Pension Fund authorities.

This informational material was created within a project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with financial support from the Government of the United States of America. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of the United States of America or DRC. Neither the Government of the United States of America nor DRC can be held responsible for the content of this material.