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To receive this type of support, families must collect a specific set of documents.
In Ukraine, one of the available pension types is the survivor’s pension. The Main Office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) in the Ternopil region explained how family members of people missing under special circumstances can apply for a survivor’s pension.
According to the PFU, an application for a survivor’s pension, along with all required documents, must be submitted to a local PFU service center.
“You can also apply for a survivor’s pension through the PFU’s electronic services portal using a qualified electronic signature, or through the Diia government services platform. In this case, scanned copies of original documents must be attached to the application,” the statement says.
Required documents for a survivor’s pension
Family members of individuals declared missing may apply for a survivor’s pension. The required documents include:
passport of the adult applicant;
proof of place of residence;
taxpayer identification number (except for persons who, for religious reasons, officially refused it and have a corresponding mark in their passport);
extract from the Unified Register of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances;
marriage certificate — for a spouse applying for the pension;
child’s birth certificate and passport (if available) — when applying for a child;
official decision establishing guardianship or custody over an orphaned child or a child deprived of parental care — if guardianship is involved;
official confirmation from an educational institution (school, vocational school, university, or foreign institution) that a missing person’s child is studying full-time;
birth certificate of the missing person — when their parents apply for benefits;
documents confirming that family members (other than children) were financially dependent on the missing person.
How the survivor’s pension is assigned
The PFU notes that the pension is granted regardless of the length of insurance record (work history) of the person who is missing.
“To determine the amount of the pension payment, documents confirming the missing person’s work history must be provided. These may include the employment record book, academic diploma, or military ID, in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers’ procedure for confirming work experience in cases where employment records are unavailable,” the PFU added.
The right to receive a survivor’s pension arises one month after the missing person’s information is entered into the Unified Register of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances.
The pension is granted based on the provisions of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Mandatory State Pension Insurance’ and remains in effect as long as the person retains the official status of “missing under special circumstances.”
When payments may be discontinued
The PFU emphasizes that survivor pension payments are discontinued starting from the first day of the month following the month when an entry is made in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations or the Unified Register of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances indicating that the person’s whereabouts, burial place, or remains have been identified.
