How to Switch from a Long-Service Pension to an Old-Age Pension in Ukraine
Under Ukrainian pension legislation, a pensioner may switch from one type of pension to another from the date of submitting the relevant application. The calculation is based on the information contained in the pension file at the time of the application, including additional documents available to the Pension Fund of Ukraine, as well as information on salary, insurance record and other relevant data.
It should be noted that persons who have been granted a long-service pension and continue working in an occupation that entitles them to such a pension may be subject to specific restrictions on receiving the long-service pension while continuing such employment. Once they reach the statutory retirement age and satisfy the applicable insurance record requirements, they may become entitled to an old-age pension. Therefore, switching from a long-service pension to an old-age pension should be considered once the person has acquired the statutory right to an old-age pension.
If a pensioner did not acquire additional insurance record or earnings after the long-service pension was granted, the calculation upon switching to another type of pension may generally be based on the information already contained in the pension file. In such circumstances, merely changing the type of pension does not necessarily result in a significant increase in its amount.
If a person continued working after being granted a long-service pension, the additional insurance record and salary acquired during the subsequent period may be taken into account when switching to an old-age pension, subject to the requirements of Ukrainian pension legislation. This may increase the insurance record coefficient and affect the individual salary coefficient used for calculating the pension. The correct application of the average salary indicator used in the pension formula is also particularly important, as it can have a substantial impact on the final amount of the old-age pension.
Switching from a long-service pension to an old-age pension in Ukraine is an important legal procedure governed by pension legislation. Below are the main aspects that should be taken into account.
1. A person becomes entitled to an old-age pension after reaching the statutory retirement age and acquiring the minimum insurance record required by Ukrainian law for the relevant year.
2. A person wishing to switch to an old-age pension must submit the relevant application to the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
3. The right to an old-age pension arises when the statutory requirements concerning age and insurance record are satisfied and the relevant application is submitted. In practice, the Pension Fund may treat the procedure as a transfer from one type of pension to another rather than as an entirely new pension application.
4. The amount of an old-age pension is calculated on the basis of the person’s insurance record, salary used for pension purposes, the applicable average salary indicator and other factors established by Ukrainian legislation.
5. Ukrainian pension legislation contains specific rules governing the transition from a long-service pension to an old-age pension, and the correct application of these rules can significantly affect the amount of the pension.
It is important to keep in mind that the rules and conditions governing old-age pensions and switching between different types of pensions may change. Therefore, the applicable legislation should always be checked as of the date of the pension application, and professional legal advice may be useful in complex cases.
What should you do if your pension amount changed after switching to an old-age pension, but you have doubts about whether the Pension Fund calculated it correctly?
What should you do if, after switching to an old-age pension, your insurance record coefficient or individual salary coefficient was not properly recalculated?
Answer: You can order our independent pension recalculation service. We will analyse the calculation made by the Pension Fund, determine whether the applicable insurance record, salary and other indicators were correctly used and, where legal grounds exist, help you seek an increase in your pension through court proceedings.
