Double Service Credit for Nurses Working in Psychiatric Healthcare Institutions in Ukraine
Healthcare workers, particularly nursing assistants (junior nurses), who have worked in psychiatric healthcare institutions often face specific rules regarding the calculation of insurance record for pension purposes. Work involving increased risk, contact with patients with mental disorders, emotional strain and potential occupational hazards may provide grounds for certain periods of employment to be counted at double rate. This is governed by the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Compulsory State Pension Insurance” No. 1058-IV dated 9 July 2003 in conjunction with previous pension legislation, in particular the Law of Ukraine “On Pension Provision” No. 1788-XII dated 5 November 1991 (Article 60).
According to Article 60 of Law No. 1788-XII, periods of employment in institutions providing psychiatric care (psychiatric hospitals, psychoneurological dispensaries, addiction treatment institutions insofar as they provide psychiatric care, relevant departments of multidisciplinary hospitals, centers, offices, etc.), regardless of the employee’s job title, are counted towards the employment record at double rate. This applies to healthcare workers, including doctors, nursing staff and junior medical personnel, including nursing assistants. Importantly, double counting applies only to periods of employment before 1 January 2004 (the date on which Law No. 1058-IV entered into force). After that date, the insurance record is calculated at the standard rate on the basis of personalized insurance records, as the new law does not provide an equivalent benefit for these categories.
Double-counted service can significantly affect a nurse’s entitlement to a long-service pension (for healthcare professionals) or a preferential old-age pension. Healthcare professionals (doctors and nursing staff, including nurses) may be entitled to a long-service pension provided that they have accumulated the required special service in institutions included in the relevant List (Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 909 dated 4 November 1993, as amended). The minimum required special service has gradually increased: as of 1 April 2024, it is 30 years (compared with 25 years before 2015, followed by annual increases of six months). Double counting of periods worked before 2004 makes it possible to accumulate the required service more quickly, particularly for employees with extensive experience in a psychiatric healthcare institution.
For example, if a nursing assistant worked for 15 years in a psychiatric hospital before 2004, this period may be counted as 30 years of special service. This may be decisive in meeting the required service threshold even where the person does not have a full period of service after 2004. A long-service pension is granted after the person leaves the position that gives entitlement to such a pension (if the person subsequently becomes employed in such a position, pension payments are suspended).
A psychiatric healthcare institution is any institution (regardless of its form of ownership) whose activities involve the provision of psychiatric care: psychiatric hospitals, psychoneurological institutions, addiction treatment institutions (in the relevant part), departments, emergency psychiatric care teams, etc. Employment may be confirmed by entries in the employment record book, certificates issued by the institution or archival documents. If the name of the institution or department clearly indicates its psychiatric profile or the provision of relevant psychiatric care, the period of employment may be counted at double rate without additional clarification certificates, in accordance with PFU guidance and judicial practice. For nursing assistants, the specific job title does not restrict this entitlement – the key factors are the place of employment and the nature of the institution’s activities.
Judicial practice frequently involves disputes with the Pension Fund of Ukraine, which sometimes refuses to count employment periods at double rate on formal grounds (inaccurate entries, absence of clarification certificates, or interpretation of periods after 2004). Claimants (nurses and other healthcare professionals) challenge PFU decisions before administrative courts, relying on Article 60 of Law No. 1788-XII, the transitional provisions of Law No. 1058-IV (including paragraph 14-6.2 of the Final Provisions) and clarifications issued by the Ministry of Health and the PFU. Courts generally uphold claims concerning double-counted service for periods before 1 January 2004 where employment in a psychiatric healthcare institution has been properly confirmed. Analyzing the specific court decision available at https://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/133149219, it can be noted that it is a typical example of a case concerning the double counting of service for a healthcare worker (nursing assistant) employed in a psychiatric healthcare institution, in which the court examines compliance with Law No. 1058-IV and previous pension legislation.
To apply for a pension, the following documents should be submitted to a PFU service center: an application, employment record book (including the electronic version, if available), salary certificates and documents confirming the nature of the employment (including archival certificates where necessary). If the PFU refuses the application, its decision may be challenged in court within six months. It is advisable to verify the insurance record in advance through the PFU online portal or seek professional advice. Double counting is particularly relevant for nursing assistants, who often have extensive experience in direct patient care but lower salaries, which may affect the amount of their pension.
Therefore, double-counted service in psychiatric healthcare institutions is an important pension benefit applicable to periods of employment before 2004, regardless of the specific position (including nursing assistants), under Law No. 1058-IV in conjunction with Article 60 of Law No. 1788-XII. This may enable healthcare professionals to qualify earlier for a long-service pension or obtain a higher service coefficient.
Knowledge of one’s rights, timely confirmation of the relevant employment periods and readiness to seek judicial protection can help healthcare professionals effectively exercise their pension rights.
