Preferential Pension and Double Service Credit for Infectious Disease Nurses in Ukraine
The issue of pension provision for healthcare workers, particularly nurses who have worked in infectious disease departments of healthcare institutions, remains one of the most debated issues in the field of social protection. The specific working conditions in infectious disease hospitals, involving constant contact with patients suffering from infectious diseases, an increased risk to life and health, and significant psychological and emotional stress, justify granting such employees additional social guarantees, including the right to an old-age pension on preferential terms. For this reason, Ukrainian legislation provides for the possibility of counting certain periods of employment in infectious disease healthcare institutions toward the insurance record at a double rate.
According to Article 60 of the Law of Ukraine “On Pension Provision”, employment in certain healthcare institutions and departments, including infectious disease hospitals and infectious disease departments, is counted toward the employment record at a double rate. Such double service credit is of fundamental importance in determining entitlement to a preferential pension, as it directly affects the length of the insurance record and special service required for an old-age pension on preferential terms. For junior nurses working in infectious disease departments, this means that each year of actual employment in an infectious disease healthcare institution may be counted as two years of service.
A separate role in this context is played by List No. 2 of industries, jobs, professions and positions in which employment entitles a person to an old-age pension on preferential terms. This list covers certain categories of healthcare workers, including those whose work involves hazardous and difficult working conditions. Employment as a nurse or junior nurse in an infectious disease department may qualify under such conditions, provided that the nature of the work performed and the position held meet the requirements of List No. 2. In the practice of the Pension Fund of Ukraine, whether the relevant periods of employment are recognised as preferential service often depends on the correct interpretation and application of these provisions.
The practical application of these provisions is confirmed by specific court decisions. In particular, the judgment of the court of first instance dated 8 April 2025 in case No. 160/22206/24 concerned a junior nurse working in an infectious disease department who challenged the Pension Fund’s refusal to count periods of her employment at a double rate. The court established that the nurse had actually performed her duties under conditions of increased occupational risk, as confirmed by certificates from her employer, workplace certification documents, and other evidence. On this basis, the court ordered the Pension Fund to include the relevant periods of employment in her insurance record at a double rate.
For the granting of an old-age pension on preferential terms, not only the existence of the required insurance record but also confirmation that the relevant service was acquired under the conditions prescribed by law is of decisive importance. Entries in the employment record book, certificates from the archives of healthcare institutions, and documents confirming the nature and conditions of employment may serve as appropriate evidence of such service. If the Pension Fund refuses to recognise double service credit or to grant a preferential pension, a healthcare worker has the right to seek judicial protection, and court practice demonstrates that such disputes may be successfully resolved in favour of employees.
Thus, the pension entitlement of a nurse working in an infectious disease department is a clear example of how the rules governing preferential pensions, List No. 2, and double service credit interact. Article 60 of the Law of Ukraine “On Pension Provision” is intended to compensate for the particularly difficult and hazardous nature of work in infectious disease hospitals, and its proper application should ensure that healthcare workers have an effective, rather than merely declarative, right to adequate pension provision.
