Pension Calculation Review in Ukraine
The first thought that comes to the minds of most Ukrainians when they receive their first pension payment is that the amount should be higher. And, quite honestly, in eight out of ten cases, that feeling is justified. The pension calculation system in Ukraine is complex, and it is extremely difficult for an ordinary pensioner to determine on their own whether the Pension Fund has calculated the pension correctly.
If you believe that the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) has calculated your pension incorrectly, you should not simply accept it. It is worth consulting experienced pension law specialists who can determine whether you are losing money every month due to calculation errors.
Our experienced pension lawyers can carefully review your pension file and determine whether your pension has been calculated correctly.
How We Review Your Pension Calculation
First, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of your pension file. We access your personal account on the Pension Fund's online portal or request your complete pension records directly from the Pension Fund and carefully examine all documents and circumstances specific to your case.
We download the Pension Fund's official records concerning your insurance record and salary history and verify whether the information used for the calculation is accurate.
Second, we prepare a detailed written legal opinion explaining every aspect of your pension calculation, including:
- your individual insurance record coefficient;
- your individual salary coefficient;
- whether your pension indexation has been calculated correctly.
We also calculate the pension amount you should be receiving and estimate the potential increase that may be achieved after correcting any errors.
Third, we explain the legal options available to resolve the problems identified during our review and, where appropriate, offer full legal representation.
The Most Common Reasons Why Pension Payments Are Too Low
Insurance record issues. Years spent studying, performing military service, or working for companies that were liquidated during the 1990s are frequently excluded. Sometimes the Pension Fund rejects entire employment periods simply because a company name in the employment record book is partially illegible or contains a correction.
If the Pension Fund has failed to recognize your employment record due to documentation errors, we identify the appropriate solution, whether through archival records or court proceedings. The Pension Fund may also apply outdated average salary indicators, particularly when a person switches from one type of pension to another, for example, from a long-service pension to an old-age pension.
Errors in pension indexation. Every March, pension increases are announced. However, pensioners who retired from 2020 onward often receive unlawful indexation increases that are lower than those provided for by Ukrainian law.
Do not expect the government to correct these mistakes on its own. If you suspect that your employment record has not been fully recognized or that your pension amount is lower than it should be, this is already a strong reason to seek professional legal advice.
