Why Ukrainians Might Lose Their Pensions After Moving AbroadThe war has altered the employment landscape: millions of Ukrainians have found themselves in EU countries. However, Ukrainian insurance record alone does not guarantee that a pensioner will be able to receive their pension after relocating abroad. In certain circumstances, the Pension Fund may deny the allocation or recalculation of payments or suspend an already allocated pension.As stated in her commentary to RBC-Ukraine, attorney Maryna Kamilyova from Law Firm «Winner Partners».
Expert Opinion
According to her, it is crucial to differentiate between a denial of pension allocation or recalculation and the cessation of already allocated payments. Reasons for denying pension payments abroad may include the absence of a social security international agreement with the country of residence, non-compliance with the terms of a relevant treaty, unverified insurance record, or an improper residency status.If no corresponding agreement exists with the country of residence, or if it stipulates a proportional payment principle, the pension, as a general rule, may be suspended or paid only for the portion corresponding to the insurance record acquired in Ukraine.Read also
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As the lawyer noted, if a pension has already been granted, a reason for suspending payments could be the pensioner’s relocation for permanent residence to a country with which Ukraine has no corresponding agreement. Another cause might be the failure to undergo mandatory annual physical identification.“If the agreement provides for pension payments based on territoriality, the payment is made by the country of residence, and Ukraine’s payment ceases from the moment a new status is acquired,” explained Kamilyova.Read also
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Problems may also arise if the pensioner fails to notify the Pension Fund in a timely manner about changes in their place of residence or status, does not submit the necessary supporting documents, provides inaccurate information about their insurance record or earnings, or does not undergo identification.Therefore, the mere existence of an insurance record in Ukraine does not imply that a pensioner will automatically receive a Ukrainian pension abroad. This depends on the terms of the international agreement with the specific country and adherence to the established procedures.Read also
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Before relocating, the lawyer advises to proactively ascertain the specific rules applicable in the country of future residence, review the full text of the relevant bilateral agreement, and obtain official clarifications from the Pension Fund. This will help determine whether the Ukrainian pension will be maintained, in what amount, and under what conditions payments may be suspended.Place for your advertisementPreviously, we wrote about pensions in the EU: which countries offer the most favorable conditions for Ukrainians.The editorial team of Finance.ua analyzed what pensions European countries guarantee, where it is most advantageous to retire based on the ratio of income to expenses, and how to count years of work in Ukraine and the EU.European countries have long moved away from an exclusively solidarity system, where payments to current pensioners are covered by the contributions of the working generation. Most countries employ a three-tier model:
- Solidarity (state) level: mandatory contributions from salaries (e.g., ZUS in Poland or Deutsche Rentenversicherung in Germany). Provides a basic income.
- Mandatory funded level: a portion of contributions is directed to individual accounts in private or semi-state pension funds, where funds are invested in securities.
- Voluntary pension savings: private pension plans, often co-financed by employers (e.g., corporate pensions) or incentivized by the state through tax benefits.
The final payment amount depends on three main factors: the duration of the insurance record, the level of official salary throughout one’s working life, and the retirement age.Read in detail in the article — Pensions in the EU: Which Countries Offer the Most Favorable Conditions for UkrainiansAccording to: Finance.uaPlace for your advertisement