Subminimum Income in 2026: Its Impact on State Social Benefits and What Ukrainians Can Expect
The recent approval of the Ukrainian government’s draft budget for 2026 has introduced significant changes to the social security system.
Notably, the document specifies new amounts for the subsistence minimum, which serves as a fundamental indicator for calculating various state social benefits.
According to the planned changes, the subsistence minimum will amount to 3,288 hryvnias in 2026, increasing to 3,482 hryvnias in 2027, and reaching 3,667 hryvnias in 2028.This means that many social payments linked to this indicator will also be adjusted.
Among the key benefits are pension payments, where the minimum and maximum pensions are tied to 1 and 10 times the subsistence minimum, respectively.
Additionally, the basic tax social benefit will constitute half of the subsistence minimum, and assistance for children and single mothers will depend on established coefficients and average family income levels.Changes in the subsistence minimum directly affect the level of social support provided to Ukrainians, especially those in the most difficult financial situations.
For example, assistance for single mothers is calculated as the difference between 100% of the subsistence minimum and the average income of the family, making it more reliant on the revised benchmark.According to the Budget Declaration for 2026–2028, the level of the subsistence minimum will become one of the main criteria for determining government expenditures and social aid.
These innovations aim to make the support system more adaptable to citizens’ real needs but also raise questions about the adequacy of assistance for the most vulnerable populations.