How Pensioners Can Undergo Video Identification to Receive Social Benefits During the War
Maintaining social support amidst the complexities of wartime, Ukrainian pensioners—especially those residing in temporarily occupied territories or abroad—face the necessity of completing an identification procedure to confirm their status and continue receiving pension payments.
Due to the ongoing military conflict, the Ukrainian government has introduced a new process for issuing and extending social benefits, including pensions, according to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine resolution dated February 11, 2025, No.
299.
The main requirement is to undergo physical identification annually before December 31, which can now be done remotely via video conference.
The main office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) in the Donetsk region has announced that pensioners eligible for video identification can submit their applications through several convenient methods: via the electronic portal of the PFU or by calling the Contact Center at 0800 503 753, (044) 281-08-70, or (044) 281-08-71.
After receiving the application, the fund’s specialists determine the date and time for the video conference, which the pensioner must connect to at the scheduled time using apps such as Google Meet, Zoom, or Viber.
Upon completion of the verification process, the individual receives confirmation of the result in their personal account on the PFU portal or via email.
It is noteworthy that since the beginning of 2025, the number of recipients of state payments and pensions has increased, and the payout amounts have risen.
However, experts warn that these changes do not reflect significant improvements for pensioners overall.
For a detailed analysis of this situation and the ongoing challenges faced by pensioners during wartime, readers can refer to Viktor Koniev’s article, “Pension Report: New and Old Problems of Pensioners,” available on ZN.UA.