Seven grounds for losing IDP payments: from buying a car to extended stays abroad

Ukrainian internally displaced persons may lose their housing assistance if a state verification process finds they do not meet one of seven criteria — including purchasing a new vehicle, making large purchases, or spending an extended period abroad.

The procedure for providing assistance was approved by Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 332 of March 20, 2022, as amended by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 709 of July 11, 2023.

How eligibility for payments is verified

To establish an IDP’s right to continued payments, the Ministry of Social Policy transmits the relevant information to the Ministry of Finance for verification in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Verification and Monitoring of State Payments.” During the review, information provided by the recipient is cross-checked against data from the electronic verification and monitoring information and analytics platform. The verification results are forwarded to the Pension Fund of Ukraine for further processing.

Seven grounds for terminating payments

Under the procedure, housing assistance is not paid if at least one of the following circumstances is established during the period of receipt:

— a vehicle has been purchased that is less than five years old from its year of manufacture (excluding mopeds and trailers);

— a purchase exceeding 100,000 hryvnias has been made — including a plot of land, an apartment, a house, other real estate, securities, or other financial instruments;

— funds totaling more than 100,000 hryvnias are held in a bank deposit account (excluding one-time state payments);

— transactions have been carried out to purchase non-cash and/or cash foreign currency or bank metals totaling more than 100,000 hryvnias;

— the person owns residential property located in territories not included on the list of territories for which a date of completion of hostilities or temporary occupation has been determined;

— the person is fully supported by the state in state institutions, including places of imprisonment;

— the person has been abroad for more than 30 consecutive calendar days or 60 days in total during the period of receiving assistance.

What happens when a discrepancy is identified

If verification results and data from the Unified Information System of the Social Sphere reveal non-compliance with the requirements of the procedure, information on the grounds for refusing to continue payments is communicated to the authorized person — where the relevant technical capability exists. Such results may serve as grounds for terminating or not continuing the payment of assistance.

How to appeal a refusal

If a recipient disagrees with the refusal, they have the right to submit documents confirming their eligibility for assistance. These can be filed with a Pension Fund of Ukraine office or with an administrator at an administrative services center at the place of residence, and may also be sent by post or electronically.

The procedure also provides a mechanism for correcting erroneous information. If an error is identified in a recipient’s personal data, their bank account number, or their recipient category — working-age person, child, or person with a disability — the Pension Fund of Ukraine office carries out a correction of the relevant information.