Already from March 1 in Ukraine, the size of pensions will increase by an average of 20%, since they will be indexed according to a new mechanism. At the same time, wage increases, as well as a rise in the price of communal apartments, are not yet foreseen.
In March 2023, several important changes will take place in Ukraine. For example, despite the war, pensions will be indexed to citizens, within which payments will increase for almost all pensioners. The changes will also affect the mechanism for paying remuneration to the Ukrainian military, and the government has also decided what will happen to some social benefits.
Focus tells what exactly will change for Ukrainians from March 1, 2023.
Indexation of pensions
From March 1, indexation of pensions will start in Ukraine, which will affect more than a million Ukrainians. According to Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovich, the amount of indexation will be about 20%.
According to the minister, from March 1, the minimum pension of Ukrainians will increase by 400 UAH. Those who have sufficient insurance experience (35 years for men and 30 years for women) and who receive a pension above the minimum can, on average, count on 750 UAH of additional payment.
Military pensioners will receive an average of 1.4 thousand UAH. surcharges, and citizens with disabilities who are the liquidators of the Chernobyl accident – UAH 1.5 thousand – the maximum redistribution of indexation.
Will utility rates change?
The main utility tariffs – for gas, heat, hot water – remain unchanged until the end of martial law in accordance with the decision of the government.
Electricity tariffs are also fixed at least until the end of the heating season in 2023. Now Ukrainians need to pay:
for 1 kWh – UAH 1.44 with monthly consumption up to 250 kW1.68 UAH / kWh if consumption is from 250 kW per month.
The cost of water supply and sanitation services in March 2023 will continue to depend on the tariffs of local water utilities.
Nevertheless, the Office of the President has already publicly started talking about raising tariffs for the population. For example, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostislav Shurma believes that in Ukraine there are problems of subsidizing and systemic unprofitability in the energy sector. Therefore, the government is already preparing a reform under which “people will pay a fair price and receive compensation from the state.”
“In the coming months, the decision will be finalized, but the main input should be as follows: ordinary citizens who need help should not suffer, the state should help them in a targeted way,” said Rostislav Shurma.
What will change in military payments
In March, the military will begin to pay according to the new rules. We are talking about an additional monetary reward in the amount of UAH 100,000 and UAH 30,000. What will change:
the remuneration of UAH 100,000 per month will remain with the military who are on the collision line, and the money will be credited in proportion to the time the tasks are completed. This applies to military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, etc. sailors, military doctors, anti-aircraft missile troops and air defense troops on missions in the area of combat operations; UAH 50,000 will be paid to military personnel performing a combat mission as part of a military control body; an additional reward of UAH 30,000 will be for those military who perform tasks in combat areas, but not on the line of collision.
Also, UAH 30,000 of remuneration is canceled for the military who are in military units and subdivisions outside the areas of combat operations, as well as conscripts, cadets, officers of departments and headquarters.
Are you expecting a pay rise?
Because of the war, the government had to freeze almost all social spending. Since the 2023 state budget does not include funds for wage increases, there will be no changes:
in the amount of the minimum wage – 6700 UAH; in the average subsistence minimum – 2589 UAH; in the minimum amount of alimony – 1416 UAH.
Earlier, Focus said that in 2023 Ukrainian citizens will continue to receive social payments, which expired after February 24, 2022. In particular, payments will be made to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the amount of UAH 2,000 per adult and UAH 3,000 per child or person with a disability.
We also recall that the average salary of Ukrainians increased by 3% in 2022. So, on February 23, the Pension Fund of Ukraine reported that in 2022, citizens received an average of UAH 13,376.21 for their work, which is UAH 382.65 more than in 2021.
