On December 3, the Verkhovna Rada approved the state budget for 2026. Despite the fact that spending on social programs has increased overall, the return of payments of UAH 3,000 to all IDP children is not provided.
Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity Denys Ulyutin reported on his Facebook page:
“The total amount of expenditures amounted to UAH 4.83 trillion. Social policy traditionally remains one of the largest areas of state financing. A total of UAH 468.5 billion (+ UAH 47.6 billion by 2025) is provided for social expenditures. These include pensions, payments to vulnerable categories, subsidies, support for people with disabilities, as well as programs for families with children – from prenatal and postpartum care to modern parental support services. In particular, the one-time payment at the birth of a child will be increased from UAH 10,000 to UAH 50,000. The transfer to the Pension Fund will amount to over UAH 250 billion. This guarantees that people will receive their payments on time and in full. The state will allocate 133 billion hryvnia for social payments, including assistance to IDPs. The amount of assistance to people with disabilities will increase, in particular, for prosthetic needs – 10 billion hryvnia.
However, unfortunately, the issue of returning payments to at least all IDP children, regardless of family income, which worries thousands of displaced families, including those from the Kherson region, has remained unresolved.
Let us recall that since last year, the state has begun to take a differentiated approach to IDP payments, the number of families entitled to receive 2,000 hryvnia per adult per month and 3,000 hryvnia per child or person with disabilities has significantly decreased. The refusal of payments is mainly due to the fact that they began to take into account the total family income (it should not be more than 9,440 per person) and whether the parents are officially employed. As a result, thousands of families have lost their payments.
Using the example of a specific displaced family with one child, it turned out that with a total income of 30 thousand UAH per month, it would no longer be possible to receive IDP payments. This was a serious blow for many families, because at least a third of these 30 thousand goes to paying for housing and utilities. Previously, housing rent and utilities could be paid with IDP payments, but the state took away this right. Instead, it offered an option that never worked – compensation for housing rent. Of course, provided that there is an official contract. This program failed miserably, and IDPs were left with nothing.
The non-return of payments was also reported on social media by Serhiy Kozyr, a people’s deputy from the Kherson region, following the results of the Verkhovna Rada meeting. By the way, he voted for the budget, although he had previously said that he would not support it if the positions on supporting IDPs, increasing teachers’ salaries, and returning 64% of personal income tax to communities were not taken into account.
In his post, he happily emphasized that almost everything he supposedly insisted on was taken into account. Except for the return of payments to IDP children. However, this did not affect Mr. Kozyr’s vote in support of the budget.
“Regarding the return of monthly payments to IDPs in the amount of UAH 3,000 per child, regardless of family income. On this issue, together with my colleagues, I once again appealed to the Government and other people’s deputies from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada. Now 2/3 of children will not receive these payments! At the same time, these children also do not have the right to receive UAH 6,500 of “winter support”. And it is not fair that some IDP families with children receive funds for renting housing and can participate in other state programs, while others do not, due to the fact that the family’s income slightly exceeds the one established by the Government. Especially since the funds for this are included in the budget! For all children,” Kozyr wrote.
He also added: “Let’s continue the fight.”
Here’s some sad news…
Kherson residents comment under their MP’s post:
“Why were the payments of 2 thousand removed from IDPs, who are not 55+, when a person lives alone, there is no subsistence income, work, pension. What do such categories of IDP citizens have to live on? State social assistance for citizens 60+ is not available for all categories, what do refugees have to survive on? People aged 55+ are not citizens of the country for you?”.
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“As it turns out, there are no payments for IDPs for pensioners? 9500 remained the indicator for payments? It turns out that those who have been struggling all their lives, working around the clock, now let them survive, how can they? People will only have enough for rented housing…”.
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“If IDPs have one or two children, then no one needs them at all… while others receive all the benefits because they have 3 or more children… and their father is also at home… and we don’t need anything….”
