The Rada warns of the risks of selectivity: the draft law on lifelong pensions for military personnel needs further revision

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is currently considering draft law No. 15078, which provides for changes to the pension system for military personnel, in particular regarding disability pensions and mechanisms for transition between different types of pensions. Despite general support for the initiative, experts draw attention to a number of risks — from legal conflicts to a possible additional burden on the budget.

What is supported: coordination with reforms and new approaches

The conclusion of the Research Service of the Parliament notes that some of the proposed changes correspond to current reforms. In particular, these include:

bringing the norms into line with the transformation of the medical and social expertise system (MSEK);
updating the terminology in the field of military service, in particular, introducing the concept of “basic military service”;
adapting the legislation to the new model of training for citizens aged 18–25.

Such changes are aimed at systematizing the legal field and eliminating outdated formulations.

Key caveats: the risk of a selective approach

At the same time, some provisions of the bill raise serious objections. The most debated issue concerns the proposal to expand the list of persons who can receive a disability pension regardless of insurance experience.

This concerns the inclusion in this list of persons who became disabled during the events of the Revolution of Dignity (2013–2014), as well as certain categories of police and civil defense workers.

The parliament emphasizes that such an approach may violate the principle of equality, as it covers only certain groups and requires a clear legal justification. In addition, special legislation on pension provision already exists for these categories, which creates a risk of duplication of norms and legal conflicts.

Financial aspect: additional burden on the budget

Experts pay special attention to the financial consequences. Despite the statements of the authors of the bill about the absence of additional costs, expanding the circle of recipients of disability pensions will likely lead to an increase in the burden on the Pension Fund.

In this regard, the need to prepare a detailed financial and economic justification before adopting the document is emphasized.

Key innovations of the draft law

Among the main changes proposed by draft law No. 15078:

a disability pension for military personnel is established for the entire period of disability, and for persons of retirement age – for life;
a reassessment of the state of health is carried out only upon the person’s application;
in case of failure to appear for an examination, payments may be suspended, but with the possibility of renewal;
when switching to another type of pension, payments already received are taken into account;
new rules for assigning pensions for military personnel of basic and conscript service, as well as for members of their families, have been determined;
certain categories of persons who suffered during mass protests are proposed to be granted the right to a pension regardless of the insurance period.