A serviceperson has been killed or gone missing: how to arrange a survivor’s pension

Publication date: July 14, 2026

A survivor’s pension is one form of state support for the families of servicepeople who have been killed or gone missing. Volodymyr Shynkar, attorney and lawyer at the Khmelnytskyi-based NGO Podilska Legal League, explains who is entitled to these payments, how to apply for them, and what to do if a pension is refused.

The full-scale war has led to a significant increase in the number of families who have lost a breadwinner as a result of a serviceperson being killed or going missing. One form of social protection for such people is the survivor’s pension, awarded in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Pension Provision for Persons Discharged from Military Service and Certain Other Persons”.

The purpose of this payment is to partially compensate for the income a family has lost as a result of the death or disappearance of a serviceperson.

What a survivor’s pension is

A survivor’s pension is a monthly state payment to the dependent family members of a serviceperson who has been killed, has died, or has gone missing under special circumstances.

A distinctive feature of this type of pension provision is that the amount of the payment depends on the serviceperson’s military pay, not on the recipient’s insurance record.

Where a serviceperson has gone missing, entitlement to a pension arises on condition that information about them has been entered into the Unified Register of Persons Missing under Special Circumstances and that the corresponding extract from that register has been obtained.

Who is entitled to the pension

The right to a survivor’s pension belongs to the dependent family members of a serviceperson who has been killed (has died) or has gone missing.

These include:

• children under 18;
• children up to the age of 23 who are studying full time;
• children with a disability, if the disability arose before they reached the age of majority;
• a husband or wife who has reached retirement age or is a person with a disability;
• parents who have reached retirement age or are persons with a disability;
• grandfather and grandmother, if under the law there is no one else to support them;
• brothers, sisters and grandchildren under 18, where there are no parents fit for work;
• a non-working relative who cares for the deceased’s children under the age of 8.

Conditions for awarding the pension

A pension is awarded on the following conditions:

• the fact that the serviceperson was killed, died or went missing is confirmed by the appropriate documents;
• the applicant belongs to the group of persons defined by law;
• the applicant is a dependent family member or has another statutory ground for receiving the payment;
• there is the requisite legal connection between the serviceperson’s death and their military service.

The cause of the serviceperson’s death is significant. If they were killed while performing military service duties or while defending the Homeland, family members are entitled to an enhanced level of pension provision.

At the same time, the length of military service is not a decisive condition for awarding a pension to the family members of a serviceperson killed in the line of duty.

The amount of the pension

The amount of the pension is determined as a percentage of the serviceperson’s military pay.

Specifically:

• if one dependent family member is entitled to a pension, the pension amounts to 70% of the breadwinner’s military pay;
• if two or more family members are entitled, each is awarded a pension of 50% of the breadwinner’s military pay.

In most cases a survivor’s pension is higher than an ordinary old-age pension, because it is calculated on the basis of the serviceperson’s military pay.

Where to apply

An application can be submitted at any service centre of the Pension Fund of Ukraine or through the Pension Fund’s electronic services web portal.

Which documents must be submitted

The following are submitted to the Pension Fund of Ukraine bodies in order for a pension to be awarded:

• an application for the award of a pension;
• the applicant’s passport and taxpayer registration number;
• the serviceperson’s death certificate or documents confirming that they have gone missing;
• documents confirming the family relationship with the serviceperson (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.);
• documents confirming the applicant’s dependent status (where available);
• a certificate of full-time study — for children aged 18 to 23;
• documents on the serviceperson’s military pay;
• other documents depending on the specific circumstances of the case.

Where a serviceperson has gone missing, documents confirming that the relevant information has been entered into the Unified Register of Persons Missing under Special Circumstances must also be submitted.

Conclusion

In order to receive a survivor’s pension, it is important to properly confirm the serviceperson’s status, the family relationship and the other circumstances provided for by law. If the pension is refused, or if you disagree with the amount awarded, a decision of the Pension Fund bodies can be appealed through administrative channels or in court.

This material was produced by the Legal Development Network public union with the support of the international charitable platform GlobalGiving. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Legal Development Network.

Cover photo for the article: depositphotos.com

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