According to the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection" combatants and persons equated to them, as well as their family members, are entitled to benefits from the state. They can be conditionally divided into medical, utility, land and housing, transportation, educational and family benefits for combatants. So, what benefits are provided by the legislation of Ukraine in 2024 and how to get them?

Medical benefits for combatants

Combatants are entitled to:

– free medicines, immunobiological drugs and medical devices prescribed by doctors;

– priority free dental prosthetics, except for prosthetics made of precious metals;

– free treatment in health resorts (or compensation for the cost of such treatment);

– after retirement or change of employment, use of polyclinics and hospitals to which they were attached at their previous place of employment;

– annual medical examination and medical check-up;

– priority in services in medical institutions, pharmacies and priority hospitalization.

Utility benefits for combatants and their families

– 75% discount on rent and utilities (gas, electricity and other services), for people with disabilities the discount on utilities is 100%;

– 75% discount on the cost of fuel for people living in houses without central heating.

Important! The area of housing for calculating the heating fee is 21 square meters of heated area per person permanently residing in the apartment/house and an additional 10.5 square meters per family.

If the family consists only of disabled persons, a 75% discount on the use of gas for heating is granted for double the size of the standard heating area (42 square meters for each person and 21 square meters for the family).

Benefits for housing and land plots for combatants

The legislation provides for the following priorities

– provision of living space for persons in need of improved housing conditions;

– allocation of land plots for individual housing construction, gardening and horticulture;

– repair of residential buildings and apartments, purchase of materials for construction, and provision of fuel;

– the right to join housing cooperatives, parking lots, garages, and gardening associations.

In addition, combatants have the right to receive a loan for the construction, reconstruction or overhaul of residential buildings, outbuildings, summer cottages and garden plots on preferential terms (repayment within 10 years starting from the fifth year after the completion of construction in accordance with the procedure established by the Cabinet of Ministers). 

At the same time, the state provides housing for those who were injured or maimed during the hostilities.

Travel benefits for combatants

– free travel by all types of urban passenger transport (road, rail, water) regardless of distance and place of residence;

– free travel once every two years by intercity rail, water, air or road transport or travel once a year (round trip) by the above-mentioned types of transport with a 50% discount.

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Education benefits for combatants

You can receive support from the state when obtaining professional (vocational), professional pre-university and higher education in state and municipal educational institutions. The following list of benefits is provided for combatants:

– full or partial payment of tuition fees from the state and local budgets;

– preferential long-term loans for education and social scholarships;

– free provision of textbooks and the Internet at the educational institution, as well as free accommodation in a dormitory.

Other social benefits for combatants

– The right to receive temporary disability benefits in the form of 100% of the average salary, regardless of length of service;

– the right to use annual leave at any time, as well as to receive additional paid leave for 14 calendar days per year;

– the preemptive right to remain employed in the event of redundancy, as well as to be employed in the event of liquidation of an enterprise, institution or organization;

– priority service by institutions and organizations providing social care services.

Benefits for families of combatants

The legislation of Ukraine provides for benefits for children of combatants, in particular for:

– health improvement and recreation;

– priority places in general education and preschool educational institutions, as well as children's health camps (at the place of residence)

– transfer to the state-funded form of education in case of obtaining higher, vocational and professional higher education on a full-time basis;

– free or reduced-price accommodation in dormitories (for full-time students) and social scholarships (in the absence of debt).

How do I get the benefits of the combatants?

In order to receive the relevant benefits, a person must have a formalized status of a combatant (benefits are not granted automatically). Having a combat participant certificate, you need to apply to the Pension Fund of Ukraine (regardless of the place of registration) and write applications:

1. Application for inclusion of a person in the USARPB (Unified State Automated Register of Persons entitled to Benefits);

2. Application for the establishment of a benefit.

The application can be submitted in several ways:

– in person at a Pension Fund service center (a list of existing service centers can be found here)

–  by mail;

– via the Pension Fund's electronic services web portal:

– via the "Diia" application (if you have an electronic signature "Diia.Signature").

If you need expert advice, please contact the Visit Ukraine legal team. Our experts will answer your questions, help you solve your immediate problems, as well as collect and submit the necessary documents. To order a consultation or full legal support, please follow this link.

We remind you! Ukraine provides a number of social benefits for children of military personnel and participants in armed conflicts to ensure their right to education, recreation and medical care. For a full list of benefits that children of military personnel can receive from the state, see here.