The Ministry of Social Policy welcomes the adoption by MPs of Ukraine of changes to the State Budget of Ukraine for 2022, which provide for increased financing of social support for people and the payment of pensions.

In particular, the approved changes stipulate for additional increase in following expenditures:

• social benefits - by UAH 5.7 billion,
• subsidies and benefits for the payment of housing and communal services - by UAH 3.3 billion,
• housing allowance for internally displaced persons - by UAH 32.4 billion,
• pension payments - by UAH 32.3 billion.

"russia's large-scale war of aggression against Ukraine continues. Due to the terrorist actions of the russian federation, aimed at the genocide of the Ukrainian people, the destruction of the economy and life support systems, people's needs for support from the state continue to grow and the resources that the economy can generate for this purpose decrease.

But today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, every citizen and all branches of government have united and are actually defending the values that stand behind every word of the first article of the Constitution of our country. In particular, the fact that Ukraine is a social state. A state in which people are not a resource, but capital. A state that exists for people and fights to exist for people, not the other way around.

The Government is absolutely unanimous that during martial law there are two main priorities - the army and support for people who need it. And I am personally grateful to Serhii Marchenko, the Minister of Finance, who, no matter how difficult, consistently provides funding for these priorities throughout the effect of martial law, seeks and attracts new sources of funding.

We regularly assess the extent to which people's needs for social assistance and subsidies for the payment of communal services are growing due to job loss, forced displacement and other consequences of the war. We understand that a significant number of internally displaced people due to active hostilities or destroyed housing cannot return home, and for them the housing assistance program needs to continue. Our Government is also confident that even though the revenues from the single social contribution are less than what was planned before the large-scale invasion, our elderly people should receive their pensions in full. And that's why I am sincerely grateful to the MPs of Ukraine who understand each of these priorities and supported the necessary changes to the State Budget of Ukraine for this year," commented Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Maryna Lazebna.