Released Prisoners of War are offered a one-year deferral on loans and other payments
Citizens who have been deprived of their personal freedom as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine may have their guarantees regarding the fulfillment of financial obligations significantly expanded.
A draft law has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada proposing to double the deferral period for payments after release from captivity—from six months to one year.
If a person undergoes treatment after returning, this period will be extended for the entire duration of their stay in a medical facility.
The initiators of the changes explain that the current six months is often insufficient for physical and psychological recovery and returning to normal life.
The draft law "On Amendments to Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Social and Legal Protection of Persons Deprived of Their Personal Freedom as a Result of Armed Aggression Against Ukraine and Their Family Members' Regarding Clarification of Payment Deferral Issues" proposes to clarify the existing provisions on deferring the fulfillment of financial obligations for former prisoners.
For what period do they want to postpone the fulfillment of financial obligations
The draft law proposes to amend the first paragraph of part one of Article 16 of the relevant law.
According to the new version, persons who have been deprived of their personal freedom due to armed aggression against Ukraine will be exempt from the obligation to fulfill their obligations during captivity and for one year after release, as well as from the accrual and payment (transfer) of penalties—fines and interest—for their violations. After release, they will also have the right to restructure their debt.
What will change for those undergoing treatment after captivity
One of the key innovations of the draft law is regulating the situation when a person requires long-term treatment after release.
The document proposes that if a person is receiving treatment in a healthcare facility after release, the payment deferral period for their obligations will automatically be extended for the entire duration of the treatment. Current legislation does not contain such a provision.
Why the authors of the draft law propose changing the current rules
Currently, the law guarantees exemption from fulfilling obligations only for six months after release. According to the authors, this period is insufficient for a person to adapt after experiencing captivity. Moreover, the current version of the law does not consider cases where released persons must undergo long-term treatment and need more time to resume fulfilling financial obligations.
That is why draft law 15357 proposes to increase the payment deferral period to one year and provide for its extension during treatment after release.
Which guarantees remain unchanged
The comparative table to the draft law indicates that the document does not cancel the existing guarantees for former prisoners. In particular, after release, they will still have the right to restructure their debt. The provision granting the spouse of such a person the right to restructure debt on loans with banks and other financial institutions also remains unchanged.
The authors of the draft law note that its implementation will not require additional expenditures from the State Budget of Ukraine. It is expected that adopting the document will improve the payment deferral mechanism for persons who have experienced deprivation of personal freedom due to armed aggression against Ukraine and provide them with more time to recover after release.
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