A person lacks the required work experience for a pension: how to buy it and what is important to know
If a person lacks a few years or months of insurance experience to retire, it can be purchased. Legislation provides the possibility of voluntary payment of the single social contribution (SSC) for periods when the person was not officially employed. After paying the contributions, the corresponding periods are counted towards the insurance experience.
The Main Department of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the Volyn region reminded how to do this. There are two ways:
- one-time payment for past periods
You can pay for the months when you were not officially employed.
In 2026, the minimum contribution is UAH 3804.68 for each month of experience. The full amount must be paid within 10 days after signing the contract.
- voluntary participation (monthly payment)
You can sign a contract for at least one year and pay contributions monthly.
In 2026, the minimum contribution is UAH 1902.34 per month.
Where to apply?
To sign the contract, you need to submit an application to the State Tax Service of Ukraine at your place of residence (personally in paper form or electronically).
The application must be accompanied by:
- a copy of the identity document;
- a copy of the employment record book (if available);
- a certificate of insurance experience (form OK-5).
Additionally:
- for members of personal peasant farms who are not subject to compulsory state social insurance — a document confirming membership in the farm;
- for domestic workers — a copy of the employment contract.
The Pension Fund noted that at the time of signing the contract, the person must not be subject to compulsory state social insurance.
- You can only buy experience for periods when there was no official employment or entrepreneurial activity.
- If the person was insured but contributions were not paid (for example, due to benefits), such experience cannot be purchased.
- Citizens aged 16 and older can sign the contract.
- Violation of the contract terms may be grounds for its early termination and deprive the person of the right to conclude such a contract in the future.
Why is insurance experience important?
It determines the right to:
- a pension;
- sick pay;
- unemployment benefits;
- other social payments.
Where to check your insurance experience?
You can check your insurance experience online through your personal account on the web portal of the Pension Fund of Ukraine by logging in using a qualified electronic signature (QES).
On the web portal, you can view:
- insurance experience;
- salary on which contributions were paid;
- data of the electronic employment record book;
- information about employer contributions.
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