Veteran assistance programs received only 20% of allocated funds -reports

Source:Ukraine’s Accounting Chamber

Ukraine’s Accounting Chamber chairwoman, Olga Pishchanska said on Thusday that six  veterans assistance programs remain largely underfunded as the government has spent only 17.7% of planned expenditures over the first eight months of 2024.

The areas where spending fell short include:

• Promotion of veterans’ positive image, production of ID cards and badges, development of veteran movements, and memorialization: It got only  2.6% of the funding.
• Mental, sports, physical, and psychological rehabilitation, and professional adaptation:  These veteran benefits got only 3.7% of the funds.
• Creation and operation of the National Military Memorial Cemetery: the state agencies have spent only 9.4% of the project budget.

Among other programs dealing with funding problems include:

• Development of the social services system: the government alloted only 9.1% of 1.03 billion hryvnias (102.7 million hryvnias).
• Insurance payments to healthcare workers affected by COVID-19: This program got a quarter of its funding –  25.8% of 39.1 million hryvnias was spent (10.1 million hryvnias).
• Social support services for military personnel and their families within Ukrainian Armed Forces units hasn’t got any funding for 2 years.

Despite a slight reduction in the 2025 budget allocation for social protection, it remains substantial, representing 10.7% of the overall budget. Total social sector expenses are projected at nearly half a trillion hryvnias, making them the largest after defense, security, and debt servicing.

According to the 2025 budget projection, the share of social benefits will “remain at 2024 levels” as the goverment has earmarked 420.7 billion hryvnias (90% of the last year’s funding) for 12 programs realized by Ministry of Social Policy. It is worth noting that current budget provisions will address primarily war veterans needs.