The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans« Rights considered the draft Law of Ukraine on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine »On State Social Assistance to Persons with Disabilities from Childhood and Children with Disabilities" regarding the formation of comprehensive state support and increase of social guarantees for families with disabled persons (Reg. No. 14191), submitted by Dmytro Hetmantsev and other MPs of Ukraine.
As the committee reported at its Facebook page on Facebook, the purpose of the draft law is to create a modern, fair and flexible system of state support for children with disabilities and persons with disabilities since childhood, which ensures a decent standard of living, promotes social integration, increases access to necessary services and guarantees the right of every child and family to comprehensive support.
The draft law provides for a transition from fragmented assistance to a systematic approach that combines increased financial assistance, services, and digital solutions for the convenience of citizens.
The draft law proposes:
1. Decouple state social assistance from the subsistence level and calculate it in relation to the minimum wage.
Increasing the amount of state social assistance:
- children with disabilities under the age of 18 - 100% of the minimum wage;
- persons with disabilities from childhood of group I - 100% of the minimum wage;
- persons with disabilities from childhood of group II - 70% of the minimum wage;
- persons with disabilities from childhood of the third group - 30% of the minimum wage.
2. Introduction of a care allowance - without the mandatory condition of one of the parents quitting their job, with the minimum amount of the allowance set at no less than 100% of the minimum wage for children in need of the greatest degree of support and persons with group I disabilities.
3. Expanding types of social support, including for children at risk of disability.
4. Digitalization of the benefits allocation process - the ability to submit applications and receive certificates electronically.
5. Digitalization of the procedure for generating a medical report on a child's disability, which is currently issued exclusively in paper form as a result of the exclusively paper-based process of collecting and submitting documents and making a decision on a child's disability.
6. Providing a choice of how to receive social assistance - in cash, non-cash or through social cards.
7. Distinguishing between the payment of benefits and payment for the provision of care services during stay or residence in relevant institutional facilities.
Enshrining the right of a person with a disability in an institutionalized care facility to independently manage their social assistance.
8. Comprehensive social support for families, including the right to several critical services for families (early intervention, inclusive support, integrated development, temporary rest for parents or persons in loco parentis).
9. Enshrine the right to provide children with disabilities with medical devices in the state reimbursement program to provide them with a guaranteed right to receive the necessary medical devices at a certain frequency.
10. State financing of all types of benefits and services at the expense of the state budget.
The implementation of the draft law provides for amendments to the Law of Ukraine «On State Social Assistance to Persons with Disabilities from Childhood and Children with Disabilities».
According to the committee, the adoption of the draft law does not contradict Ukraine's international obligations and is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Social Charter (revised).
Following the review of the draft Law of Ukraine on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine «On State Social Assistance to Persons with Disabilities from Childhood and Children with Disabilities» regarding the formation of comprehensive state support and improvement of social guarantees for families with disabilities (Reg. No. 14191), the Committee members decided to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine include the draft law on the agenda of the session and adopt it as a basis.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans« Rights is recommended to finalize the draft law, taking into account amendments and proposals of the subjects of legislative initiative, as well as proposals and amendments made in accordance with part one of Article 116 of the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, providing for the possibility of amending, in particular, the laws of Ukraine »On Childhood Protection«, »On Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine«, »On Local Self-Government in Ukraine«, »On Social Services«, ».
The document is at the intersection of the competencies of three ministries - the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy of the Family and Unity of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine - as specialists in these areas can identify developmental problems at different stages: in preschools, nurseries, kindergartens, with a family doctor or community social worker.
According to the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, about UAH 52 billion is needed to implement the draft law, while only UAH 21 billion is currently provided for in the 2026 budget.
