Pension lawyer

The Pension Fund calculates your pension based on the data in its register. If an employer failed to submit reports at some point, the company’s records have been lost, or your employment record book contains errors — those years simply do not exist for the purposes of the calculation. And no one will tell you this: your pension will simply be calculated at a lower rate.

This is precisely where a pension lawyer is needed: to prove service that did not make it into the register, to challenge the underestimated calculation and to secure a recalculation — including for the past period.

This is one of the few areas where a court ruling almost always translates into real money: not only an increased pension for the future, but also back pay for previous months.

+38 095 554-54-24 — legal advice

What we specialise in

• refusal to grant a pension — on grounds of age, length of service, disability, or the loss of a breadwinner;
• unrecognised insurance record — lost records, errors in the employment record book, employer failed to submit reports;
• underestimated pension amount — incorrectly calculated earnings, coefficients, periods;
• pension recalculation — following continued employment, changes in legislation, or becoming eligible for benefits;
• preferential pension — under Lists No. 1 and No. 2 (hazardous working conditions);
• recalculation of military pension;
• payment of pension for a past period — where entitlement existed but the pension was not paid;
• pensions for internally displaced persons and those who have moved abroad.

The most common problem: ‘missing’ length of service

Until 2004, there was no personalised record-keeping system — length of service was confirmed by an employment record book. And this is where the problems begin:

• errors in the records — incorrect dates, missing stamps, the company name does not match the order;
• the company has been wound up, but the archives have not been transferred;
• the archives have been lost — destroyed, burnt, or left behind in occupied territory;
• the employer did not pay contributions — even though you were officially employed;
• work abroad — requires separate confirmation.

What we do: legal requests to archives, the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) and the legal successors of companies; gathering circumstantial evidence — orders, salary records, party or trade union documents, and testimony from colleagues. If there are no documents at all, the fact of employment is established in court.

Important: the employer’s failure to pay contributions is not grounds for not counting your length of service if you actually worked. This is their breach, not yours.

Appealing against a refusal by the Pension Fund

Decisions and omissions by the Pension Fund may be appealed in an administrative court.

Procedure:

1. Obtain a written refusal stating the grounds. A verbal statement such as ‘you are not entitled’ cannot be appealed — demand a written document.
2. Obtain a pension calculation — you have the right to know the periods and amounts on which it is based. Very often, an error is already apparent at this stage.
3. Gather evidence — archive records, documents, witness statements.
4. File an administrative claim.
5. Secure a recalculation — including back payments for the previous period.

Court fees for a non-pecuniary administrative claim brought by an individual — 1,331.20 UAH (2026). If the claim is successful, these are recovered from the Pension Fund of Ukraine along with legal fees.

Payment for the past period

This is something the Pension Fund does not mention.

If the court finds that the pension has been calculated incorrectly, the recalculation is made not from the date of the court’s decision, but from the moment your entitlement arose. In other words, back payments are made for the past period.

In practice, these amounts often exceed legal costs many times over. Therefore, even a small monthly difference, multiplied over the years, makes the case financially worthwhile.

When you do not need a solicitor

If your pension has been calculated correctly, your service record has been fully recognised, and you have checked the calculation — you do not need a solicitor.

You need a solicitor when:

• the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) has refused to award a pension;
• your service record has not been credited — either in full or in part;
• you suspect that your pension has been underestimated, but do not understand the calculation;
• the company’s records have been lost;
• you are entitled to a preferential pension, but it has not been granted;
• you have moved abroad, and payments have been suspended;
• you are an internally displaced person, and problems have arisen with your payments.

How we work

1. We analyse the pension calculation — the periods and amounts on which it is based, and what has not been taken into account.
2. We submit legal enquiries — to archives, the Pension Fund of Ukraine, and the legal successors of companies.
3. We gather evidence of your length of service — both direct and indirect.
4. We prepare a claim — demanding a recalculation and back payments for the past period.
5. We pursue the case in the administrative court.
6. We monitor the implementation of the decision — as the Pension Fund of Ukraine does not always recalculate pensions voluntarily and on time.

Cost of services

Court fee: 1,331.20 UAH (2026). If the case is won, this is recovered from the Pension Fund.

Full price list · Administrative cases

Questions and answers (Pension lawyer)

What should I do if my length of service has not been recognised?

Gather evidence: archive records, orders, salary statements, and statements from colleagues. If there are no documents, the fact of employment is established through the courts.

My employer did not pay contributions. Have I lost my length of service?

No. The employer’s failure to pay contributions is their breach, not yours. If you actually worked, your length of service must be recognised.

Can I receive back pay for previous years?

Yes. If the court finds the calculation to be incorrect, the recalculation is made from the date the entitlement arose, not from the date of the court’s decision. Back pay for the previous period often exceeds legal costs many times over.

How much does it cost to appeal against a refusal by the Pension Fund of Ukraine?

The court fee is 1,331.20 UAH (2026). If you win the case, this fee and your legal fees will be recovered from the Pension Fund.

The company’s records have been lost. What should I do?

Search through legal requests to successors and sectoral archives, and gather circumstantial evidence. If none of these are available, establish the fact of employment in court.

How can I find out if my pension has been calculated correctly?

Request a calculation from the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) showing the periods and amounts on which it is based. You are entitled to this, and very often an error is already apparent from this document.

Can I receive a pension whilst living abroad?

Yes, but the procedure depends on the country and the existence of international agreements. Any suspension of payments can be appealed.

Can my pension be recalculated if I have continued to work?

Yes, recalculation to take account of additional service and earnings is a separate procedure, and you must initiate it yourself: the Pension Fund of Ukraine does not do this automatically.

What documents should I bring to the consultation?

Your employment record book, pension calculation, a written refusal from the Pension Fund of Ukraine, any archive certificates, and documents relating to your earnings.

Contact a pension lawyer at Svarog

Send us your pension calculation and employment record book — we’ll check which periods have been omitted and how much you’re underpaid each month. Multiply this difference by the number of years: it often turns out that it’s worth taking legal action even for a ‘small’ additional payment.

+38 095 554-54-24 · Kyiv, 7 Khoriva Street (Podil) · Mon–Fri 9.00–18.00