Key points
- The government has expanded the list of civilians who can obtain disability status due to the war.
- The right applies to victims in controlled and temporarily occupied territories.
- The status is awarded by decision of an interdepartmental commission under the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
- The new rules should ensure equal access to support for all victims.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has changed the procedure for obtaining the status of a person with a war-related disability, expanding the list of civilians who can obtain it. Previously, this opportunity was available mainly to those who were wounded in areas where hostilities were ongoing or had previously taken place. But now the right extends to citizens who were injured as a result of shelling in temporarily occupied territories. The relevant changes have been made to the “Procedure for establishing a link between disability and injuries or other damage to health” by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 306 on the initiative of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.
The decision of the interdepartmental commission established under the Ministry of Veterans, together with an extract from the act of assessment of the person’s functioning, will serve as the basis for granting the status. For children under 18, the decision will be made on the basis of the conclusion of the medical advisory commission; at the request of the applicant, a corresponding certificate will be issued.
The ministry emphasises that the changes are aimed at ensuring fair access to social support for all civilians who have become disabled as a result of the Russian Federation’s aggression, regardless of where they were when they were injured. The new rules also provide for the digitisation and simplification of paperwork to speed up the process for victims.
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