Yuliia Laputina says Gov’t to review financing of budget programs for the Defenders and their family members

Funding for all budget programs for veterans, their families and the families of fallen soldiers (survivors) will be reviewed due to the significant increase in the number of combatants.

Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Yuliia Laputina has announced this during a live broadcast in the marathon of all-Ukrainian channels, commenting on the Law adopted on March 15, 2022 on granting combatant status to volunteers of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Currently, social guarantees and benefits for the relevant categories of persons are stipulated by the current law №3551. It also applies to those covered by the new law - our Defenders will be provided with benefits and guarantees. Accordingly, the issues of financing veterans' programs, passports of budget programs and the procedure for using funds will be reviewed,” Yuliia Laputina explained.

She stressed that the Ministry of Veterans Affairs would work on this issue together with relevant government agencies, in particular, the Ministry of Social Policy and the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development.

The Minister also stressed that it was essential to consolidate the status of volunteers of the Territorial Defense Forces.

“In order to support our Defenders by the state at the legislative level,” said Yuliia Laputina.

It should be reminded that on March 15 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at special session approved the bill “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Status of War Veterans, Guarantees of Their Social Protection” to clarify the rules governing the definition of categories of persons recognized as war veterans and family members of fallen Defenders of Ukraine” (registered as bill №7151), which was developed on the initiative of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and with the support of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada.

The approved document recognizes at the legislative level the volunteers of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as war veterans. It also determines the category of persons - the families of the perished Defenders of Ukraine with the appropriate provision of benefits and guarantees established by law.