UKRAINE 2019 UNHCR PARTICIPATRY ASSESSMENT “I suffered from ill-treatment and searches of policemen due to my Donetsk registration. They do not care that I have a disability. They think I simulate my disability. They let “normal” people pass and search all the persons with disabilities.” IDP man with disability from Donetsk, residing in Odesa Social protection and pensions Many IDPs rely on social benefits. In discussions, participants said that they had applied and received financial assistance for IDPs aimed at covering rent and utilities (known as “targeted assistance”). However, since assistance is not based on an economic need, it is assigned to any registered IDP who fits the additional criteria set out in legislation (those who do not own housing in GCA or have a bank deposit exceeding a threshold amount). In ten discussions, IDP pensioners said they feel under a constant threat of the suspension of pensions and social benefits due to the discriminatory legislative framework. Despite two decisions of the Supreme Court (see below), IDPs in two groups (with representatives from Odesa, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts) informed that the department of social protection continues to conduct home visits to verify beneficiaries’ place of residence. This has an impact on IDPs who may be absent from their homes for a variety of reasons, such as staying in hospitals for long-term treatment (for example, in one case, the authorities suspended the pension of a cancer patient who was in hospital) or traveling abroad. All IDPs who had had their pensions suspended said that even if their pension was reinstated, they were not able to subsequently receive the accumulated arrears, even if they won court decisions. This was a Focus Group Discussion with IDPs with disabilities held in Kyiv’s UNHCR office. Most of the IDPs consulted by UNHCR in Kyiv are living in collective centers in and around Kyiv. The main challenge mentioned by the IDPs with disabilities was housing and accessibility for wheelchair users and social economic situation. Photo: UNHCR DID YOU KNOW Supreme Court decision of September 2018 announced that pensions cannot be suspended/terminated based on the provisions of a by-law (meaning, Resolutions 637 and 365 of the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the payment of pensions and the verification of those). Supreme Court Decision of December 2018 declared that some provisions of Resolution 365 are 22