When service members become entitled to financial assistance for health recovery: Ministry of Defence clarification

Service members are entitled to an annual financial assistance for health recovery equal to their monthly service remuneration.

The Ministry of Defence provides clarification on when service members acquire this entitlement.

Under the Procedure for the Payment of Service Remuneration to Personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Certain Other Persons, approved by an order of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine:

• Service members, except those performing conscript service, who have acquired or are acquiring the right to annual main leave are paid financial assistance for health recovery once per year in an amount equal to their monthly service remuneration.

In accordance with the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Social and Legal Protection of Military Personnel and Their Family Members’:

• For service members, except those performing conscript service, annual main leave in the year of commencement of military service is calculated on a pro rata basis of one-twelfth per full month of service until the end of the calendar year.

Accordingly, service members acquire the right to leave and to financial assistance for health recovery immediately upon completing their first full month of service.

It is important to note that legislation stipulates that annual main leave may be granted only if no more than 30 percent of service members of the relevant category within a unit are absent simultaneously. Furthermore, there may be other objective reasons for refusing to grant leave, including an already established leave schedule.

It should also be noted that financial assistance for health recovery is provided to service members under the following circumstances:

• Upon their departure on annual main leave of full duration or on the second part of annual main leave, including, where permitted, in respect of unused leave from previous years;