Pension "record holder": how ex-MP Kivalov increased his pension 17 times through the court — to 245 thousand hryvnias

Pension "record holder": how ex-MP Kivalov increased his pension 17 times through the court — to 245 thousand hryvnias

The largest pension in Ukraine, awarded by court decision, amounts to over 245 thousand hryvnias. It is received by court decision by former MP and member of the then still legitimate "Party of Regions" Serhiy Kivalov. However, not everything is so simple with its appointment.

Such a pension is anomalous even for former MPs. Several factors had to "align" for him to receive it.

Serhiy Kivalov received the pension calculated by the Pension Fund for a full six years — from 2014 to 2020. But in 2020, he decided that something needed to change — after filing a lawsuit with the Odesa District Administrative Court, his pension increased 17.5 times from 14 thousand to almost 246 thousand per month. And to this day, it holds the record, as learned from the Pension Fund’s response to a parliamentary query from MP Danylo Hetmantsev, which is in the possession of "Telegraf".

Pension Fund’s response on the 5 largest pensions in Ukraine awarded by court decision

Interestingly, his pension is now smaller — by government decision during martial law, the Pension Fund limits special pensions with special coefficients.

In court, Serhiy Kivalov referred to his right to use the then still valid norm of the Law "On the Status of People’s Deputy", which gave the right to receive a pension in the amount of 70% of the monthly salary of serving MPs. Kivalov obtained the relevant certificate — with the salary of the committee chairman, allowance for work intensity, and the presence of a scientific degree and honorary title, the salary amounted to over 54 thousand UAH, and the pension should have been 37,851 UAH.

But Kivalov did not stop there. He provided the court with a certificate of salary from a private university — the International Humanitarian University, where the ex-MP holds the position of president. The data indicates his earnings, which sharply increased in the last months before the lawsuit:

• in October 2019 – 84,712 UAH;
• in November 2019 – 442,763 UAH;
• in December 2019 – 332,800 UAH;
• in January 2020 – 332,800 UAH.

Thus, the judge makes a very interesting decision — to award the pension based on Kivalov’s two incomes and specifically using the certificate from the private institution, and to calculate the salary of a current people’s deputy, although the private job has no relation to the MP’s pension.

Court decision on Kivalov’s pension

The court deems it necessary to oblige the defendant to recalculate and pay the plaintiff a pension in accordance with Article 20 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of People’s Deputy of Ukraine" (in the edition that was in effect at the time of pension appointment), based on the salary determined in the certificate issued by the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada Apparatus No. 15/26-469(44255) dated 21.02.2020 and the income certificate dated 07.02.2020 (outgoing No. 4) issued by the International Humanitarian University, without limiting the maximum amount.

Such a decision was made by Judge Mykhailo Kravchenko.