The Rating Group and the International Organization for Migration (IOM Ukraine) published the results of a joint study on social services for veterans in Ukraine. The study was conducted with the support of the European Union and in cooperation with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.

The aim of the study is to identify factors that promote or hinder the social integration of war veterans, as well as to assess their interaction with the social services system, in particular through the Administrative Services Centres, as indicators of the implementation of the Veterans Policy Strategy in Ukraine.

The survey covered war veterans from various demographic groups, including persons with disabilities, as well as employees of the Administrative Service Centres from all regions of Ukraine controlled by the Government. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with war veterans, support specialists, representatives of civil society organisations and opinion leaders whose activities are directly related to the formation of veteran policy. The data obtained allows for an analysis of the extent to which the current infrastructure, service delivery mechanisms and state guarantees are in line with the objectives of the Veterans Policy Strategy.

Key findings

The main difficulties in returning war veterans to civilian life are associated with a misunderstanding of society, difficulties with the registration of social benefits, employment and access to medical and psychological support.

• The state of implementation of public policy in the field of veteran benefits and services is generally rated low due to bureaucracy, insufficient funding and poor coordination between authorities.
• Medical services, particularly primary care, receive positive ratings, while psychological support and social services, including family assistance and veteran business development, remain weak.
• War veterans actively use the services of ASCs, noting the professionalism of the staff, but bureaucratic procedures and the complexity of documents complicate access to benefits.
• Housing programs and legal support are limited in resources and complexity of procedures, which requires their simplification and unification.
• Despite this, there are positive dynamics in the availability of medical services, the development of veteran hubs, rehabilitation programs and grant initiatives.
• The main requests of war veterans relate to medical care, psychological support, housing support, legal assistance, and employment and training opportunities.
• It is recommended to simplify the system of benefits, automate processes, increase the competence and empathy of employees, as well as shift the focus from payments to the development of initiatives and self-realization of war veterans.
• In the long term, it is expected to improve the availability and quality of services, the expansion of housing and social programs, and the integration of all services for war veterans in one environment.
• An important factor in the effectiveness of the implementation of the veteran policy is the active participation of war veterans themselves in communities and public initiatives, which contributes to their social integration and capacity development

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Authors of the report: Lyubomir Mysiv, Natalia Khalimonenko, Roman Borysov, Anna Konstantinova

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Rating Group is one of the largest research institutions in Ukraine, which has been on the market since 2008. The company is registered in Ukraine and has significant experience in conducting sociological surveys in Ukraine and abroad. The group includes: Sociological Group Rating, Research Lab Rating Lab, Rating Online platform and Rating Call Center.