This year social benefits payments amount to over UAH 350 billion - Jaresko

Over UAH 350 billion will be allocated from the 2016 state budget for pensions and social benefits.

Minister of finance Natalia Jaresko told a press conference, Ukrinform reports.

"Given the outlays of the pension fund this year, the government will spend over UAH 350 billion for all public assistance programs," said Jaresko.

Recall that this year the ministry of finance of Ukraine plans to audit (verify) social benefits, hoping to reduce the amount of social benefit payments by roughly UAH 5 billion.

Last year, the ministry of finance conducted a pilot verification project on benefits paid out to internally displaced persons which enabled to save nearly UAH one billion that could have been stolen by using criminal schemes.