What should family members of a serviceman do if they lose contact with him?

A briefing by a representative of the Kharkiv Regional Territorial Center for Staffing and Social Support (TCS and SS) was held at Kharkiv Media Hub. The deputy head of the social benefits sector, the head of the department for issuing military pensions and benefits, Lt. Col. Vyacheslav Dzhmil told how to act for the family members of a serviceman in case of loss of contact with him and how social protection of the families of the missing, fallen defenders of Ukraine is carried out.

Vyacheslav Dzhmil noted that the relatives and friends of any serviceman of the Armed Forces units must have the following information: the number of the military unit where the serviceman is serving, the commander’s details, his contact numbers and the phone number of the unit.

“In this way, they will be able to clarify or obtain primary information about a relative, because official information about the death or disappearance from representatives of the TCS and SS will arrive no earlier than 2 to 5 days – already after the institution receives a notification from the military unit,” said the officer.

In the future, in the event of death, the TCS and SS take measures to bury the defender. After that, the representative of the institution accepts the application from the relatives for the payment or additional payment of financial support, which the deceased did not have time to receive, and sends it to the military unit where the serviceman served. In the future, the unit will make outstanding payments.

Vyacheslav Dzhmil noted that parents, dependents, spouses, minor children or children studying at universities on a full-time basis, but not older than 23 years, have the right to one-time assistance in connection with the death of a defender, “The specified categories of citizens in the district recruitment and social protection center give their consent to the processing of personal data and confirm family relationships. In turn, the institution takes the necessary measures to collect documents both for the registration of a one-time benefit in connection with the death and for the registration of a pension.”

In his speech, the officer emphasized that the relatives of the deceased are not involved in collecting documents and issuing payments.

If a close person who participated in the protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine is considered missing, his family members have the right to receive financial support for the period until the fate of the person is clarified and his status is changed to the status of prisoner or deceased. Details of the procedure for payment of financial support to the families of servicemen captured or held hostage, as well as those who are missing, can be found at the link.

“At the moment, the monthly amount of such payments is from 120 to 140 thousand UAH. Also, the above-mentioned family members of a military serviceman have the right to receive material assistance and assistance for recovery,” the speaker said.

Mr. Dzhmil noted that the Eastern Regional Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War works at the address:

Kharkiv, str. Kosmichna, b 21,

Contact number: 0-800-30-01-76.

The coordination center maintains relations with both military units and organizations and bodies involved in locating captured persons.

In addition, the officer recommended that the relatives of the missing soldiers must submit DNA tests, as there is often no other way to establish the identity of the deceased.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news