You have been discharged from service. You have finally seen your family and friends and had a little rest. Ahead of you lies a new path: returning to your normal life.
There are procedures for processing documents that are mandatory for all demobilized personnel, and there are individual requests. A map of service providers for veterans in the community will help you chart your own course. These are the institutions and specialists that accompany the key processes of the return of defenders to civilian life.
Is there a universal route for everyone that can be done directly from your phone, and what do veterans advise from their experience? We will tell you.
Point 1. Mandatory. TCC and SP
After being discharged from military service, every veteran must visit the territorial recruitment and social support center within five days to be registered or removed from military records. This is a direct requirement of Part 11 of Article 26 of the Law "On Military Duty and Military Service." If necessary, you can also apply for a health-based pension and one-time assistance at the TCC and SP.
Once you have resolved all the issues here, give yourself a little break.
"I have been working with veterans for two years now, and they often ask not to be disturbed at first, at least with issues that can wait. It takes time to adapt, and then you can get down to business," emphasizes Lyubov Fedoseyenko, a support specialist for the Novooryzhytska community in the Poltava region.
Point 2. Right from home – Veteran Pro
Veterans can access a range of government services without leaving home – right from their smartphone. This is possible thanks to the Veteran Pro service, developed jointly by specialists from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. This digital ecosystem of key services for veterans, female veterans, and their families is integrated into the Diya app.
It should be noted that this section is only available to users who have a veteran ID in Diya.
To activate Veteran Pro in your app, you need to update the Diya app, then go to the Services section and select Veteran Pro.
The following services are already available in the Veteran Pro section:
- search for a support specialist;
- services under the Veteran Sports program;
- processing subsidies;
- services for people with disabilities resulting from war: from training to employment;
- the eOselya program;
- the "Recovery" program;
- establishing the status of a person with a war-related disability;
- applying for a subsidy.
The functionality of the service is constantly expanding. However, access to official services via a mobile application may not be convenient for everyone.
Lyubov Fedoseyenko works in small villages, so she often encounters veterans, especially older ones, who do not have a registered email address, a Diia account, or personal accounts on digital platforms.
In such cases, support specialists come to the rescue.
"We have to understand that the guys there often use simple push-button phones, not smartphones, because it's primarily about safety," explains Lyubov Fedoseyenko. "And so they come on leave or are demobilized and want to resolve some issue, but they can't access digital services from their phones. The same goes for accessing email: either they forgot their password, or they never had one and don't know how to register. Then we sit down at my work computer and together we register everything and submit the necessary applications," says the specialist.
Point 3. Support specialist: will help with the further route
Support specialists are information advisors for veterans, their family members, and the families of fallen defenders. They help identify priority issues, fill out documents, coordinate further steps, accompany or fully represent the interests of their clients in interactions with other state and non-state institutions.
Support specialists will advise you on obtaining social guarantees, housing, rehabilitation, employment, opportunities to study, or start your own business.
"We will help you get in touch with free legal and psychological support, organize rehabilitation or sanatorium-resort treatment," says Lyubov Fedoseyenko. "The main thing is that you trust us with your problems. It often happens that a veteran comes for help but does not want to talk about everything because they doubt that they will be helped. We, the support specialists, are here for this very reason."
Support specialist Lyubov Fedoseyenko receives a certificate of professional development, photo provided by Lyubov
The specialist emphasizes that you can seek help from support specialists even before obtaining a veteran ID card—they will advise and inform you on all issues.
"The only caveat is when working with those who have left their unit without permission, the so-called SZCH. We do not provide support to military personnel with this status, but we advise them where to go, how to return, and try to find out why this situation arose," explains the official.
Where can you find your support specialist?
Contact the structural unit for veteran policy in your community or go to the Veteran PRO section in the Diya app. Then select the "Find a specialist" option and the desired community, and the system will show you the available specialists, their contact numbers, email addresses, and the institution where they work. If your community does not yet have a support specialist, you can contact such specialists from neighboring communities.
Points 4, 5, 6 — for your requests
There is no universal "complete" route that would suit every veteran, because in addition to mandatory procedures, there are individual requests and needs. The best thing to do here is to make a list of the opportunities that are relevant to you and set your own priorities.
For example: go to the gym or swimming pool under the "Veteran Sports" program, apply for a grant to start your own business, or undergo rehabilitation. A support specialist will help you plan your route and calculate the deadlines for submitting applications or documents.
"Everyone has their own combination of factors: health, family situation, place of residence, desire to work or study, availability of necessary documents. Therefore, when veterans come to me, we work together to develop an individual step-by-step plan for applying to institutions or participating in support programs," says Viktoria Nevidomska, a veteran support specialist from the Kamianets-Podilskyi territorial community.
Viktoria Nevidomskaya, a specialist in supporting veterans from the Kamyanets-Podilskyi territorial community, with veterans: Dmitry Pazin and Bogdan Antokhov, who were released from captivity. Photo provided by Viktoria
Where and what services and support can you get?
CNAO
This is a front office where, along with "veteran" services (social guarantees and subsidies, establishing status and issuing certificates, obtaining an extract from the unified state register of veterans, etc.), you can also use other administrative services, such as: obtaining an extract from the register of residence or an ID card, registering a marriage, the birth of a child, or your own business. Many ASCs already have a "single window" for veterans, female veterans, and their families, which provides a variety of administrative services in one institution.
Structural unit for veteran policy
This is the main source of useful information for veterans. Specialists provide information about state and local programs and help with post-service adaptation. Even if the unit is located far from the veteran's place of residence, it is worth establishing cooperation and maintaining contact with veterans policy specialists online or by phone.
Social protection departments
At their place of registration, veterans can receive financial assistance from the community in connection with their injuries/health condition and learn about social support programs for veterans and their families.
Pension Fund
Fund representatives in communities are responsible for processing military and social pensions (including disability pensions), implementing benefits, performing recalculations, and providing advice on payments.
Medical facilities
Veterans are entitled to free treatment, rehabilitation, psychological assistance, and access to necessary medications. All assistance routes begin with a family doctor or a specialist in supporting veterans. Free medical care is available at military hospitals, state and municipal institutions, as well as private hospitals that have relevant agreements with the National Health Service (NHS). More information is available via the NHSS hotline: 16-77 (24 hours a day, free of charge). Your family doctor will inform you about free medical services and refer you to the necessary specialists.
Advice from veterans: don't put it off for too long and ask about guarantees for your family.
Bogdan Antokhov from Khmelnytskyi served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a sapper. Last year, he was wounded in the Kurakhiv direction, spent several months in hospitals, and waited for a replacement for his shattered knee joint. In the end, even after surgery and recovery, doctors diagnosed him with a third-degree disability. In August of this year, Bohdan began the demobilization process.
Veteran Bohdan Antokhov during one of the stages of rehabilitation. Photo provided by Bohdan
"I didn't know about support specialists before and didn't look for them in my community, although, as it turned out, they were already there," says the veteran. "I applied for utility benefits myself through the village council and registered with the Pension Fund of Ukraine for my pension. I had absolutely no problems with these institutions. I submitted documents for a one-time disability benefit through the military, and I am still waiting for the result."
Bogdan hopes that once he has completed his rehabilitation, his health will allow him to look for a job. But until he is discharged from the Armed Forces, he will not be able to register at a rehabilitation center. He regrets that he did not immediately see a specialist, as this would have sped up the process.
"I wish everyone who is going through this to gather strength and patience and not put anything off until later," the veteran concludes.
Serhiy Korneev from Kamianets-Podilskyi went to Ternopil to be mobilized because he was not accepted in his hometown: he was discharged due to his health condition. He served for a year and a half in the 211th Pontoon-Bridge Brigade of the Armed Forces Support Forces. After suffering a concussion, he decided to return home to his four children.
Veteran Serhiy Korneev during his service in the 211th pontoon-bridge brigade of the Armed Forces Support Forces. Photo provided by Serhiy.
"The brigade commander signed my discharge report, and I was discharged. Then I registered with the TCC and SP at home, and I check in there regularly," says Serhiy.
Of the social guarantees offered by the state, the veteran applied for utilities and payments under the "Veteran Sports" program. He spent the 1,500 hryvnias he received on visiting the swimming pool with his youngest son. In order not to miss any opportunities that the community or the state will provide to veterans' children, Serhiy turned to the veteran support service.
"When my children are happy, it is the best medicine for me for everything I have been through. I am waiting to see if there will be any creative clubs or holidays for children. Don't forget to find out what support is available not only for us veterans, but also for our families," urges the veteran.
You can develop your own sequence of steps to resolve all issues in civilian life or seek the help of a support specialist who will advise you on the most effective route for you. There are government specialists who have been specially trained to quickly understand all "veteran" issues; there are communities of veterans who are happy to share their experience in resolving various issues; and there are public initiatives that offer legal or psychological support.
The information campaign "Opportunities for Veterans" is being implemented as part of a partnership between the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Reintegration Program, which is being implemented by IREX with the support of the US State Department.