In 2026, over ₴3 million has already been paid out from the Mykolaiv budget for the care of elderly people and people with disabilities

Over 3 million hryvnias have been paid out in Mykolaiv for the care of elderly people and people with disabilities. Illustrative photo: br.net.ua

In the first four months of 2026, over 3 million hryvnias were paid out from the local budget in Mykolaiv for the care of elderly people and people with disabilities who require assistance.

This was announced during a live broadcast on 22 May by Serhii Vasylenko, Director of the Department of Labour and Social Protection of the Mykolaiv City Council, according to NikVesti.

According to Serhii Vasylenko, various forms of support are available in the city for people in need of care. In particular, this includes both guardianship and the provision of care services on a professional and non-professional basis.

«A fairly substantial sum from the local budget is allocated for the care of elderly people and those with disabilities for those categories who require it. To be more specific, over the first four months of 2026, 3 million 311 thousand hryvnias were paid out for long-term care,» he said.

Serhii Vasylenko also explained that the department has a guardianship council which deals with matters of guardianship for legally incapacitated persons. In addition, the city offers a non-professional care service, which can be provided by relatives or close friends.

«A payment is provided for such a service; it is small — up to 2,000 hryvnias per month, depending on the income of the person providing the care. Today, 327 people in Mykolaiv receive such compensation. Over four months, the total amount of payments amounted to 3 million 800 thousand hryvnias,» said Serhii Vasylenko.

In addition, professional care services are provided in the city. People providing such care undergo special training and receive a salary based on the number of hours worked.

«Those who provide care on a professional basis undergo relevant training and are officially employed under contracts. As of today, we have already concluded 12 such contracts. The number of people with disabilities resulting from the war is currently increasing, so the need for such services is also growing,» concluded Serhii Vasylenko.

As a reminder, since the year before last, Mykolaiv has been providing a social support service for inclusive education. The city budget funds support for 42 children with disabilities.

In addition, residents of the Mykolaiv region who use wheelchairs can make use of a social taxi service. Such transport services have been organised in 13 communities across the region.

Previously, NikVesti reported that Mykolaiv has been home to the region’s only driving school for the past two years, where people with disabilities are taught to drive. However, as recently as January 2026, it was impossible to sit the theory test at the Ministry of Internal Affairs service centre: the office for submitting documents and taking the exam was on the second floor, but there was no lift or barrier-free access.

At the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs service centre, we were told that it was impossible to make the space accessible because the building was over 50 years old. We subsequently sought comment from Mykolaiv’s mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, who promised to meet with the head of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs service centre, Hennadii Pohorelov, to resolve the issue.

Following the report by NikVesti, the Ministry of Internal Affairs service centre in Mykolaiv has created a barrier-free space for people with disabilities.