Chapter 1. Observing social rights During 2019, the Commissioner received numerous reports of significant delay of payments due to temporary disability, pregnancy and childbirth, as well as insurance payments to be paid by the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine. As a result of consideration of appeals of citizens regarding violation of their rights to receive financial support in due time, rights of citizens were renewed in full after the intervention of the Commissioner. Example Citizen O. received maternity benefits; citizens Yu., P., B., L. received financial support due to temporary disability. They could not receive these payments for 2-4 months. In May and November 2019, the Commissioner submitted requests to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, sent repeated requests to the Ministry of Social Policy and the Executive Directorate of the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine calling to restore the violated rights of citizens for timely obtaining of financial support and stabilize the financial situation of the Fund. The measures taken by the Commissioner helped partially improve the financial situation of the Fund through the increase in the Government’s share of the single social contribution directed to the Fund in August 2019. It enabled the reduction of arrears of payments to the insured persons. On 27 November 2019, the Government amended the budget of the Fund, allowing for increase of the amount of its social payments by UAH 1.37 billion. As even this money was not enough to fully and timely provide allowances to insured persons with regard to temporary disability, pregnancy and childbirth and insurance payments to victims of employment injuries, on 18 December 2019, the Government increased the expenditures of the Fund by UAH 1 billion at the expense of additional payments of single contribution, saving of funds and reduction of the balance of funds at the year-end. At the same time, according to the Executive Directorate of the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine, as of 1 January 2020, the arrears of payments to the insured persons based on the statements and calculations submitted by the insurers throughout 9-28 December 2019 (16 working days) amounted to UAH 951.1 million, including UAH 646.0 million to pay temporary disability benefits and UAH 292.3 million to pay the maternity. Overdue debt (6 working days) amounted to UAH 359.6 million and debt due (10 working days), to UAH 591.5 million. Observing the citizens’ rights to employment and protecting them against unlawful dismissal The labour rights of employees are violated as the citizens are employed without proper paperwork (employment contracts) and payment of envelope wages. 43 CHAPTER 1 Ensuring the rights of insured persons to receive timely payments of compulsory state social insurance