State Social Insurance Fund Allocates Benefits Totaling 62.5 Billion Soums

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The State Social Insurance Fund of Uzbekistan has assigned pensions totaling 62.5 billion soums based on 5,400 disability certificates.

These payments represent one of the first tangible outcomes of the new state social insurance system, which is being gradually introduced in Uzbekistan in 2026 in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On State Social Insurance” and the relevant Presidential Decree.

To ensure the implementation of these regulations, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved “Additional Measures to Improve the System of Social Insurance Payments to the Population.”

From January 1, 2026, the system began providing maternity benefits, and from July of this year, temporary disability benefits will also be paid. These measures aim to expand social protection opportunities for broad segments of the population.

Previously, the responsibility for benefit payments primarily rested on employers, which often prevented private-sector employees, particularly women, from fully accessing these guarantees.

The new system eliminates this inequality, ensuring social fairness and stable income for formally employed citizens during periods of illness or pregnancy.

Moreover, by shifting the financial burden from employers to the state, entrepreneurs can redirect resources toward business development, job creation, and production expansion, while removing previous risks of refusal to hire or dismissals of pregnant women.

The system also incentivizes formal employment: the amount of benefits depends on insurance tenure, providing reliable social protection for citizens who have contributed to the system over time.

In 2026, the state social insurance system is expected to cover approximately 2.2 million public-sector employees, more than 3.6 million private-sector workers, and over 7 million individual entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, and workers in the informal economy.

Through the Social Insurance Fund, maternity benefits will be paid to 165,000 insured individuals, and from July, temporary disability benefits will be provided proactively to nearly 500,000 citizens, without the need to submit applications.

A key feature of the new system is full digitalization: benefits are assigned automatically, without the submission of additional documents by citizens. This increases transparency, reduces bureaucracy, and minimizes human error.

According to practice, from January 1 to 15, 2026, the State Social Insurance Fund received 8,900 disability certificates for maternity leave. Of these, 5,400 certificates (60%) have already been processed, and benefits totaling 62.5 billion soums have been assigned.

Of the remaining 3,500 temporary disability certificates, 1,300 (15%) did not receive benefits due to lack of formal employment or insufficient insurance tenure, while 2,200 (25%) are under review. Citizens are informed about the status of their benefits via SMS notifications sent to the mobile numbers provided on the disability certificates.

Uzbekistan’s new state social insurance system represents not merely a mechanism for payments, but a comprehensive social reform reflecting human priorities, principles of social justice, and the state’s responsibility to its citizens.

The adopted law lays the foundation for a transparent and financially sustainable system based on universal human values, ensuring reliable protection for the population in the context of a modern economy.