КОШТИ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО СТРАХУВАННЯ ТА ЇХ РОЛЬ У ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННІ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ВИПЛАТ

The article is devoted to topical issues of social insurance, in particular, to determining the role of the State Social Insurance Trust Funds in providing social benefits to persons exposed to social risks. The author identifies the types of social risks covered by compulsory state social insurance in Ukraine, their essence, and the list of insurance benefits and social services guaranteed by Ukrainian legislation under certain types of compulsory state social insurance. The author characterizes the effectiveness of insurance protection of the population in Ukraine through the social insurance system in recent years, identifies the challenges to its development related to the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, and assesses the ability of compulsory state social insurance to ensure adequate social protection of citizens from social risks and maintain their well-being in accordance with generally accepted standards. Attention is drawn to the problems of financing social benefits against the background of record growth in consumer prices and devaluation of the hryvnia and their significance for the insured persons. It is substantiated that the amount of such payments, despite periodic increases due to their indexation or recalculation, is mostly insufficient and often does not meet the needs of recipients. An example of changes in the amount of pensions granted in 2024 and the distribution of pensioners by type of pension is given. It is noted that a significant number of pensioners are completely dependent on pension payments due to health conditions, physical limitations and other factors that do not allow them to work or engage in additional activities to generate additional income. It is proved that there is an urgent need to improve financing mechanisms and increase support from social insurance funds to ensure an adequate level of social protection of the population in the face of current challenges. Revision of these mechanisms can contribute to the stability of the social insurance system by increasing its ability to respond to social and economic risks that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, economic difficulties, and military operations