UAH 19,400 in Winter Support: EAST SOS Social Support Specialist Explains Who Is Eligible and How to Apply
Residents of certain frontline hromadas may be eligible for a one-time cash payment of UAH 19,400 to help them prepare for winter. The assistance is intended to specific groups of people who require additional support.
Who is eligible for the assistance? What documents are required, and where should you apply?
Olha Voloshko, a Social Support Specialist at the EAST SOS Charity Foundation, explains the eligibility requirements for the Winter Support program and the application procedure.
Source: Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1084 dated September 3, 2026.
Additional information:
- Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1084 dated September 3, 2026.
- List of hromadas under Procedure 1: https://bit.ly/4B0DTiD
- List of hromadas under Procedure 2: https://bit.ly/4yMFgjy
1. What is Winter Support and how much is the payment?
This is a one-time cash payment for people belonging to groups that require special support and who currently live in designated hromadas where hostilities are ongoing or have taken place.
The payment amounts to UAH 19,400 per household for the entire 2026–2027 heating season.
Applications must be submitted by October 30, 2026, inclusive.
2. Does “one household” mean every member of a family?
No.
A household means one person or several people living together under a registered or declared address in a dwelling or part of a home. This means the UAH 19,400 payment is provided per household, not to each individual member.
For internally displaced persons, the address of actual residence indicated in their IDP certificate is taken into account when determining eligibility for the payment.
3. Who is eligible for Winter Support?
Households are eligible if at least one of their members belongs to one of the designated categories. In particular, those who receive:
- disability pensions;
- housing subsidies to cover utility costs;
- child assistance for single mothers and for children raised in families with 3+ children;
- state social assistance for people with disabilities and care allowances for people with disabilities;
- assistance for pensioners who are living alone;
- housing assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
For the complete list, refer to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1084 dated September 3, 2026.
4. Residents of which oblasts and hromadas are eligible for assistance?
The program covers selected hromadas in eight oblasts:
- Dnipropetrovsk;
- Donetsk;
- Zaporizhzhia;
- Mykolaiv;
- Sumy;
- Kharkiv;
- Kherson;
- Chernihiv.
People are eligible for the payment if, on the date of application, they actually reside in hromadas included in the lists under Procedure 1 or Procedure 2, or if they submitted an application for the payment before evacuation measures were carried out.
Territories temporarily occupied by the russian federation on the date of application are not covered by this program.
5. Where and when should I apply?
The application deadline is October 30, 2026.
You can apply based on your registered, declared, or actual place of residence. Where you need to submit your application depends on which of the two official lists includes your hromada.
6. How can I check whether your hromada is included in the program?
Check the official lists:
- List of hromadas under Procedure 1 – payments are processed through the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
- List of hromadas under Procedure 2 – payments are provided by international and national organizations.
These are two separate lists. The list under which your hromada is included determines the application and payment procedure.
7. What documents are required to apply for assistance?
You must prepare documents for yourself and all household members who actually live in the household:
- Identity documents (a Ukrainian citizen’s passport, passport for international travel, or temporary certificate of a citizen of Ukraine).
- Taxpayer registration numbers (RNOKPP / tax ID).
- Documents confirming eligibility for social assistance (a certificate, electronic certificate, or confirmation document, if available).
- Documents confirming the place of residence (a passport bearing a registration stamp, an extract from the territorial community register, an IDP certificate, or an inspection report on the actual place of residence, as provided for by the Resolution).
8. How do I apply for the payment? Procedure 1
You can submit your application in person through one of the following:
- At a service center of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU).
- Through an Administrative Services Center (ASC).
- Through the executive body of a local council or a military administration, provided there is a technical possibility to forward the application to the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
9. How do I apply for the payment? Procedure 2
You must submit a paper application in person to the executive body of your local council, a military administration, or an authorized body designated by the relevant administration.
10. Procedure 1: When and how will I receive the payment?
The Pension Fund of Ukraine will make payments by November 30, 2026, using one of the following methods:
- direct transfer to the bank account with the IBAN provided in your application;
- cash delivery to your actual place of residence through the organization responsible for delivering pensions and cash assistance.
11. Procedure 2: When and how will I receive the payment?
International and national organizations will distribute payments during the 2026–2027 heating season through:
- bank transfers to an account with an IBAN;
- Western Union money transfers.
12. Can I apply if I belong to one of the eligible categories but do not receive social benefits?
Yes, under certain conditions. The following people may also apply:
- people with disabilities;
- families with 3+ children;
- pension-age individuals who are living alone and unable to work.
To apply for assistance, you must provide documents confirming their status.
13. What additional documents are required if I do not receive social benefits?
Depending on the circumstances, you may need to provide:
- A certificate attached to the medical and social expert commission (MSEC) assessment report, issued before January 1, 2025. For disability status established after January 1, 2025, an extract from the decision of an expert team assessing the person’s everyday functioning may be provided instead.
- A medical conclusion issued by the Medical Advisory Commission for children with disabilities under the age of 18.
- A certificate or confirmation document for parents of a family with 3+ children.
- An inspection report on the household’s material and living conditions or on the person’s actual place of residence, confirming that the person lives alone.
14. Important information
- You must provide copies of identity documents for every household member when submitting your application. Alternatively, an authorized representative can make copies on site.
- You can present your IDP certificate through the Diia app.
- The payment method and timeframe depend on which procedure your application is processed under.
- Applications are checked under both procedures. Each household can receive the UAH 19,400 payment only once, regardless of which procedure applies.
15. Do I still remain eligible for assistance after being evacuated?
Yes, provided you submitted your application before evacuation measures were carried out.
Simply having lived in an eligible hromada before evacuation does not automatically entitle you to the payment.
You should also note that you remain eligible if, after evacuation, you live in a hromada included in the list specified in the Resolution on the payment.
16. What can the UAH 19,400 be used for?
There are no restrictions on the specific goods or services the assistance can be spent on. The payment is also not included in an individual’s total monthly or annual taxable income.
17. Where can I get more information?
If you have questions about the payment eligibility requirements, contact the Pension Fund of Ukraine’s call center:
- 0 800 503 753
- (044) 281-08-70
- (044) 281-08-71
Select option “8” during the call.
18. You can also get answers to your questions from EAST SOS social support specialists.
Online – via the hotline: 0 800 332 614 (Monday–Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.).
We also provide consultations via messaging apps:
+38 099 710 48 72 (Viber)
+38 096 108 60 48 (Telegram)
Offline consultations are available at the “Zatyshno space” psychosocial and legal support centers in Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv.
Addresses of the “Zatyshno space” centers:
Mykolaiv
79-A Marko Kropyvnytskyi Street
+38 (099) 790 00 70
Kharkiv
11 Hoholia Street
+38 (097) 384 97 35
Vinnytsia
19 Vasyl Poryk Street (Building 72)
+38 (095) 877 26 36
The “Zatyshno space” centers in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv operate as part of the project “Protection and Psychosocial Support for War-Affected Populations in Ukraine’s Frontline Regions” (2026–2027), funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
The center in Vinnytsia provides assistance as part of the project “Integrated full-cycle assistance for vulnerable IDPs in Ukraine”, supported by Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
