19,400 hryvnias for winter preparation: which Ukrainians will receive the payment and how to apply from September 1

Ukraine's Ministry of Social Policy is launching a program of one-time payments for winter preparation for families living near the front line and the state border. This was announced on television by the Minister of Social Policy, Denys Ulyutin, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. The payment amount is 19,400 hryvnias per household. Applications will be accepted from September 1, 2026, until October 30. According to the ministry's estimates, approximately 350,000 to 380,000 families are expected to receive assistance; however, as Ulyutin emphasized, if the number of applicants exceeds this range, payments must be provided to all households that meet the established criteria.

Geography and categories of recipients

The program covers two zones. The first is the territories of active hostilities and zones within 20 kilometers of the front line or the state border. The second is zones from 20 to 50 kilometers from the front or the border. Unlike previous years, when assistance was aimed primarily at residents of private houses who needed firewood for heating, in 2026 the program has been extended to urban residents, including those living in apartment buildings. The right to the payment is granted to 11 categories of the most vulnerable citizens — the exact list of categories will be defined at the level of the regulatory document accompanying the program's launch.

Application procedure and payment mechanism

An application can be submitted at a CNAP (one-stop service center), the Pension Fund of Ukraine, or a local self-government body. For residents of the 0–20 km zone, the Pension Fund will verify eligibility against the criteria, after which the funds will be transferred to a bank account or delivered through Ukrposhta together with the pension payment. For residents of the 20–50 km zone, the application is also submitted to the local self-government body, which compiles the lists; the funds are received on card accounts or through Western Union. The minister stressed that there is no need to wait for the end of the application period: payments will be made as the lists are compiled, so that recipients can purchase what they need before the cold weather sets in.

Funding of the program

The Ministry of Social Policy states that the funds for the program are already allocated. The ministry's humanitarian account holds 2.2 billion hryvnias for payments in the zone up to 20 km. For the zone from 20 to 50 km, international partners have reserved more than 5 billion hryvnias. Thus, the total funding of the program exceeds 7.2 billion hryvnias, which, at an average payment of 19,400 hryvnias, theoretically allows covering the needs of around 370,000 households.

Contradictory data

In open sources, alongside the amount of 19,400 hryvnias, another figure appears — around 6,500 hryvnias for winter payments to low-income families (with reference to a government decision reported by Focus). These two amounts relate to different programs: 19,400 hryvnias is a one-time payment for residents of front-line zones (0–50 km), while 6,500 hryvnias is the amount of assistance under a separate program supporting vulnerable families, not tied to a geographic factor. Mixing these two programs in public discourse may create a false impression among citizens that the front-line payment has been reduced. As of August 31, 2026, no official documents confirming a change in the front-line payment amount from 19,400 to 6,500 hryvnias have been published.

Context: other pension and social payments in 2026

The launch of the winter program comes against the backdrop of a number of other social payments in effect in 2026. In particular, some pensioners automatically receive monthly age-based supplements: after age 70 — 300 hryvnias, after age 75 — 456 hryvnias, after age 80 — 570 hryvnias. In addition, a number of pensioners may receive a surcharge of up to 20% depending on their place of residence. These payments are not linked to the winter program and are accrued independently of it; however, their combined impact on the budgets of households in front-line territories may be significant.