The Main Directorate of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) in Donetsk Oblast issued official guidance addressing key questions received in September 2026 regarding the UAH 19,400 "Winter Support" (Зимова підтримка) payment intended to assist residents of frontline areas through the heating season.
1. Eligibility & Social Categories
Frontline Residence Requirement: Simply living in a frontline zone is not enough on its own; applicants must also belong to one of the designated vulnerable social categories (e.g., subsidy recipients, persons with disabilities, large families, or low-income households).
Subsidies & Pensioners: Pensioners living alone without subsidies or other benefits qualify if their household falls within the targeted social support categories or frontline eligibility lists.
Disability Status: Individuals with disability status who do not receive a disability pension or state aid can qualify if registered under the relevant social registries or verified via local social protection databases.
Large Families: Families holding a valid "Large Family" certificate qualify even if they have not received child aid payments over the past year.
Working Pensioners/Disabled: Employment status does not disqualify a person receiving a disability pension from receiving the assistance.
Evacuees & IDP Status:
Residents from temporarily occupied hromadas (e.g., Toretsk) now residing in non-occupied areas like Kramatorsk qualify based on their actual displacement status and registered location.
IDP living allowance recipients in frontline hromadas (e.g., Oleksandrivka) are eligible to apply locally.
If a resident applies in Sloviansk and subsequently evacuates in October, eligibility is retained provided the applicant was residing in the eligible frontline hromada at the time of application.
Registered residents who moved away prior to 2025 (e.g., to Kyiv or Kharkiv) cannot apply based solely on past registration—eligibility depends on actual frontline residency or registered IDP status in an approved hromada.
2. Application Procedures & Submission Channels
Submission Methods: Applications can be submitted in person at PFU service centers, via authorized local hromada officials/CNAPs, by post, or online via the PFU Electronic Services Portal.
Required Documents: ID (passport), RNTRC (tax ID), proof of residence/IDP registration certificate, and documentation confirming eligibility status (e.g., disability certificate, large family card).
Payment Distribution: Payments can be deposited directly into bank accounts or collected via Ukrposhta post offices/delivery.
One Assistance Per Household: If multiple members satisfy different criteria (e.g., husband has a disability, wife receives a subsidy, and the family is large), the household receives one payment of UAH 19,400 per property/household, not multiple payments per category.
3. Usage Rules & Tax Impact
Use of Funds: The UAH 19,400 grant is provided for general winter heating preparedness. Recipients are not strictly limited to buying firewood—funds may be used for utility bills, solid fuel, or other seasonal necessities.
No Reporting Required: Beneficiaries do not need to submit receipts or checks to the PFU after purchasing fuel or paying utility bills.
No Impact on Housing Subsidies: The one-time "Winter Support" payment is classified as targeted emergency social aid and is not counted as household income when recalculating eligibility for regular housing subsidies.
Official PFU Resource:
Full institutional announcement and hromada list: https://t1p.de/67od8.