“Winter Thousand” breaks records: 18 million Ukrainians have applied for state aid
31 December 19:52
As part of the Winter Support program, 18 million Ukrainians applied for state aid, a record figure for social programs of this type. For comparison, last year the volume of payments under the program amounted to UAH 14.4 billion.
This was reported by the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
How Ukrainians applied for the aid
The vast majority of applications were submitted online:
- 14.3 million applications were submitted through the Diia app,
3.3 million of which were for children. These applications have already been processed. - 1.9 million applications were submitted at Ukrposhta offices, including 124 thousand for children.
Payments for some of them are still ongoing. - Almost 2 million pensioners and social welfare recipients received their money automatically along with their regular payments.
Those who applied after December 16 will start receiving money in early January 2026.
What the funds are spent on
The Ministry of Social Policy notes that the program has a clear purpose. Funds can only be spent on:
- food products of Ukrainian origin (excluding excisable goods)
- medicines
- books
- payment for utilities and postal services,
- charitable contributions.
Most often, Ukrainians spend their assistance on utilities, medicines, and food, which indicates an increased financial burden on households in winter.
The funds received through the National Cashback card in the Diia app must be used by June 30, 2026.
As of now, Ukrainians have already made payments of over UAH 8.5 billion using this card, which confirms the active use of digital public services.
The record number of applications shows not only the popularity of the program
The record number of applications demonstrates not only the popularity of the program, but also the scale of socio-economic pressure on the population in the context of war, energy risks and rising costs in winter.
