The state launches the «Winter Support 2025» program: who will receive payments and when applications will start

The government of Ukraine is preparing to launch the updated “Winter Support 2025” program, which aims to help Ukrainians cope with increased expenses during the cold season. According to government calculations, this initiative will benefit from 10 to 14 million citizens, and the total state budget expenditures will amount to approximately 14 billion hryvnias.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the details of the program during a meeting with journalists, Interfax-Ukraine reports. She recalled that last year more than 14 million Ukrainians used “Winter Support”, and this year the government expects similar activity. In particular, about 10 million people will submit applications, of which up to 3 million for children.

According to Svyrydenko, the program provides for two categories of payments: 1,000 hryvnias for adults and children, as well as 6,500 hryvnias for the most vulnerable segments of the population. However, citizens who are in temporarily occupied territories or abroad will not be able to receive assistance. It will be possible to apply for a child separately, provided that they have a birth certificate.

As in the past year, the funds can be spent on utilities, medicines, books, and also transferred to charitable accounts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or volunteer funds. The Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine Denys Ulyutin reported that the acceptance of applications will begin on November 15, 2025 and will last until December 15.

The Minister also specified that currently about 15 million people in Ukraine receive one form or another of state support. This year, the government allocated 4.4 billion hryvnias specifically for payments of 6,500 hryvnias for categories of citizens who need assistance the most. Among them are children under guardianship or care, children with disabilities, children in foster families and DBST, people with group I disabilities among IDPs, children from low-income families and single pensioners who receive a care allowance.

Payments will be credited to a current account with a special use regime or to the "Diya.Kartka", and they can be used within 180 days from the date of enrollment. The funds can be spent on clothing, shoes, medicines or vitamins, which makes the program as flexible as possible.

It is expected that this year the expanded part of the program - a payment of 6,500 hryvnias - will cover more than 660 thousand people. Thus, "Winter Support 2025" will become one of the key social assistance instruments designed to make life easier for Ukrainians during the difficult winter period and support the most vulnerable groups of the population.