Every year, thousands of Ukrainians face financial difficulties during the heating season, namely, a lack of funds to pay utility bills for heating, especially during the peak of the cold season (such as the winter of 2025-2026 with its prolonged frosts down to -25 degrees that lasted for weeks).
Applying for state aid for utility bills is useful even for those who not only lack the funds to pay, but also increasingly for those who have to give away a huge part of their own earnings (often up to 60-80% of their salary or pension income) just to stay warm in the winter. Since the number of potential applicants is increasing every year, including due to the war and the large number of IDPs, the state is constantly trying to simplify (digitalize as much as possible) the process of submitting and considering an application for a subsidy.
Read also: Who in Ukraine has completely canceled the power outage schedules: do you fall under the new rules?
Who should apply for the 2026 heating season?
The housing subsidy for the 2026 heating season can be applied for online, which significantly saves citizens’ time and effort, but the main question immediately arises: “Who exactly is eligible to apply for the subsidy?” Below is a list of persons and detailed instructions on how to submit an electronic application through the Diya portal and what you should pay attention to first of all so as not to be denied payment.
As a general rule, the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) , as indicated in their explanation on the official website, automatically assigns a subsidy for the next period to those who have already received assistance before, that is, in 2025 or 2024. However, there are categories of citizens who need to submit a new electronic application and declaration for the heating season (which lasts from October 1 to April 30):
- Tenants of housing , including persons with IDP status, who pay utility bills themselves.
- Households (apartment or house) where the number of actually living persons is less than the number registered.
- Families that include internally displaced persons (IDPs) who permanently reside in a house/apartment.
- Those who apply for assistance to purchase solid (firewood, fuel briquettes, sawdust, coal, etc.) or liquid fuel or liquefied gas (such a subsidy is granted once a year).
- Individuals who were assigned a “zero” subsidy in the previous season.
Preparation of documents and tools
Before starting the process, make sure you have:
- Qualified electronic signature (QES) – you can get it for free at Privat24, Monobank, or another bank that you have and that provides such a service. If you do not have a bank application, then contact the State Tax Service of Ukraine in your city.
- Account in IBAN format to which funds will be credited.
- Information about the income of the persons living in the apartment. Although the PFU receives most of the data automatically, sometimes a certificate of income from the tax office for recent years may be required if the information is not available in the SFS or PFU databases.
- Documents confirming the right to benefits or special circumstances (for example, a housing lease agreement or a certificate of IDP status).
Step-by-step instructions: how to apply for a subsidy through Diya
The application process on the portal usually takes about 30 minutes.
- Authorization: Go to the portal diia.gov.ua and log in to the “Citizen’s Cabinet” (as shown in the photo of the instructions above) using your PIN or BankID.
- Selecting a service: In the services menu, select the category “Pensions, benefits and assistance” and find the item ” Subsidy application “ in the photo, it is the arrow under number two.
- Data Verification: Review the personal information in your profile and update it as needed.
- Address and services: Specify the address where you wish to receive assistance and select specific utilities from the list (gas, electricity, water, heating, etc.).
- Account entry: Enter the IBAN number of your bank account for payment accrual (it is important that the account is in a Ukrainian bank and you have constant free access to it).
- Household composition: Provide details of all people registered in the household, as well as their relatives (spouse, children), even if they are registered at a different address, as their income may also be taken into account when deciding on payment.
- Filling out the declaration: Provide information about income and expenses. If you rent housing or are an IDP, list only those who actually live there.
- Sign and send: Check the completed application, sign it with the CEP and send it for consideration.
Consideration terms and result
The Pension Fund considers the application within 30 calendar days . The result of the decision (subsidy awarded or denied) will appear in your personal account in the “Pay attention” and “Ordered services” sections. The notification will also be sent to your e-mail address that you specified when submitting the application, so it is important to specify an e-mail address to which you have access.
If the application was rejected due to incorrect data or an error, you can contact the Action chatbot or directly to the PFU to clarify the details. In case of disagreement with the decision, it can be appealed at the Pension Fund branch at the place of registration or further to the court.
Read also: Changes in IDP payments from August 1, 2026: who will lose assistance, and who will have it extended
Important: The subsidy for the heating season is calculated in October, taking into account the duration of the season from October 16 to April 15 inclusive. Submitting an application online through Diya is available to all citizens of Ukraine, regardless of age and status, and it is also a free service, so do not be fooled by suspicious schemes and other advertisements about “assistance in providing a subsidy”, this service is available to every citizen of Ukraine who has a low income or no income for a certain period of time.
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