Housing subsidy for the 2026–2027 heating season
As the heating season approaches, housing and utility costs also increase. For people who are unable to cover these costs in full on their own, the state provides a housing subsidy. Before the start of this year's heating season, not everyone needs to resubmit their documents. For most people who already receive a subsidy, the Pension Fund will recalculate it automatically.
Who does not need to submit a new application
If a family already receives a housing subsidy and the circumstances affecting eligibility have not changed, there is no need to additionally apply to the Pension Fund before the start of the heating season. The subsidy will also be calculated automatically for households that were granted a subsidy for the non-heating season but whose subsidy amount was UAH 0.
Who needs to apply to the Pension Fund
An application must be submitted if:
- you are applying for a subsidy for the first time;
- your application for a subsidy for the non-heating season was refused;
- the composition of your household or family has changed;
- the social status of any household member has changed;
- there have been other changes that may affect eligibility for the subsidy or its amount.
The Pension Fund should be promptly informed of any changes in circumstances that affect the granting of a subsidy.
When to submit the documents
To receive a subsidy from the beginning of the heating season, documents must be submitted between 1 October and 30 November 2026 inclusive. In this case, the subsidy will be granted from the beginning of the season.
If you apply after 30 November, the assistance will be granted from the month in which you apply.
For the purpose of calculating the housing subsidy, the heating season is considered to run from 16 October to 15 April.
What income will be taken into account
If the subsidy is granted from the beginning of the 2026–2027 heating season, the income of household members for the first and second quarters of 2026 (i.e. from January through June 2026 inclusive) will be taken into account. For people receiving a pension, the amount of the pension accrued for August 2026 will be taken into account.
What to pay attention to
When determining eligibility for a subsidy, the Pension Fund takes into account not only income but also other circumstances. Therefore, eligibility for a subsidy may be affected by arrears for housing and utility services outstanding for more than three months, if the arrears arose within the previous three years and exceed UAH 680. However, having outstanding debt does not always mean the permanent loss of eligibility for assistance, as the legislation provides an opportunity to repay the debt, enter into a debt restructuring agreement or challenge the debt in court.
What IDPs need to know
IDPs may receive a housing subsidy at their actual place of residence even if they are not registered at that address and do not have a rental agreement. When applying in such a case, only an IDP certificate may be provided. If the household consists solely of IDPs or the applicant is a tenant, the financial circumstances of people who are registered in the dwelling but do not actually live there are not taken into account when determining eligibility for the subsidy.
How to apply
Documents for a housing subsidy can be submitted to the Pension Fund:
- in person;
- by post;
- online through the web portal of electronic services or the Pension Fund mobile application;
- through an Administrative Service Centre (ASC) or the territorial hromada;
- through the Diia portal (in certain cases).
When the subsidy may have to be repaid
If you fail to notify the Pension Fund in a timely manner about changes in circumstances that affect your eligibility for the subsidy, you may be required to repay any amounts that were overpaid. If the funds are not repaid voluntarily, the Pension Fund may apply to court to recover them.
Therefore, automatic recalculation does not exempt recipients from the obligation to report changes. Before the start of the heating season, it is advisable to check whether the information on the basis of which the subsidy was granted remains up to date.
Lawyers on the PravoVsim platform provide free legal consultations, including on matters related to subsidies.
