Subsidies in Ukraine: social protection in a new way

The subsidy programme began in the 1990s and has been helping families for more than 25 years and remains a major protection against increases in housing and utility prices and payments. Families can apply for a subsidy in Ukraine if their utility bill exceeds a certain amount that they need to pay. It is calculated differently for everyone and depends on income:

• First the average monthly income has to be calculated;
• This income is divided by the number of persons living in the house/apartment. This is how you can determine the average income per person per month;
• It is then divided by the minimum that one can live on in a month;
• The total is divided by 2 and multiplied by 20%;

This is how you find out the percentage of your average monthly income and the mandatory payment.

Subsidies 2021: What changes to the rules?

From the beginning of May, the 2021 subsidy is given differently. An important rule is that the 2021 subsidy will only be paid in cash. Such changes allow you to dispose of the remaining money after the payments have been made. According to the government's decision, families who received the housing benefit last year and this year will receive it for the next period without an application from the citizen, i.e. it is automatically reassigned. But not all households are included in this decision. Families will not receive the subsidy if:

• The subsidy was not a cash grant;
• The subsidy was granted without persons registered in the dwelling;

Also under the new rules, those who are not eligible for the subsidy will lose their entitlement:

• Have bought any vehicle or house whose value exceeds 50 thousand UAH;
• Saved funds of any currency in a bank with interest of more than 100 thousand UAH;
• Acquired and sold any currency in the amount exceeding UAH 50 thousand during the year prior to submitting the application for subsidy;
• Were abroad for more than 59 days and declared no income;
• Failed to pay utility bills or alimony payments for several months;
• There was an illegally received subsidy in the previous year, after which the funds have not been repaid;
• Have several new cars in their possession;
• Have a car that is less than 5 years old;
• Have not worked, studied or have no income;
• Own a large flat or house;

The State Social Inspectorate regularly monitors and verifies the accuracy of all information submitted for the assignment of the subsidy.
The subsidy is checked by the social inspectors who follow up:

• Accuracy and completeness of information on property and material status;
• The verification of personal files of persons;
• Payments and assignments of social assistance;
• Measures to recover state social assistance funds paid in excess;

The Chief State Social Inspector verifies the subsidy with additional rights, namely:

• A check on the individual's living conditions to determine the family's background to the application. This is done at the discretion of the head of the relevant social welfare body;
• Checking the information on the place of residence of all family members;
• Visiting places where family members work.

Actions carried out during the verification of the beneficiary are lawful. However, according to Article 30 of the Constitution of Ukraine and Article 13 of the CPC, there are three prohibitions:

1. No unlawful entry into a person's home is allowed;
2. No unlawful examination is allowed;
3. No unlawful search except by a reasoned decision of a court.

The decision on whether or not to apply for the subsidy is made within 10 days. If a person does not agree with the refusal or the amount of the subsidy, he or she will have to double-check and clarify the information to correct the error. This information has 30 days to be clarified and can only be prolonged if the applicant is ill.

It is often the case that people may be deceived by telling them that the pensioner's subsidy will be taken away if they become employed. However, the subsidy for pensioners can be based on wages and pensions. If a pensioner has stopped working or retired, he or she needs to apply to the social security office within a month with a declaration, and the aid will be transferred taking into account only one income - the pension.

Applying for a subsidy: how to do it and where to apply?

The subsidy 2021 is granted to people who present a passport or other proof of nationality. You can apply at the social welfare office in the place where you are registered. It is best if the application is submitted with all the necessary documents, i.e:

• Declaration of expenditure and income;
• Certificate of income;
• A repetition of the no-obligation agreement (if any);
• Rental agreement (if you have one);

What income you have to declare

• Wages after you have paid all taxes;
• Pension;
• Scholarship;
• State social cash payment for people declared legally unemployed;
• Money transfers abroad;

The percentage of income does not include payments such as

1. Help when a child is born;
2. Support when a child is adopted;
3. Support for women with the title of "Heroine Mother" of Ukraine;
4. Social support for orphans;
5. Assistance for children who have been granted guardianship;
6. Child support received; Support for children;
7. Support from charitable organisations;
8. Amounts paid to an employee to compensate for damages incurred during the period of employment;

Also income is not taken into account:

1. Alimony paid, if documented;
2. The amount for travel vouchers received free of charge;
3. Payments to persons working in the commission on polling day;
4. Funds received for their role in anti-terrorist operations;

The forms and declarations you need to fill in are available free of charge and are provided when a citizen applies directly to the subsidy office. You can also find the forms on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs. If you are older, your grandchildren or children may help you. Once you have filled in all the forms and documents, you can submit them by mail to the address of your local social security office. The address can be found on the website of the Ministry of Social Policy. You can also hand them in person to an official of the local council of the local community or to the Administrative Services Centre. They will forward the documents to the right place for you within a few days.

If you are a community resident, then you need to contact

• Headmen;
• The body that coordinates the work of the village head's team;
• Community Protection Unit;
• Centre for the provision of administrative services of the territorial society;
• The social defence body of the district state administration;

You can apply for a subsidy online in several ways:

1. Delivery of important documents by e-mail
2. Using an electronic digital signature; if not, then you have to register on the website of the Ministry of Social Policy;
3. Use BankID identification;

In order to apply for a subsidy online, you must:

1. On the Ministry of Social Policy resource, find the link to go to;
2. Register by mail, electronic signature or BankID, at your discretion;
3. Fill in the necessary data and enter the bank where you will receive the subsidy;
4. Fill in the form and be sure to check that your details are correct, then submit.

The notification, which will include the amount of the subsidy, or possibly a refusal, will come a couple of weeks later.

All people who are legally present and residing in Ukraine are eligible for the subsidy. Subsidies in Ukraine can be applied for:

• The person registered in the house;
• Unregistered person living in the house renting it (documents confirming that the person lives at this address must be attached to the application);
• Children under 18 years of age and without parental care;
• An incapacitated person of working age who has been granted guardianship.

In the event of the death of the beneficiary, the subsidy is paid to one family member. This is done upon written request. The deadline is three months.

The subsidy is calculated on the basis of the number of people living in the household who pay for utilities. It also includes persons who are in the service, but their income is not taken into account. This is determined from the first month that the subsidy is applied for.

If the number of family members who are registered and living in the building is less than the number of registered and living in the building, the subsidy is calculated on the basis of the number of registered and living in the building. This is done according to the commission's decision. In order to prove that the registered family members do not live in the house, certificates must be provided. This can be documents that prove that the person is elsewhere due to work, study, medical treatment, etc.

It is compulsory for recipients of the subsidy to give notice of any changes in the family, namely

• Changes in the number of people living in the accommodation;
• Changes in social status, including marriage and its termination;
• Changes in the conditions of communal services;
• Changes in the costs of managing the block of flats;
• One person in the family has bought a house, a flat, a vehicle, land, and expenses for services other than medical ones have occurred;

This must be done within one month of the start of the change.

Since the beginning of May, the accrual of the subsidy for incapacitated people who are unable to work has been made for overtime housing. This category of persons includes:

1. Persons under 18 years of age;
2. Ukrainian citizens receiving old-age, disability or seniority pensions;
3. Persons receiving assistance from the state. These may be adults and children who have a childhood disability, temporary assistance for a non-working person who has reached the general retirement age but has not become eligible for a pension payment.

It has also become known that from the beginning of October, the amount of the 2021 subsidy may differ in different regions of Ukraine. The reason for this could be a lockdown or a region moving into the red zone where strong quarantine restrictions will apply. As a result of a new wave of coronavirus, people in the red zone will automatically receive quarantine surcharges and support from the government.

With all of the above in mind, the recipients of the subsidy should not withhold any information that could affect the granting and amount of the subsidy. Because subsidy checks are carried out on a regular basis and this will all become known very quickly, the budget will have to be refunded as a result. We recommend that you contact the social welfare office at your place of registration, discuss all the nuances and choose the best solution for yourself.