Several important changes await Ukrainians in October. They concern payments, subsidies, utility rates, rules for internally displaced persons, education, and debts.
Social Benefits and Assistance
Until October 30, 2026, residents of certain frontline communities who actually live there and belong to vulnerable groups can apply for a one-time “Winter Support” payment of 19,400 hryvnias. The assistance is provided per household, regardless of the number of household members. Households are eligible if they include individuals from government-designated vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, single non-working retirees, recipients of housing subsidies, large families, recipients of child support for single mothers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) receiving living assistance.
The program is available only in designated communities in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions. The Odesa region is not included in this list. Applications cannot be submitted online. Depending on the community, you must apply in person at a Pension Fund service center, a Center for Administrative Services (CNAU), or the relevant local government body or military administration. This payment is not counted toward the family’s total income when determining eligibility for housing subsidies and other types of social assistance.
Another October deadline concerns the one-time cash assistance for Independence Day. Most recipients received this payment automatically back in August. However, individuals who became eligible for this assistance by August 24, 2026, but had not received it as of October 1, may submit an application to the Pension Fund and receive the payment by November 1. Applications can be submitted in person through the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) or a Center for Administrative Services (CAS), by mail, or online via the Pension Fund’s web portal using a qualified electronic signature.
Subsidies
Starting October 1, the Pension Fund will begin calculating housing subsidies for the heating season. For most people who are already receiving a subsidy, it will be recalculated automatically. Those applying for a subsidy for the first time, those whose application was denied for the non-heating season, and those whose household composition, the social status of its members, or other circumstances affecting their eligibility for assistance have changed must apply separately.
If documents are submitted from October 1 through November 30, the subsidy will be granted starting at the beginning of the heating season. If the application is submitted after November 30, the subsidy will be granted starting from the month the application is submitted. To calculate the subsidy from the start of the season, household income for the first and second quarters of 2026 is taken into account; for pensioners, the amount of the pension accrued for August is considered.
Applications can be submitted through a Pension Fund service center, a Center for Administrative Services (CAS), authorized community officials, by mail, via the Pension Fund’s web portal or mobile app, or through the “Diya” portal.
IDPs
On October 22, a new law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of internally displaced persons will take effect, replacing the law that has been in force since 2014. It updates the rules for IDP registration and state support, and separately regulates issues related to housing, employment, pensions, adaptation, and the return of displaced persons.
One of the notable changes will be the document confirming a person’s registration as an IDP. Instead of a certificate, this document will be an extract from the Unified Information Database on Internally Displaced Persons, which can be obtained in paper or electronic form. At the same time, previously issued IDP certificates remain valid and do not need to be replaced. If they wish, individuals may exchange their certificate for an extract.
The new law also provides for the possibility of removing a person from the IDP registry without their application if they have been outside Ukraine for more than 90 consecutive days or more than 180 days in total during the year. Exceptions may be made if there are valid reasons, the list of which—along with the permissible duration of stay abroad—is to be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
A child born after the displacement of one or both IDP parents is not considered an internally displaced person under the new law. At the same time, the state must take the birth of such a child into account when providing support to the child’s parents, and IDP certificates previously issued to children remain valid.
The new law does not, in and of itself, establish a new amount for IDP living allowances. It stipulates that the amount, procedure, and duration of such payments are to be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers. Therefore, the law’s entry into force on October 22 does not automatically change the amount of assistance for all displaced persons.
No later than October 1, an information system for real estate properties that are already being used, or that can be used or converted for IDP housing, must become operational. Data on state-owned and municipal property will be entered into the system, as well as information on private properties with the owners’ consent. The launch of the system does not mean that housing will automatically be provided to displaced persons: its purpose is to gather in one place information about properties that are available or potentially suitable for housing.
Utility Rates
In October, the electricity rate for most residential consumers will remain unchanged at 4.32 hryvnias per kWh. The government has extended this rate through October 31, 2026. The gas rate for Naftogaz customers also remains unchanged at 7.96 hryvnia per cubic meter. This price is valid through April 30, 2027.
At the same time, starting October 1, a seasonal discounted electricity rate will take effect for some households. It applies to houses and apartments with electric heating registered in accordance with established procedures, as well as to apartment buildings not connected to the gas supply or to centralized or autonomous heating systems. The first 2,000 kWh per month will cost 2.64 hryvnia per kWh, and electricity consumption above this amount will cost 4.32 hryvnia per kWh. The preferential rate is in effect from October 1 through April 30.
Starting October 1, the rules for determining the cost of disconnecting and reconnecting a consumer to the power grid will also change. The distribution system operator will not be able to set the price for such work higher than the amount calculated according to the NEURC methodology. Operators must publish the list of services and their costs on their websites.
Education
Starting October 1, students at institutions of pre-higher vocational and higher education will begin training in national resistance. The course “Fundamentals of National Resistance” will be included in the curricula for Ukrainian citizens enrolled in full-time or dual-track programs: at colleges—at the pre-higher vocational education level; at universities—at the bachelor’s degree level; and for medical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary specialties, also at the master’s degree level. The course includes theoretical and practical training, including the acquisition of weapons handling skills. This rule does not apply to the training of cadets at military institutions and military training units.
Exemptions from this course are granted, in particular, to those who have already completed military service, have previously successfully completed this course, possess a certificate of completion of basic general military training and a military registration specialty, or reside in a temporarily occupied territory. Furthermore, the course is not mandatory for students enrolled in non-full-time or dual-track programs. For students not covered by these exceptions, opting out of the course or failing the final exam constitutes grounds for dismissal.
Until October 15, certain institutions of higher and pre-higher vocational education may conduct additional contract-based admissions in accordance with their own admission rules. Students admitted during these additional sessions are not enrolled on a state-funded basis. On the same day, the online portals for applicants to higher education institutions will close.
October also marks the deadline for first-year students to confirm their eligibility for academic grants. Full-time or dual-track contract students who have achieved sufficient scores on the entrance exams are eligible for these grants. For 2026 bachelor’s degree students, eligibility for the basic grant depends on the results of the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT), and for master’s students who enrolled after completing their bachelor’s degree, it depends on the results of the Unified External Evaluation (UEE), the Unified Foreign Language Test (UFLT), and/or the Unified State Exam (USE). First-year students eligible for the grant must confirm their eligibility in the “Diya” app by October 25. There is no need to submit a separate application: the certificate is generated automatically based on data from the Unified State Examination Information System (USEIS) and is sent to the “Diya” app. After confirmation, the funds are transferred directly to the educational institution to fully or partially cover tuition costs.
Food Labeling
As of October 1, the temporary simplifications to food labeling requirements introduced at the start of the full-scale war will no longer apply in Ukraine. Manufacturers and importers must once again fully comply with standard labeling rules.
The packaging must contain all mandatory information required by law, and the ingredient list must match the actual recipe. Depending on the product, this information includes, in particular, details about ingredients, allergens, nutritional value, shelf life, and storage conditions. Mandatory information must be provided in the official language. Imported goods must also bear mandatory information in Ukrainian.
At the same time, products that were labeled according to simplified wartime regulations prior to October 1 do not need to be removed from sale. They may remain on store shelves until the end of their minimum shelf life or “use by” date. Therefore, for some time, shoppers may encounter products with both the old and new labeling.
Agricultural Sector
Starting October 1, applications will be accepted for state support to purchase complex mineral fertilizers produced in Ukraine. Agricultural producers—both legal entities and sole proprietors—can receive up to 1,000 hryvnias per hectare of cultivated land. The assistance is non-repayable, but is limited to a maximum of 10,000 hectares per recipient. Applications will be accepted through the State Agricultural Register until November 1.
To receive the funds, applicants must confirm the purchase of Ukrainian-produced fertilizers and submit the documents required by the program, including information on cropland areas or perennial plantations.
At the same time, farmers who are already receiving per-hectare support for areas affected by hostilities or for cotton cultivation will not be eligible for additional fertilizer aid. Under this program, applicants may choose only one of these types of support.
Debts and Enforcement Proceedings
On October 23, the main part of the law amending the rules for the enforcement of court and other decisions will take effect. State and private enforcement officers will gain broader access to information about a debtor’s finances. This applies not only to bank accounts but also to e-wallets and the funds held in them. E-money may also be seized and collected to pay off the debt.
For relatively small debts, the process of lifting restrictions after full payment will be simplified. If the amount of the debt does not exceed ten minimum wages—which will be 86,470 hryvnias in 2026—and the debtor has fully paid the debt, the enforcement fee, and other applicable charges, the automated system will generate a notice of repayment. This notice will serve as the basis for removing the individual from the Unified Register of Debtors and lifting the freeze on funds and electronic money. A bank or other financial institution must lift the freeze no later than the day after receiving such a notice.
Protection for the debtor’s sole residence is also being strengthened. Starting October 23, the primary residence and the land plot on which it is located cannot be subject to enforcement proceedings if the debt amount does not exceed 50 minimum wages—which amounts to 432,350 hryvnias in 2026. Previously, this limit was 20 minimum wages. Exceptions are provided, in particular, if the enforcement document specifies the seizure of the residence that is the subject of a mortgage, or if the debt is related to compensation for harm caused by a criminal offense, bodily injury, or the death of a person.
Switch to Standard Time
On the night of October 25, Ukraine will switch to standard time. At 4:00 a.m., clocks should be set back one hour to 3:00 a.m. Electronic devices usually adjust the time automatically.
