Solid fuel benefit of 4,602 UAH and subsidy of 9,205 UAH in 2026: how to apply and how much to buy
The Ukrainian state covers part of the cost of firewood, coal, pellets and briquettes in two ways: a benefit for certain categories of citizens and a subsidy for low-income households. In 2026 this is 4,602.57 UAH per tonne (benefit, allowance of 1 tonne) and 9,205.14 UAH (subsidy, based on 2 tonnes). The money is paid in cash once a year and can be spent on any solid fuel; the only question is which fuel and when, so that it lasts longer.
Two different payments: benefit and subsidy
They are often confused because the amounts are linked and both are administered by the Pension Fund of Ukraine (ПФУ). The benefit is for those entitled by status: combat veterans, people with war-related disabilities, family members of the fallen, Chornobyl clean-up workers and victims, large families, labour veterans and other categories defined by law. Income does not matter; status does. The subsidy is for any household that heats its home with solid fuel and spends more than a set share of its income on utilities. No status is needed; an income assessment is.
A household can receive either the benefit or the subsidy for fuel, not both at once. Both are paid as money to a bank account or by post, not "in bags".
Amounts for 2026
| Payment | Reference price per tonne | Allowance | Amount per household |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid fuel benefit | 4,602.57 UAH | 1 tonne per year | 4,602.57 UAH (or a share, according to the benefit percentage, if it is not 100%) |
| Solid fuel subsidy | 4,602.57 UAH | 2 tonnes per year | up to 9,205.14 UAH minus the family's mandatory payment share |
The reference price per tonne is approved by the government every year and does not depend on what you actually buy. Separately, in the 2025/26 season families in frontline communities received one-off assistance of 19,400 UAH per household from the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (Мінсоцполітики); whether it will be extended to 2026/27, check with your local community. The figures in this article are as of April-August 2026, based on data from the Pension Fund and the Ministry of Social Policy; before applying, check the current figures on the Pension Fund website.
Who is entitled to the benefit
The list of categories is set by the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of War Veterans, Guarantees of Their Social Protection", the Law of Ukraine "On the Status and Social Protection of Citizens Affected by the Chornobyl Disaster", the Law of Ukraine "On Childhood Protection" and others. The key condition: the home is heated with solid fuel, not gas or electricity (that is, the house has no gas or district heating, or you have formally renounced it). The size of the benefit depends on the category: 50, 75 or 100% of the reference amount. If several people entitled to benefits live in one house, the benefit is calculated per household, not for each of them separately.
Who is entitled to the subsidy
A household whose utility costs (in our case, the reference cost of fuel based on an allowance of 2 tonnes) exceed the mandatory payment share, which depends on income per person. The lower the income, the larger the subsidy; above a certain income level the subsidy comes out at zero. You are not eligible if someone in the family bought property or a car worth more than the set threshold during the year, holds a large deposit, or has utility debts above a certain amount. The exact thresholds for 2026 are available from the Pension Fund or on the Diia portal (Дія).
How to apply: step by step
- Check whether your address is already in the database as "solid fuel". If you received a fuel benefit or subsidy last year, in 2026 it is most often granted automatically: you do not need to submit a new application, and the money arrives in the second half of the year. You can check this in your personal account on the Pension Fund portal or in Diia.
- If you are applying for the first time or your circumstances have changed (a move, household composition, giving up gas), submit an application and, for the subsidy, an income declaration. Options: in person at a Pension Fund service centre or an Administrative Services Centre (ЦНАП), by post, or online via the Pension Fund portal or Diia.
- Documents: passport, tax identification number, proof of entitlement to the benefit (ID certificate), property documents and a certificate or statement confirming stove heating (in some communities it is issued by the village council or the homeowners' association (ОСББ); if the gas has been cut off, by the gas service), and for the subsidy, an income declaration for all household members.
- Deadlines: applications for the 2026 subsidy are accepted until 31 December 2026; the benefit can be arranged at any time during the year, and it is paid once a year. Processing takes up to 10 working days, or up to a month if clarifications are needed.
- Payment: to a bank account or via Ukrposhta (Укрпошта). You do not need to submit fuel receipts: the payment is made in cash, and nobody checks what you spend it on.
How much fuel the money really buys
The reference price of 4,602 UAH per tonne is a government benchmark, not a market price. Let us compare it with retail prices in autumn 2026 (approximate, Kyiv region, per tonne including delivery):
| Fuel | Retail price per tonne, approx. | For 4,602 UAH (benefit) | For 9,205 UAH (subsidy) | Heat, kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-flame coal DG | 9,000-11,000 | 0.4-0.5 t (16-20 bags) | 0.8-1 t (32-40 bags) | 2,900-7,000 |
| Anthracite AO | 13,500-18,000 | 0.25-0.35 t | 0.5-0.7 t | 2,000-5,500 |
| Peat briquettes | 6,000-12,000 | 0.4-0.75 t | 0.8-1.5 t | 1,500-6,000 |
| Wood pellets | 17,000-21,000 | 0.2-0.27 t (15-18 bags) | 0.45-0.55 t | 1,000-2,600 |
| RUF briquettes | 9,000-18,000 | 0.25-0.5 t | 0.5-1 t | 1,200-4,800 |
| Firewood (eFirewood program (ДроваЄ), state price) | ≈ 1,250 UAH/m³ | ≈ 3.5 m³ | ≈ 7 m³ | 3,500-10,000 |
The honest conclusion: the payment covers 10 to 30% of the real needs of a 100-150 m² house (3-5 tonnes of coal or pellets per season). The most heat per hryvnia of payment comes from state firewood under the eFirewood program (if you have somewhere to dry it and someone to split it) and from long-flame coal; pellets are the least cost-effective use of this money, unless you have a pellet boiler that cannot burn anything else.
How to get the most out of the payment
Buy in summer. The payment arrives in the second half of the year, but if you know you are entitled to it, buy fuel in April-June at the "summer price": it is 15-30% lower than in September, and the payment then simply covers part of your costs. Do not spend "the whole amount" at once on an unknown fuel: first a trial bag, then a tonne. Compare per tonne, not per bag: sellers are happy to quote benefit recipients a price per bag, because it looks smaller that way. Get a receipt or waybill with the seller's details: they are not needed for the payment, but they are needed if there is a dispute over weight or quality, and they protect you from schemes with forged documents, described in the article "How to avoid scams".
How much fuel your particular house needs on top of the 1-2 tonne allowance can be calculated with the calculator on the coal and pellets pages or in the article "How much fuel you need for a season".
Questions and answers
How much is the solid fuel benefit in 2026?
The reference price per tonne of solid fuel in 2026 is 4,602.57 UAH, and the benefit allowance is 1 tonne per year. So the full benefit is 4,602.57 UAH per household. Depending on the beneficiary's category, 50, 75 or 100% of this amount is paid.
How much is the solid fuel subsidy in 2026?
The subsidy is calculated on an allowance of 2 tonnes at 4,602.57 UAH, that is a maximum of 9,205.14 UAH. The family's mandatory payment share, which depends on income per person, is deducted from this amount: the lower the income, the larger the subsidy. Before applying, check the current figures on the Pension Fund of Ukraine website.
Can I receive the fuel benefit and subsidy at the same time?
No. A household receives either the benefit or the subsidy for solid fuel. If several people entitled to benefits live in one house, the benefit is calculated per household, not for each of them separately.
What is the deadline for applying for the solid fuel subsidy?
Applications for the 2026 subsidy are accepted until 31 December 2026; the benefit can be arranged at any time during the year. Processing takes up to 10 working days, or up to a month if clarifications are needed. If you already received a fuel payment last year, in 2026 it is most often granted automatically: check this in your account on the Pension Fund of Ukraine (ПФУ) portal or in the Diia app (Дія).
Do I have to provide receipts for the fuel I buy?
No. The solid fuel benefit and subsidy are paid in cash to a bank account or via Ukrposhta once a year, and nobody checks what you spend them on. However, it is worth getting a receipt or waybill with the seller's details: you will need it if there is a dispute over the weight or quality of the fuel.
How much coal or how many pellets can I buy with the subsidy?
At approximate autumn 2026 prices, 9,205 UAH buys about 0.8-1 t of long-flame coal DG, 0.5-0.7 t of AO anthracite or 0.45-0.55 t of wood pellets. This covers only 10-30% of the needs of a 100-150 m² house, so you will have to buy the rest of the fuel yourself. How much you need exactly is explained in the article "How much fuel you need for a season".
Buy the fuel covered in this article
Prices per tonne and per bag, stock and delivery across Ukraine are on the category page. For wholesale: special terms.