Photo: Zoonar
Nearly 17.7 million Ukrainians have applied for the one-thousand-hryvnia support under the "Winter Assistance" program, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity reported on Monday, December 22.
According to the ministry, 14 million applications were submitted via the "Diia" app, 1.7 million through Ukrposhta, and for nearly 2 million recipients, payments were automatically processed—these are pensioners or social benefit recipients via Ukrposhta.
13.7 million Ukrainians have received the “Zelensky Thousand”
So far, 13.7 million people have received the 1,000-hryvnia payment, including 658,000 during the past week. These include applicants who submitted requests through the "Diia" app, including for children. Payments have been processed for all applications submitted up to December 17.
Most common uses: utilities and medicines
Ukrainians have spent over seven billion hryvnias using the "National Cashback" card. The most popular expenses are utilities, medicines, and food products.
The program ran from November 15 to December 24, allowing every Ukrainian citizen to apply for the one-time support of 1,000 hryvnias. Funds can be used until June 30, 2026, for utilities, medicines, Ukrainian-made products, postal services, books, charity, or donations to the Defense Forces.
The government had initially expected up to 14 million beneficiaries for this year’s one-time “Zelensky Thousand.”
