On 13 October 2026 the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on basic social assistance, which establishes a single approach to supporting low-income families and families in difficult life circumstances. The amount of payments will be determined taking into account income, property status, family composition and needs.
Basic social assistance is a monthly cash payment. The amount of payments will depend on the family composition, the average monthly total income and the property status. Total income is all of a family’s income for a month. The amount of assistance cannot be less than the total sum of state support that the family or individual was receiving on the day of application.
The system combines cash support with social services and measures to help non-working able-bodied family members find employment. A social manager will be involved in assessing a family’s needs, determining those needs and drawing up a work plan with the family. A social contract will be introduced — an agreement between the state, the territorial community and the family to overcome difficult life circumstances or a crisis situation.
The needs assessment shifts from assigning assistance by category to analysing the real material and social situation through automated profiling based on data from state electronic registers and information resources. Local council executive bodies must identify families, inform them of their entitlement to payments and help them complete the necessary documentation. Non-working able-bodied family members will receive individual support and employment plans.
The law will come into force on 1 January 2028. A transitional period will run from 1 January to 31 December 2028 during which families already receiving certain types of state support can transfer to the new system.
Payments will be financed from the state budget of Ukraine; the law also provides for the possibility of using funds from international donors, international technical assistance, charitable contributions and other sources not prohibited by law.
