A thousand “winter support”: Ukrainians found ways to circumvent bans

The Winter Support program is underway in Ukraine. Payments for submitted applications have already started; those who have not yet completed them should hurry, as the application deadline ends on December 24.

The funds can be spent until June 30, 2026. Individuals who do not have access to the Diia application can apply to Ukrposhta branches, but they will only be able to spend money on certain goods.

For applications submitted at Ukrposhta, payments will be made to special accounts. The use of funds is limited to established areas: purchasing Ukrainian goods at Ukrposhta branches, paying for utilities, or donating. The first payments through the postal operator are scheduled for December 6, St. Nicholas Day.

Allowed expenses

According to the Ministry of Digital Economy, Ukrainians are actively using this program; in particular, expenses have already exceeded 473 million hryvnias, of which 80% were spent on utilities. Other popular expense categories include books, medical supplies, and donations to the Armed Forces.

Allowed expenses include:

donations to charities and the Armed Forces;
medicines and medical supplies (purchased at pharmacies);
utilities (gas, water, electricity);
food (in supermarkets);
books and printed matter;
postal services.
All transactions are conducted in accordance with the approved MCC codes issued by the government (CMU Resolution No. 1443). If the code matches the allowed categories, the payment will be successful.

The principal MCC codes include:

4900: utilities;

5411: grocery stores;

5499: food outlets;

5912: pharmacies;

5942 and 5994: books;

8398: charities;

9402: postal services.

So, you can buy products in supermarkets, but you will not be able to pay for orders in fast food restaurants, since their code categories do not meet the requirements of the program.

Several Ukrainians shared their tricks for using the “winter thousand”. One user said she was able to pay for a parcel at Ukrposhta with cash on delivery using a card to which funds from the program were credited. This surprised her because the product was not included in the list of permitted purchases.

Some users also reported buying cosmetics and other items from Ukrposhta. However, the ability to spend money on food delivery will remain blocked.

Current news on the topic also covers payments at the birth of a child who is not eligible to receive 50 thousand hryvnias, as well as issues related to social norms for receiving assistance with utilities.