From March 1, Ukrainians will face a number of important changes in the social, financial and educational spheres, which will affect millions of citizens. Among the main innovations are an increase in targeted assistance for families of military personnel, indexation of pensions, an increase in salaries, an update of the National Cashback program, as well as the start of registration for the National Multi-Subject Test.
Payments for families of military personnel
From March 1, 2026, a new procedure for increasing targeted financial assistance for family members of killed, deceased or missing military personnel comes into effect in Ukraine. This decision is aimed at significantly improving the material security of families who have lost their breadwinners as a result of military operations and is intended to reduce the social vulnerability of such families.
Previously, the minimum targeted assistance provided to family members of deceased servicemen was 7,800 hryvnias. The new rules provide that if the pension in case of loss of breadwinner or state social assistance to children of deceased servicemen does not reach 12,810 hryvnias, the state will compensate for the difference in the form of targeted assistance. In this case, the calculation will include all allowances and increases received by a family member, except for pensions awarded for special services to Ukraine.
Targeted assistance will be provided to each disabled family member – parents, wife or husband of a deceased, deceased or missing serviceman. For families in which two or more members receive a pension or state social assistance, a new minimum payment amount has been established – 10,020 hryvnias per person, instead of the previous 6,100 hryvnias. This decision significantly increases the level of support for large families, where several members simultaneously need financial support.
A key innovation is also the government’s promise to annually index these payments from March 1, starting in 2027. This practice will allow taking into account inflationary changes and price increases, ensuring a stable level of material support for families that have suffered losses as a result of the war.
This decision demonstrates the state’s comprehensive approach to social protection of veterans and their families. Increasing payments and establishing a minimum threshold for many families allows not only to compensate for losses, but also stimulates a systemic review of social assistance mechanisms in the face of constant military challenges. This step reduces the risks of poverty among those who have lost their breadwinners, while at the same time providing predictable support, which is critically important in the context of the country’s post-war reconstruction.
Pension indexation
From March 1, more than ten million Ukrainian pensioners will receive pension indexation of 12.1 percent. According to the words of Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, this recalculation will be carried out automatically and will cover almost all main types of pensions, in particular:
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old-age pensions;
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military pensions;
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disability pensions;
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survivor’s pensions;
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special pensions for former employees of local governments, civil servants and scientists.
In addition, minimum pensions for people with disabilities resulting from war, for participants in hostilities, as well as insurance payments for citizens who suffered from accidents will be indexed. From April 1, pensioners who continue to work will receive automatic recalculation of pensions taking into account the updated length of service and/or earnings.
As a result, pensioners will receive additional payments ranging from 100 to 2,595 hryvnias compared to the previous pension amount.
Salary supplement
In March, the payment of bonuses will continue for workers involved in the restoration of critical infrastructure after the attacks by the Russian Federation, as well as for energy workers. This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko following a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
All employees participating in emergency and recovery work will receive an additional bonus of 20 thousand hryvnias for each month – January, February and March 2026.
This program covers employees of enterprises of various forms of ownership in the following key areas:
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fuel and energy complex, including power plants, electricity supply networks, gas and oil pipelines;
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housing and communal services, including heat, water and gas supply systems for the population;
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railway industry, in particular employees of Ukrzaliznytsia, who ensure the restoration and functioning of the transport system infrastructure.
The bonus is provided to every employee who directly participates in the work to eliminate the consequences of destruction or ensures the restoration of critical systems. The payment is intended to stimulate personnel working in conditions of increased risk and compensate for additional efforts during work in emergency conditions caused by military aggression.
Thus, in March, energy, utility and railway workers who are actively involved in emergency and restoration work will receive their well-deserved financial support in the form of an allowance of 20 thousand hryvnias.
Updated “National Cashback”
From March 1, 2026 in Ukraine The updated version of the National Cashback program comes into force, which changes the principles of returning part of the money spent to buyers. The main change is the differentiation of the cashback percentage depending on the category of the product and the level of import, which allows stimulating the purchase of domestic products and certain groups of goods.
Now, for Ukrainian goods, the share of imports of which exceeds 35%, a refund of 15% of the purchase amount is provided. This category includes non-food products: clothing, footwear, cosmetics, household chemicals, household and repair goods, animal care products, as well as stationery. In addition, the category includes some food products, including hard and soft cheeses, as well as certain types of pasta and cereals.
If the share of imports of the product is less than 35%, buyers will receive 5% cashback. This applies to the following groups of goods: medicines and garden products, bread, meat, dairy products (except cheeses), eggs, oil, vegetables and fruits, fish, canned goods, sweets, snacks, drinks and sauces.
In order to check which category a specific product belongs to, the buyer can use the barcode scanner in the “Diya” mobile application. This approach allows you to clearly determine the amount of the refund and makes the program mechanism transparent and convenient for users, while simultaneously stimulating demand for domestic products and a controlled imported group of goods.
The cashback accrued within the “National Cashback” program can now be used for a wide range of purposes, allowing citizens to effectively manage the returned funds. Among the main areas of use:
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Payment of utility services – citizens can partially or fully cover bills for heat, water, gas and electricity by paying them with accrued cashback.
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Transfers to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine – funds can be directed to help the army, which provides citizens with the opportunity to join in supporting the country’s defense capabilities.
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Postal services – cashback can be used to pay for postal items, which is convenient for sending letters and parcels.
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Purchase of Ukrainian-made products, medicines and books – part of the cashback can be used to purchase food products and medicines made in Ukraine, as well as to purchase books, which contributes to the development of the cultural and educational level of the population.
Such a mechanism for using cashback not only stimulates domestic production, but also creates a system of encouraging citizens to make socially significant expenditures and support critical areas of the country’s economy and security.
In general, changes in the “National Cashback” program demonstrate the state’s desire to combine economic stimulation of domestic production with social support for the population, while simultaneously creating a tool for increasing financial literacy and controlling spending among citizens.
New reporting rules for excisable goods
In Ukraine, from March 1, 2026, new reporting rules for excisable goods will come into force, affecting both manufacturers and sellers of the relevant products. The corresponding changes were approved by the order of the Ministry of Finance dated December 22, 2025 No. 641, which determines the updated reporting forms and the detailed procedure for filling them out.
Monthly reporting will be sent to the territorial bodies of the State Tax Service in new forms:
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Form No. 1-VP – for producers of alcohol, bioethanol, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, liquids for electronic cigarettes, as well as for entities engaged in the import, export or fermentation of tobacco raw materials.
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Form No. 1-OP — for entities engaged in wholesale trade in alcohol, tobacco products, tobacco raw materials, tobacco substitutes and liquids for electronic cigarettes, as well as for operations on the import and export of these products.
In addition to the monthly form, an annual form No. 1-VP is also being introduced, which is required to be submitted by:
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small production beer, distillates and wine products;
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entities engaged in tobacco cultivation, indicating the volumes of grown and sown areas.
Order No. 641 also provides for an updated procedure for accounting for products in responsible storage and regulates new rules for reflecting the circulation of tobacco waste and product residues. In addition, new product and raw material codes are being introduced, which should be used to record purchased, manufactured, and sold tobacco products.
These changes are aimed at strengthening control over the circulation of excisable goods, ensuring transparency of production and trade, and optimizing tax administration in this area.
