"People are used to it": in Mykolaiv, they explained the queues for "Winter Support"

In Mykolaiv, queues continue to form outside social protection offices where residents submit documents to receive the one-time “Winter Support” aid. The city council’s Department of Social Protection reported that a large part of the morning queues are formed by people themselves, arriving at the offices before dawn.

This was reported during a briefing at the mayor’s office by the acting director of the Department of Social Protection of the Population of the Mykolaiv City Council, Nadiya Skopenko. According to her, as of October 5 employees of the social protection branches had already processed 8,475 of 9,127 received applications.

When visitors crowd to submit documents, all employees of the respective social protection branches join the intake process. In addition, staff worked extra on Saturdays so people who work on weekdays could also submit documents.

Currently six branches in Mykolaiv are accepting applications for “Winter Support”. At the same time, the department noted that people continue to come to the offices at night and occupy queues long before opening hours:

“People create the crowds themselves — they have gotten used to coming at 4 a.m. and taking a place in line. That line disperses around 11–12 a.m. I would like to point out that this is curfew time. The officials responsible for enforcing the curfew called, but I cannot influence this,” Nadiya Skopenko said.

According to the department head, the situation with queues is expected to improve by the end of the week. Public organizations and veterans’ associations are joining the work. The city council plans to accept everyone who wishes to apply and complete the intake of applications by October 30.

At the same time, the department emphasizes an important detail: social protection bodies do not make decisions on granting the payment. Staff accept documents and forward the relevant data to the Pension Fund, after which they undergo the necessary procedures.

Submitting an application itself does not mean that the funds will be credited immediately. At the same time, as of September 30 the Ministry of Social Policy reported that the first payments under the program have already been financed: over 27.6 million hryvnias were allocated for 1,424 households. In total, the program is allocated more than 7.4 billion hryvnias from international and national humanitarian organizations.

“Winter Support” provides a one-time payment of 19,400 hryvnias per household. The government-designated vulnerable categories of the population living in the respective frontline communities are eligible. Applications are accepted until October 30, 2026.

In Mykolaiv, applications are accepted, in particular, at subdivisions of the city council’s Department of Social Protection of the Population.

For the Korabelnyi District, the branch is located at: St. D. Petukhova, 1/1.

Earlier we wrote:

• For 19,400 hryvnias — lining up from 4 a.m.: how Mykolaiv processes “Winter Support”
• People take positions in line at 3 a.m.: in Mykolaiv people complain about difficulties receiving “Winter Support”
• 19,400 hryvnias per household: Mykolaiv opened additional “Winter Support” addresses
• The state gives out UAH 6,500: who among Mykolaiv residents can already receive “Winter Support”
• “Winter Support”: what assistance Ukrainians will receive from the state