Utilities, money transfer limits and reservations: what has changed in Ukraine since February 1
Table of contents
- What will change in Ukraine from February 1, 2025?
- Utility tariffs
- Pension cuts: who will be affected by the restrictions
- Pension supplements
- Payments for IDPs
- Subsidy for rental housing for IDPs
- Zelensky's thousand: who will receive it
- Changes in the cost of railway tickets
- Car tax
- Limits on money transfers
- Reservations for mobilization
- Payments to families of prisoners and missing persons
- Additional payment for living in the radiation contamination zone
- Delivery of parcels by Ukrposhta

With the start of the new month, important changes have come into force in Ukraine that affect the most important areas of society. In particular, the updates affected the amount of utility payments, restrictions on transfers between individuals, and the procedure for booking employees at critical enterprises. Find out what has changed for Ukrainians since February 1
Starting from February 1, 2025, a number of changes will come into force in Ukraine regarding utility tariffs, limits on money transfers and the cost of railway tickets.
Let's take a closer look at each of these innovations in the article below.
What will change in Ukraine from February 1, 2025?
Utility tariffs
A preferential tariff will be introduced for consumers who use electricity for heating due to the lack of central heating or gas heating, starting from February 1. The cost of the first 2000 kWh per month will be UAH 2.64/kWh. In case of exceeding this amount, the excess consumption will be paid at the standard tariff of UAH 4.32/kWh.
In particular, the moratorium on tariff increases during martial law remains in force. Thus, until April 30, 2025, the gas tariff for household consumers will remain at UAH 7.96 per cubic meter.
Pension cuts: who will be affected by the restrictions
The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to limit the payment of special pensions for the period of martial law in 2025. According to Government Decree No. 1, if the amount of a pension exceeds UAH 23,610 (10 subsistence minimums for disabled persons), it will be reduced by means of reduction factors.
How will pensions be reduced?
According to the government decision, the following coefficients will be applied:
- If the pension exceeds 10 subsistence minimums (UAH 23,610) but not more than 11 minimums, payments will be reduced by 50%.
- For the amount exceeding 11 subsistence minimums (UAH 25,971) but not more than 13 minimums, the reduction will be 40%.
- If the pension exceeds 13 subsistence minimums (UAH 30,693) but does not exceed 17 minimums, a 30% coefficient will be applied.
- For the amount exceeding 17 subsistence minimums (UAH 40,137) but not more than 21 minimums, the pension amount is reduced by 20%.
- Pensions exceeding 21 subsistence minimums (UAH 49,581) will be reduced by 90% of the excess amount.
Who will not be affected by the restrictions?
The following categories of citizens will not be affected by the pension cuts:
✔ ATO participants.
✔ Persons who were directly involved in measures to protect Ukraine from Russian aggression.
✔ Family members of the deceased (dead or missing) who receive a survivor's pension.
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Pension supplements
In February 2025, there will be an increase in payments for pensioners who reach 70, 75 or 80 years of age. The increase will be charged automatically, but only if the pension amount does not exceed UAH 10,340.35. This was reported by the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
The amount of the surcharge depends on the age of the pensioner:
From 70 to 75 years old - up to UAH 300.
From 75 to 80 years old - up to UAH 456.
From 80 years and older - up to UAH 570.
Payments for IDPs
Starting February 1, payments for internally displaced persons will be automatically extended to those who have already received them. This was reported by the National Social Service of Ukraine.
Those who apply for assistance for the first time can issue an internally displaced person (IDP) certificate and apply for financial support through the Diia mobile application.
If the family does not meet the requirements due to income, deposits or additional housing, they must submit the relevant documents to the ASC or social protection authority to confirm their eligibility for payments.
For people with disabilities and children, payments amount to UAH 3 thousand, for others - UAH 2 thousand.
Subsidy for rental housing for IDPs
Starting from January 29, internally displaced persons can apply for a rental subsidy, which will be provided in parallel with the subsidy for housing and communal services. This was announced by the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovych.
"This subsidy is an additional financial support for IDP families who are forced to rent housing due to the loss of their own as a result of Russian aggression and occupation. In addition, IDPs have the opportunity to receive other social benefits, including subsidies for housing and communal services," the statement said.
According to Zholnovych, internally displaced persons from the occupied territories or combat zones, as well as those whose housing was destroyed or became uninhabitable, can apply for a rental subsidy. It is important that they do not have other housing in the government-controlled territory of Ukraine and that the cost of rent exceeds 20% of the total family income.
It is noted that the tenant and the landlord must not be related, the tenant must not receive housing assistance for IDPs from the state, and the landlord must not receive compensation under the Shelter program.
The amount of subsidy for each family will be determined individually, taking into account the average income per person in the family, the number of family members and the cost of rent in a particular region. The mechanism also includes coverage of taxes to be paid by the landlord (personal income tax, unified tax, military fee) based on the cost of renting housing within social standards.
You can apply for a subsidy:
- offline at a service center of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (PFU) or an administrative service center;
- online through the PFU's electronic services portal or mobile application (using an electronic signature that must be held by the landlord and IDP).
To receive a subsidy, the following documents must be submitted
- a lease agreement (in the prescribed form);
- application (in the prescribed form);
- if necessary, copies of documents confirming the powers of a legal representative, guardian, trustee or other documents confirming special circumstances.
Zelensky's thousand: who will receive it
In February 2025, citizens can receive UAH 1 thousand as part of the Winter eSupport program. These funds can be spent on utilities, medicines, mobile communications, transportation tickets, books, or donations to the United24 platform. The money can be spent until February 28, 2025.
Funds will be credited to the National Cashback card, which can be issued through the Diia mobile application or through a partner bank of the program. Pensioners and people with disabilities of groups 1 and 2 will be able to receive assistance through Ukrposhta.
Changes in the cost of railway tickets
Starting February 1, Ukrzaliznytsia raised prices for international flights to Poland and Hungary. At the same time, prices for trains to Austria and Moldova remain unchanged. According to the company's press service, the increase in fares is the result of a reduction in discounts previously agreed to promote international connections in cooperation with the railways of neighboring countries.
“The rise in the cost of consumables and energy resources has led to a significant increase in losses from passenger transportation, which in 2024 reached UAH 18 billion,” the statement said.
Poland.
For trains to Poland, ticket prices will increase due to a reduction in discounts:
in Intercity+ and SV class 1 cars - by 20-27%;
in compartment cars - by 9-27%.
Hungary.
Ticket prices to Hungary will increase due to a reduction in discounts:
Kyiv - Warsaw - by 37%;
Kyiv - Budapest - by 17% for SV cars and by 21% for compartment cars.
Make your travels comfortable! In addition to trains, the Visit Ukraine portal offers bus and plane tickets for travel within Ukraine and abroad. Plan your travels in comfort and at affordable prices!
Car tax
In 2025, in Ukraine, you will have to pay car taxes if the cost of a car is UAH 3 million or more and the vehicle is less than 5 years old. The tax amount is UAH 25 thousand per year.
The list of cars subject to taxation is determined by the Ministry of Economy. You can check whether your car is on the list on the official website.
The tax rate for one car is UAH 25 thousand per year (paragraph 267.4 of the Tax Code of Ukraine). If a car turns five years old during the reporting year, the tax is paid for the period from January 1 to the beginning of the month following the month in which the car reaches this age (clause 267.6.7 of the Tax Code).
For example, if a car turns 5 years old in May 2025, the tax is paid for the period from January to May, i.e. for 5 months. The tax amount for this period is UAH 10,416.67 (UAH 25,000 : 12 x 5).
Limits on money transfers
On February 1, Ukrainian banks introduced restrictions on money transfers between individuals, setting a monthly limit of UAH 150 thousand for payments using IBAN details. This was reported on the website of the National Bank of Ukraine.
These changes will apply only to customers who do not have documented income. Banks will classify such persons into three risk levels: “high”, ‘medium’ and ‘low’.
For customers with a “high” risk level, the limit will be UAH 50 thousand per month. For the “medium” and “low” risk groups, the restrictions will be introduced gradually:
from February 1, 2025 - up to UAH 150 thousand
from June 1, 2025 - up to UAH 100 thousand.
The NBU noted that these innovations are aimed at reducing the shadow economy and combating illegal schemes, such as the involvement of “drops” (persons who provide their bank cards for dubious transactions).
To avoid the limits, customers will need to provide documents confirming their income. This will allow banks to adjust or remove restrictions, taking into account the client's financial capabilities and control over the movement of funds in their accounts.
Reservations for mobilization
On February 28, all persons liable for military service will have their reservations expire. If the company loses its criticality status or does not meet the relevant criteria, the reserved employees also lose the right to reservation. This was reported by Oleksandr Fediyenko, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence.
"Since these persons liable for military service are all registered, the Military and Civilian Personnel Committee has every right to mobilize them. All this is done within the law,” he said.
Fediyenko also noted that the heads of territorial recruitment and social support centers are meeting the needs of critical enterprises, such as defense, communications and energy companies, by providing time for re-booking employees.
After February 28, managers of these companies will be able to book their employees within 72 hours through the Diia portal.
Payments to families of prisoners and missing persons
Starting February 1, 2025, amendments to the Law “On Social and Legal Protection of Servicemen and Members of Their Families” will come into force, changing the procedure for payments to families of prisoners of war and missing persons. The amendments were adopted by the Verkhovna Rada.
Roman Lykhachov, a military lawyer and lawyer at the Veterans Support Center, said that the financial support for soldiers who are in captivity or missing is approximately UAH 120,000 per month. Previously, only the husband or wife of a serviceman received these payments, even if he or she had parents or children.
A part of the unpaid funds (50% or 80%) remained in the military unit and was paid after the soldier returned from captivity or was found after a disappearance.
According to the new rules, a serviceman independently determines who will receive what part of the payments in case of his captivity or disappearance. To do this, a personal order must be drawn up.
If there is no such order, payments are made according to the following principle:
- 50% of the financial support is distributed in equal shares among the representatives of the first priority - the wife (husband), legal representatives of minor children, children with disabilities since childhood, their legal representatives and parents of the serviceman (except for those who receive alimony from him or her or parents deprived of parental rights);
- if there are no representatives of the first priority, then 20% of the allowance is distributed equally among the representatives of the second priority - adult children, siblings whose legal representative is a military person.
Additional payment for living in the radiation contamination zone
The Pension Fund of Ukraine has clarified the conditions for receiving an additional payment for living in a radiation contamination zone.
In accordance with Article 45 of the Law of Ukraine “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2025”, in 2025, for the period of martial law, an additional payment is provided for non-working pensioners who permanently reside in the unconditional (mandatory) resettlement zone or in the guaranteed voluntary resettlement zone and have the relevant certificates. The amount of the additional payment is UAH 2,361.
It is important to note that the so-called “Chornobyl pension”, or an additional payment to non-working pensioners in the resettlement zone, will be provided only to those who actually lived in the exclusion zone from 1986 to 1993 and have the status of a person affected by the Chornobyl disaster.
Delivery of parcels by Ukrposhta
Starting from February 3, Ukrposhta will reduce the delivery time for parcels across Ukraine to one day.
This became possible due to the full automation of the parcel processing process - 100% of parcels will be processed on robotic lines.
Just a reminder! When crossing the border, customs officers check the personal belongings and luggage of Ukrainians travelling abroad. Read here to find out what cannot be taken from Ukraine abroad.
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Frequantly
asked questions
Who is an IDP in Ukraine?
Who is eligible for IDP status?
What will happen to IDP payments in 2025?
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