Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan will provide one-time financial assistance of 1 million soums to eligible low-income families in November 2026 under a presidential decree expanding social protection during the 2026/2027 heating season.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the decree on 28 October 2026, introducing additional support measures for vulnerable households as the country gradually transitions towards market-based mechanisms in the fuel and energy sector.
The decree provides for direct financial payments, broader eligibility criteria for state assistance and extensions of existing compensation programmes covering household energy expenses.
Families included in the Social Register will be among the primary recipients of the one-time payment.
Households not registered in the system may also qualify if they meet the established financial eligibility requirements based on an assessment by the "mahalla seven," a local community-level body.
Under the general eligibility criteria, a household's average per capita income must not exceed twice the minimum consumer expenditure threshold.
Separate income limits apply to households living in apartment buildings connected to centralised heating systems.
In Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan's regions, the maximum eligible income is twice the minimum consumer expenditure threshold per person. In Tashkent, the limit is three times that threshold.
The decree also allows certain financially vulnerable families whose incomes exceed these limits to receive assistance if district or city headquarters responsible for creating sustainable employment and increasing household incomes approve their applications.
Other eligible recipients include elderly people living alone and people with disabilities who require assistance from others and are listed in the relevant register.
Families raising orphans and children deprived of parental care are also covered by the financial assistance programme.
In addition to the November payments, the decree expands eligibility for several existing forms of social support.
The maximum average per capita income threshold for receiving compensation for electricity and natural gas expenses has been increased from 1.5 times to twice the minimum consumer expenditure level.
The income eligibility threshold for assistance with coal purchases has similarly been raised from one to two times the minimum consumer expenditure level.
The same adjustment applies to financial support provided through the Sakhovat va Kumak fund.
Resources from the fund may be used to settle outstanding utility debts, cover current household expenses and purchase fuel.
The decree also extends the duration of several existing social protection measures intended to reduce the financial burden of energy costs on vulnerable households.
Compensation covering the difference between basic and higher electricity and natural gas tariffs will remain available until 1 April 2028.
Financial assistance designed to partially offset household coal purchasing expenses has been extended until 1 January 2029.
The measures are expected to increase the number of low-income households receiving state support and help mitigate the impact of Uzbekistan's gradual transition towards market-based energy tariffs.
The decree combines immediate winter assistance with longer-term compensation mechanisms, maintaining financial support for eligible households as changes to the country's energy pricing system continue.
