The possibility of providing one-time financial assistance of 1 million soums to over one million needy families in November is being considered in Uzbekistan. Additionally, it is planned to expand the compensation system for electricity, gas, and coal consumption, as well as increase the basic electricity consumption norm for residents of areas without gas supply.
These measures are provided for a draft presidential decree, which was published by the National Agency for Social Protection under the President for public discussion. According to official clarifications, the one-time support is calculated for more than 1 million 17 thousand families. A total of 1.9 trillion soums is planned to be allocated for all additional social support measures in 2026.
Who is eligible to receive 1 million soums
The draft provides for the payment of one-time material assistance of 1 million soums in November 2026 to support families during the 2026/2027 heating season. Eligible recipients can be families listed in the Social Register, as well as those not included in it but meeting the established need criteria determined by the 'mahalla seven'. Assistance is also offered to elderly people living alone and persons with disabilities requiring constant care and included in the relevant register, as well as families with orphans or children left without parental care.
For families not registered in the Social Register, the key condition is that the average monthly income per person must not exceed twice the minimum consumer expenses, i.e., 1.43 million soums. However, special conditions apply to families living in apartment buildings with centralized heating. In Karakalpakstan and other regions, the average income per member of such a family must not exceed 1.43 million soums, while in Tashkent, a higher threshold of 2.145 million soums is set, corresponding to three times the minimum consumer expenses. The higher threshold for Tashkent is justified by differences in income and expenditure of the population on centralized heating.
According to preliminary estimates, the material assistance will cover every fourth family living in apartment buildings with centralized heating. Furthermore, the draft allows for consideration of individual needy families whose income is above the established limits; such exceptions will be decided by district and city headquarters responsible for job creation and increasing the population's income level.
Mechanism for forming recipient lists
The formation of additional recipient lists will be carried out by the 'mahalla seven' based on data from state bodies' information systems. When compiling lists, priority is given to families who have lost a breadwinner, families with people with Group I and II disabilities raising children with disabilities, as well as families where there are people requiring long-term treatment or constant care. Households whose members are engaged in labor migration, groups where three or more families live together, and residents of apartment buildings not equipped with gas or centralized heating will also be taken into account.
For additional lists formed based on income criteria, a limitation is set: their number must not exceed half the number of families included in the Social Register of that district or city. The lists must be ready by November 1st. Payments are planned to be transferred by November 30, 2026, to the recipients' bank or social cards through the National Bank and Aloqabank.
Gas and electricity compensations will be extended until April 2028. The draft also provides for expanding the range of families entitled to compensation for electricity and natural gas expenses. For families not in the Social Register, the permissible average per capita income for receiving compensation is increased from 1.5 to 2 times the minimum consumer expenses, which amounts to up to 1.43 million soums. According to government calculations, this will allow support to an additional 166 thousand families.
In addition, the existing mechanism for compensating the difference between tariffs within the basic norm of electricity and gas consumption and tariffs for exceeding this norm will be extended until April 1, 2028, instead of the previous deadline of April 1, 2027. This extension will ensure the continuation of compensations for another year for 470 thousand families, requiring additional funding of 150 billion soums. Regarding coal, it is proposed to expand the circle of recipients of material assistance for partial coverage of expenses by increasing the income threshold for families not included in the Social Register from one to two times the minimum consumer expenses. The provision of such support is scheduled until January 1, 2029.
Separately, for residents of territories where gas supply is absent or natural gas supply is difficult, it is planned to increase the basic electricity consumption norm during the heating season from 200 to 350 kWh per month.
