Amid the ongoing transition of Uzbekistan's fuel and energy sector toward market-based pricing, the administration has announced a series of targeted social support measures. According to a recently signed presidential decree, certain low-income and vulnerable families will receive a one-time financial allowance of 1 million soms during the upcoming 2026/2027 heating season. These disbursements are scheduled for November 2026 and are supposedly designed to cushion the economic impact of rising energy costs on the population.

Based on official legal information channels, the financial aid will be distributed to households listed in the Unified Social Protection Register, as well as families who are not officially registered but reportedly meet the vulnerability criteria according to local community evaluations. This includes households where the per capita monthly income does not exceed twice the minimum consumer expenditure, as well as residents living in multi-apartment buildings connected to centralized heating systems.

Furthermore, the regulations specify that for residents of multi-story buildings in regional areas, the average monthly income per family member must not exceed twice the minimum consumer expenditure, while the threshold is set at three times for the capital city of Tashkent. The support framework also extends to single elderly citizens and individuals with disabilities requiring external care, alongside families raising orphans and children deprived of parental custody.

In parallel with these measures, the authorities have revised the income criteria used to determine household neediness for various utility compensations. The threshold for receiving electricity and natural gas compensation has reportedly been raised from 1.5 to 2 times the minimum consumer expenditure. Similar upward adjustments apply to financial assistance for purchasing coal and covering utility debts, allegedly aiming to ease the financial burden on citizens during the ongoing economic reforms.

Source: kun.uz