Frequently asked questions about cash assistance

Families who fled Ukraine on or after 24 February 2022, can be considered for the grant. They can be Ukrainian nationals or citizens of other countries who were residing in Ukraine and are currently residing in Moldova.

Family and people with the following characteristics are eligible:

Family with one or more dependents

Family headed by a single parent
Family headed by a child (below 18) *
Family with an unaccompanied or separated child
Family headed by an older person (above 60)
Family with one or more persons with specific needs, including:
A person with a disability
Pregnant woman
Person with a serious medical condition
Woman at risk
Person with legal and physical protection needs
LGBTI person
Children should be accompanied by an appointed caregiver/legal guardian.

Your family or head of household will receive one MAIB prepaid bank card. The card can be used free of charge for purchases in all stores and cash withdrawals in ATMs. It is valid only in Moldova.

For each payment, you will receive an SMS message notification to your mobile informing you that the cash assistance has been loaded onto your MAIB card.

Keep your information updated! In case your phone number has changed please update it by calling Cash Assistance Helpline: 0 800 10823 or approach the nearest Enrolment Centre.

All the cash payments will be deposited on the same card – KEEP YOUR CARD AND PIN SAFE!

This poster explains the cash enrolment and payment process in detail or consults answers to frequently asked questions.

To be eligible for more payments, UNHCR and its partners conducts in person verifications. UNHCR conducts such verifications to verify that the persons remain in Moldova, and if necessary update any information on our records.

All beneficiaries will be invited by UNHCR and its partners CRS, Caritas Moldova and Diaconia for a verification interview. The head of the households will receive an SMS notification for this purpose.

The verification interview will be conducted in person with all members of family at the nearest En Enrolment Centre.

People with disabilities, limited mobility, elderly or with severe medical conditions, who are unable to approach to an Enrolment Centre, please call the Cash Assistance Helpline: 0 800 10823

After completing your verification, you will receive an SMS confirming your next payment. If you skip verification your case will be inactivated, you will not receive further payments and the money left in the card will be eventually returned to UNHCR.

Each refugee family member is entitled to 2,200 MDL/month. The amount will be loaded to the card, based on the size of the family.

Your cash assistance will be uploaded to your card every month after +/- 10 working days from the date you first registered.

Please note that in order to continue receiving assistance, you need to attend your verification or re-verification interviews and be found eligible as per the program criteria. Failure to do so will result in your assistance disbursement being suspended until UNHCR can verify that you are still living in Moldova. Verification and re-verification interviews are scheduled periodically, and you will be contacted via SMS or mobile phone with the details. Updating your phone numbers in case of any changes and keeping your phone switched on as much as possible is strongly advised. You can update your numbers by approaching enrollment centers or contacting cash line.

Please note that cash assistance is only for individuals residing in Moldova. If you have registered to receive cash from two countries, your assistance will be suspended in Moldova until further information can be clarified.

Have you attended all verification and re-verification interviews? Failure to do so will result in your assistance disbursement being suspended until UNHCR can verify that you are still living in Moldova. It is very important that you attend each interview, or provide information about it in advance, as UNHCR cannot back-date payments

If your card was blocked due to wrong PIN code entry, you can call the Cash Helpline (0800 108 23) and ask for card unblocking. After your request has been registered by the helpline operator, the card will be unblocked within 1-2 working days and you will be able to use it again.

Kindly visit the nearest Cash Enrollment Centre to obtain a replacement card. Once you have received the new card and PIN code, you will regain access to your account. Additionally, if you had a balance on your previous card, it will be transferred to the new card within the next 2 weeks.

Your card was likely blocked due to not passing or not coming the verification exercise. Kindly visit the nearest Cash Enrolment Center to undergo the verification/ re-activation interview. If your eligibility is confirmed, your card will be unblocked, and you will continue to receive cash assistance.

All cards issued are linked to your individual account with the bank and your registration with UNHCR. If your card is lost, stolen, damaged, or retained by an ATM, kindly visit the nearest Cash Enrollment Centre to obtain a replacement card. Once you have received the new card and PIN code, you will regain access to your account. If you had a balance in your account, it will be transferred to the new card within the next 2 weeks.

If you had a balance in your account, it will be transferred to your new card. Kindly note that the process of transferring the remaining balance to your new card will take up to 15 working days from the day of the card’s replacement. UNHCR strongly advises you to take good care of your bank card.

You can contact the Cash Helpline at 0 800 10 823, approach the nearest Cash Enrolment Centre to update them about this, or write to [email protected]

PLEASE NOTE: Entitlement cards are assigned to a specific family, and this data is recorded in the system. It is considered FRAUD if you give your entitlement card to someone else to use if you leave the country. UNHCR recommends you return your card to the nearest enrolment centre; where it will be returned to UNHCR. The card will be made unusable in front of you.

Verification interviews will be scheduled on a periodic basis. You will receive an SMS or phone call within 48 hours of your scheduled interview to provide you with the details.

UNHCR’s partner CRS sends out appointment SMS-es using a designated SMS system which allows them to track the status of the messages sent and if they were delivered. If a message shows “undelivered” in the system, they will then contact you via phone call to provide you with the details of your verification appointment. In order to ensure you do not miss an SMS, please ensure that your phone number is always updated with UNHCR.

If you have missed your verification interview, your case will be inactivated, and subsequent cash assistance payments suspended and card blocked. You will need to undergo a second interview to ascertain your continued eligibility for cash assistance.

Please approach any of the cash enrolment centres as soon as possible to obtain a new date for your verification interview or call the Cash Hotline. Any delays will lead to possible suspension of assistance.

Verification interviews are scheduled based on your current address. To update your address, you can contact the Cash Helpline at 0 800 10 823, approach an enrolment centre to update them about this, or write to [email protected]

Your cash assistance will be uploaded monthly, with the payment date being +/-10 working days from the date you first registered. This means if you registered on the 10th of May, you should expect to receive your first assistance disbursement by the 20th of May, and your second and following assistance between the 10th – 20th of the following month. Please check the UNHCR HelpSite (https://help.unhcr.org/moldova) for any information on system upgrades and assistance disbursement updates.

It is important to ensure that UNHCR has the most updated way to contact you. To update your phone number, you can contact the Cash Helpline at 0 800 10 823, approach an enrolment centre to update them about this, or write to [email protected]

You can contact the Cash Helpline at 0 800 10 823, approach an enrolment centre to update them about this, or write to [email protected]

You need to be present at your assigned verification exercise in order for your assistance to be processed. If you believe your assistance was erroneously missed out, please complete the form below.

Please go to https://help.unhcr.org/moldova/how-to-find/cash-assistance-host-families/. If you have questions or need more information, please call the WFP Hotline at: 0 800 108 90 .

PLEASE NOTE: You can only be considered to receive cash assistance from organizations in the country you are residing in! Crossing the borders to receive assistance is tantamount to fraud and you will NOT be eligible to receive UNHCR financial assistance from two countries at once.

If you are already registered and receiving assistance, your family member will need to approach a cash enrolment centre to follow the same registration procedure which you underwent. On the day of interview, both you and your new family member need to be present so that the information can be verified before s/he is added to your file.

Please review the information above. If your question is still unanswered, please fill in this form.