Almost each third Ukrainian citizen receives direct financial assistance from the state to pay for utilities and housing services, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"Some 5.4 million Ukrainian families not only applied for subsidies, but they receive them… If you do not receive subsidies, your fiends or relatives receive them," he said said on the "Ten minutes with the prime minister" TV program on Sunday night.

The prime minister said that some families pay for utilities this year even less than last year.

He said that households consuming natural gas for heating could use 1,200 cubic meters of gas paying for it under the beneficial tariff during six months, according to a schedule convenient to them.

"You have the amount of gas at the beneficial price for six months – UAH 3,600 – this is the half market price of gas that you use in own discretion," Yatseniuk said.