Social assistance is a way of supporting the poor and needy segments of the population from federal and regional municipal organizations.
Pensioners are considered the group of citizens most in need of support. The rules for providing state social assistance to pensioners are prescribed in federal legislation. Assistance to pensioners is provided in financial or material form.
Social assistance is a type of support for the poor and especially needy segments of the population from the federal and regional municipalities.
What is financial assistance
Material assistance is financial support from the state for low-income and especially needy sections of the Russian population.
Most often, as such financial assistance, citizens are assigned payments accrued every month, subsidies and benefits for utility services. There is also one-time financial support, payments for the purchase of the most necessary items in everyday life - clothing, a minimum set of furniture, household appliances. Money is also paid to improve housing conditions if they do not meet housing standards (as a rule, we are talking about interest-free installments).
What does social assistance consist of for needy pensioners in the capital?
Social plan benefits are provided to pensioners living in Moscow to improve their quality of life.
Pensioners living in Moscow have additional benefits
Compensation provided monthly
Monthly compensation payments, or regular compensation payments, are a type of monetary support for working citizens of retirement age. People whose income does not reach 20 thousand rubles have the right to rely on it. The list of citizens most often in need of such an increase consists of librarians, janitors, nurses, pharmacists, drivers and teachers.
Important ! The list of specialties related to this has been legally approved.
The volume of cash payments is set individually; they are related to the amount of basic pension payments and compensation.
Pensioners can receive monthly compensation payments
Note! For disabled people of the first and second groups, participants in the Great Patriotic War, increases are made regardless of the type of their work activity.
Rent benefits
Citizens of retirement age, like other people in need, have the right to subsidies for housing and communal services in excess of an amount equivalent to ten percent of total family income; a pensioner can use this privilege. The reasonableness of providing such a subsidy is reviewed anew every month and requires approval using a certificate of income.
Important ! It immediately stops being provided when income increases.
Those citizens whose life situation fits the above criteria are given a half-price discount on paying debts for electricity, water, and heating. In addition, Moscow pensioners pay only half the price for cable television. The privilege applies to single citizens of retirement age and their families when applying for a subsidy.
How financial assistance is processed for pensioners from social security in 2020
In order to receive financial assistance from the state, you need to act according to the following scheme:
- Fill out an application (at the Department of Social Protection of the Population or the Multifunctional Center), which indicates, among other things, the preferred method of receiving funds - through the cash desk of the SZN branch, by postal order, or by transfer to a personal account.
- Collect the necessary documents and attach photocopies of them to the application, presenting the original papers to the employee of the authorized body.
You can send your application and documents by letter with a list of attachments or via the Internet through the official website of the State Services. You can give all the papers in person to an employee of the USZN or MFC.
Design rules
After submitting the required documents, local government authorities decide to approve or, conversely, deny the elderly person financial assistance (within a one-month period from the initial registration in the system department of the application, coinciding with the day the documentation is provided).
Upon receipt of a refusal to finance, a citizen has the right to make an appeal to the multifunctional center (MFC) or the social protection authority for breastfeeding. Thanks to these measures, it will be possible to find out the reason why the refusal was made.
What documents will be needed to obtain financial assistance for pensioners?
In order for financial assistance for social security pensioners to be issued in 2020, you need to collect the following documents:
| Document | Where to get it |
| Application for financial assistance from social protection authorities | The form will be issued at the place of submission of documents |
| Russian passport (original and photocopy) | Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation |
| Certificate of family composition | Housing department, passport office |
| Certificate of income of all family members (2-NDFL) | FMS of the Russian Federation, SZN |
| Pensioner's ID | Pension Fund of the Russian Federation |
| Employment history | From last place of work |
| Documents confirming the pensioner’s need for financial assistance (for example, a report of a fire in an apartment that now needs repairs; a doctor’s certificate about the need for dental prosthetics) Petition from the village administration | Apartment inspection report - from the village administration, certificate of the need for dental prosthetics - from the attending physician... |
Main aspects
Many pensioners receive a monthly pension payment, the amount of which is often less than the subsistence level.
And how can we live in this case, if prices for food and utilities rise every year, and pension accruals are not subject to indexation?
This question interests many representatives of this category of the population. However, many of them do not even know that the state has already provided social assistance to low-income citizens of the Russian Federation.
To find out all the benefits and privileges that citizens are entitled to upon retirement, it is necessary to regularly inquire about innovations and amendments to the current legislation.
This can be done not only by visiting the municipal social security office in person, but also via the Internet.
Recently, even older people have learned to use high technology, which allows them to easily learn in a timely manner about all government support measures for this category of the population.
Important Concepts
To better understand the benefits and privileges available to pensioners in accordance with current legislation, you should consider some concepts, namely:
| Material aid | A measure of state support through municipal social protection authorities aimed at improving the standard of living of a certain category of the population |
| Low-income family | A separate cell of the population whose total average monthly income is below the subsistence level |
| Living wage | A sum of money established by local authorities of individual regions, which allows you to pay for utility services and spend the rest on food and clothing |
| Subsidy | A cash supplement to the basic financial benefit designed for a specific person in accordance with the laws in force in the Russian Federation |
Who is eligible in Moscow
Financial assistance to pensioners from social security, a refrigerator or a TV, as well as other monetary allowances and compensations are awarded to the following pensioners in the Moscow region:
- low-income families;
- combat veterans;
- disabled pensioners;
- persons with the status of “Children of War”;
- citizens with the honorary title “Veteran of Labor”
- large families.
The legislative framework
The settlement of the issue for pensioners, citizens of the Russian Federation, regarding material assistance from municipal social protection authorities occurs under the influence of regulatory legal acts:
- Federal Law No. 173 of December 17, 2001 “On Labor Pensions”;
- Federal Law No. 195 of December 10, 1995 “On the fundamentals of social services for the population of the Russian Federation”;
- Federal Law No. 5 of January 12, 1995 “On Veterans”;
- Federal Law No. 400 of December 28, 2013 “On Insurance Pensions”;
- Federal Law No. 181 of November 24, 1995 “On the social protection of disabled people in the Russian Federation”;
- other regulatory legal acts adopted by local authorities in individual cities and regions.
The list of federal laws and regulations of local government bodies gives pensioners the right to apply not only for a labor pension, but also for some other types of payments.
Additional measures to support pensioners and WWII veterans
Local authorities in certain regions of Russia have established other measures of material support for pensioners and families in which there are people receiving pensions. If all members of a pensioner’s family are disabled, or the applicant is a single pensioner, targeted financial assistance may be allocated for the purchase of finishing materials and renovation of the apartment.
To receive such a payment, you must again contact the social welfare department, where a report will be drawn up after inspecting the home (this may also be a report on fire or flooding). The amount of the benefit will not exceed 15,000 rubles - the money can be paid in a lump sum or as compensation upon payment for the services of repair and construction organizations and the submission of checks to the SZN.
Veterans of the Great Patriotic War who are in financial need can receive one-time assistance in the amount of up to 15,000 rubles for dental prosthetics, purchasing household appliances or replacing plumbing. To receive funds to pay for dental services, you need to bring to the SZN authorities an extract from the outpatient card and a certificate from the attending physician about the need for prosthetics. To receive money for the purchase of plumbing fixtures and household appliances, you need to prove the need for their purchase.
Categories of pensioners entitled to a comprehensive set of social services
The list of categories of citizens who are provided with a range of social services is prescribed in Federal Law No. 178 of July 17, 1999. Let's list these categories:
- WWII participants and veterans;
- disabled people and combat veterans;
- military personnel who were awarded orders or medals who served from July 22, 1941 to September 3, 1945 in military units that did not have the status of an active army;
- participants of the Great Patriotic War, having the honorary badge “Resident of besieged Leningrad”;
- participants of the Great Patriotic War who served at air defense facilities, took part in the construction of defensive barriers and structures for naval bases of troops and airfields located near the rear borders;
- family members of deceased disabled WWII veterans, citizen veterans who were members of special self-defense groups of air defense teams, as well as family members of deceased WWII participants who performed professional duties in Leningrad hospitals;
- citizens with disabilities.
Excerpt from Article 6.1 of Federal Law No. 178
Legislative acts on the topic
| Federal Law of April 5, 2003 No. 44-FZ | On providing targeted assistance to citizens |
| Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 29, 2011 No. 512 | On the list of types of income taken into account when calculating the average per capita family income and the income of a citizen living alone to provide them with state social assistance |
| Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development dated May 31, 2010 No. 399 | On conducting an experiment in a number of constituent entities of the Russian Federation to provide state services. social assistance to low-income families and low-income citizens living alone on the basis of a social contract |
Is help available to everyone?
Payments to pensioners for food in the amount of 2,000 rubles are provided in Moscow. In other regions, such monetary contributions are almost always made only in favor of truly needy citizens. How are things going in the capital? When studying the documents provided, the social security officer looks at the size of the pension.
If the pension amount is higher than 24,600 rubles, then the benefit is not provided.
Moreover, it does not matter at all whether the pensioner has dependents or not - if necessary, he can apply for the appropriate benefit.
Be sure to read it! Can a pensioner join the labor exchange and receive unemployment benefits?
The metropolitan authorities do not pay attention to the presence/absence of their own housing and other real estate owned. That is, only the level of the pensioner’s monthly income is assessed. If a person has received an unreasonable refusal to receive money, then he can go to court to resolve this issue.
Common mistakes
Error: A pensioner received targeted financial assistance for dental prosthetics, and after 5 months he turned to the social security authorities for financial support due to the need to buy a washing machine.
Comment: Targeted assistance to needy pensioners can be provided no more than once a year.
Error: A pensioner applied to the USZN to provide him with targeted financial assistance for the purchase of a TV.
Comment: Financial assistance can be provided only in the event of difficult life situations and when there is an urgent need for dental prosthetics, home repairs and the purchase of the most necessary household appliances (washing machine, gas stove, etc.).
Comprehensive package of social assistance: what it consists of and to whom it is provided
Comprehensive social assistance involves providing support to single and married citizens of retirement age with disabilities, combatants who already have a pension.
You can see what this help consists of in the table below.
| Help | Description |
| Medicines | Pensioners are provided with medications that are so expensive that they cannot buy them themselves. |
| Treatment in sanatorium conditions | If there is a recommendation from a specialist and a referral for this type of treatment, then once a year the pensioner may be given this opportunity when he fills out the appropriate application. |
| Compensation for travel to the sanatorium and home | This paragraph applies to travel by bus, train, plane, ferry crossing on river and sea transport. |
| Special conditions are provided to a citizen of retirement age with a disability of the first group | An elderly pensioner with a first group disability can go to a sanatorium twice a year, and travel to and from this institution is paid not only for him, but also for an accompanying person. |
Excerpt from Article 6.2 of Federal Law No. 178
Answers to common questions
Question No. 1: Is it possible to claim benefits intended for pensioners in a specific region of Russia if the pensioner has received financial assistance from social protection of the population?
Answer: Yes, receiving financial assistance does not cancel the rights to receive benefits established for residents of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation.
Question No. 2: Is it possible to apply for targeted assistance to a pensioner living with family members who provide him financially?
Answer: No, targeted assistance is provided either to a family, all of whose members are disabled, or to a single pensioner.
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Payments in Moscow
Any pensioner has the right to a pension, the amount of which at least reaches the subsistence level. Both working and unemployed people can be applicants for additional payments. Unemployed citizens can receive insurance pension payments if they have lived in the capital for at least ten years. The average amount of this type of pension is 14 thousand rubles in Moscow and 14 thousand 200 rubles in the region.
When a citizen has not lived in the capital for the required number of years, he will be paid about 11 thousand 428 rubles.
Important ! If this amount does not coincide with the established subsistence level, the deficiency is paid from the city budget.
If the pension is less than the subsistence level, the citizen is entitled to additional payments
Working pensioners in Moscow are beneficiaries who have the right to indexation of the payments provided. All interest in this case is also provided from the region’s money. If we talk about funded pensions, enrollments of this nature are based on tariffs.
