Social security of pensioners in Russia, although it is not at the same level as in non-CIS countries, nevertheless it exists. People who receive a pension and do not have other incomes or belong to the poor can apply for help from the state. Moreover, this is not only monetary allowances for the due payments, but also a number of other privileges.
These issues are handled by a special service for social security of pensioners. It is in this organization that you need to contact to clarify incomprehensible issues related to social assistance to older people. Its specialists also explain what kind of help a person can count on and to what extent.
What is social security for people of retirement age?
The social orientation of the state implies comprehensive care for the citizens living in it. First of all, this area of activity of the country's managers is manifested in providing people with affordable medicine, quality education and assistance to people of working age, as well as those who are unable to provide for themselves for a number of reasons.
Such citizens are granted pensions by age, disability or for work experience. The principle of determining the amount of payments depends on many factors. The main of them can be considered deductions from the person’s wages to the Pension Fund, which came from him throughout his entire labor activity. However, not many Russians received (and get) good salaries, so the financial well-being of pensioners in our time leaves much to be desired. Often, people's pensions are at a level lower than the approved living wage. To smooth out this inequality, programs have been created in the state that regulate the social security of pensioners.
Who needs social assistance?
In this article, we do not consider all categories of citizens who are entitled to rely on state assistance, namely pensioners. Unfortunately, few of them know what privileges and surcharges they are entitled to by law.
Social security for pensioners is not a single article issue, but we tried to generalize this topic and provide the most concise and useful information on it. So, first of all, they can count on help:
- unemployed pensioners;
- working pensioners;
- military pensioners;
- disabled people supported by the state;
- people who have lost the breadwinner and are also in the care of the state.
Moreover, the smaller the person’s cash payment, the more help he can expect from the authorities. However, this does not mean that pensioners with high pensions are not entitled to demand assistance from the state. Such citizens are also entitled to certain types of benefits.
Types of assistance
Social security for pensioners is carried out on the following points:
- Supplement to pension (EDV).
- Targeted assistance to people who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.
- Benefits for payment of utilities.
- Subsidies.
- Legal assistance.
- Medical social security for pensioners - vouchers, discounts on the purchase of medicines, assistance with operations, patronage, etc.
- The retirement of a social worker who will help him around the house and provide primary medical services.
- Travel benefits.
- Tax rate reduction.
Here you need to understand that not each of these points may be applicable to a particular pensioner. Specialists consider any situation separately and in their decisions are guided by a person’s financial situation, the size of his pension, co-payments and other types of assistance in cash.
How to get help from the state?
In order for a pensioner to be counted on an increase in his pension, benefit, or he received any other help, he is obliged to write a statement to the social security authorities with a corresponding petition. Without this formality, public services will not assign or charge anything to a person.
In addition, in Russia there is practically no single system for helping older people. The size of all types of social assistance and payments is regulated in the regions. The leaders in terms of increase are the Northern District, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Social security for pensioners also greatly depends on the cost of living in the country, on the conditions in which a person lives, whether he has a spouse, children or close relatives. Assistance to residents of the capital and other large settlements is accrued based on the city social standard (GSS). In Moscow in 2017-2018, it was equal to approximately 14.5 thousand rubles, in the suburbs this is a slightly lower amount - pensioners living in the region cannot receive less than 9 thousand rubles. At the same time, for the capital's pensioners who have been living in Moscow for at least 10 years, the GSS is 17.5 thousand rubles.
Cash payments
Pensioners who are on social security of the state have the right to count on a monthly pension increase if they have too low incomes. This is the so-called monthly cash payment, which in each case is calculated individually by the Pension Fund of Russia. It is in one of the departments of this organization that a person must contact in order to receive a bonus.
Its amount depends on many factors:
- pension amount;
- availability of benefits and subsidies;
- marital status of a person;
- his other income.
In the event of any changes in the financial situation of a pensioner, EDV can be reduced, increased or canceled.
Payment of housing and communal services: subsidies and benefits
First you need to separate the concepts of benefits and subsidies. The former are assigned to certain categories of citizens, most often to poor families, but sometimes they are also given to those who have special services to the state. These include war veterans, people with disabilities, Chernobyl victims, their widows or dependents. Social security for military pensioners is also usually expressed in the accrual of benefits for housing and communal services to this group of citizens. As a rule, we are talking about a 50% discount.
The subsidy is calculated for those pensioners whose utility costs exceed 10-25% of their income (in each region this is a different indicator). In addition to the income of a pensioner, social workers take into account the earnings of other members of the family in which the pensioner lives.
Medical assistance, spa holidays and treatment
Pensioners are the most vulnerable part of the country's population. Low incomes and poor living conditions affect their health. Given this, the state is trying to take care of those in need, creating for them some privileges:
- provides free or preferential spa treatment;
- provides discounts on the purchase of medicines;
- fully or partially pays for dental prosthetics services.
In addition to issuing vouchers to places of rehabilitation, pensioners also have the right to expect a reduction in the cost of transportation costs that they incurred to get to the sanatorium or resort. Compensation for ticket prices is provided for them.
Patronage and care of single pensioners
Some older people find themselves in such cramped life circumstances that they are entitled to targeted assistance from the state. First of all, this applies to disabled people, single pensioners, and seriously ill people of advanced age. If they are in distress, they are entitled to social security benefits. Pensioners are given food packages, household chemicals, shoes and clothes, and necessary medicines. Also, such assistance is provided to people affected by flooding, fire or theft. In addition, the state partially compensates pensioners for the purchase of certain types of household appliances, furniture and the repair of residential premises.
To those people who cannot do their homework themselves, have completely or partially lost their self-care skills, a social worker is attached. Depending on the situation, he can go shopping for a senior citizen, clean his house, cook food.
Travel benefits
Those pensioners who do not refuse social benefits in order to receive monetary compensation in exchange (about 200 rubles a month) can ride all city public transport for free:
- buses;
- trams;
- trolleybuses;
- subway.
They also have discounts on commuter trains and long-distance trains. However, they will have to pay in full for trips by taxi or minibuses.
There is a program in Russia for compensation for travel to places of rest. It is provided in the form of tickets that can be used to get to the place of treatment, or money to buy them. However, this program applies only to residents of the Far North and regions equated to this region.