Among social workers there is such a thing as “silent poverty”. This is the name of people who cannot provide themselves with a decent living, but who do not ask for help from anyone. And often these people are those who have the right to social security, but do not use it. In order to survive in this world, a person must know his rights, which is why the article raises the issue of social security.
What is the right to social security?
Social security is government assistance, which manifests itself in the form of pensions and benefits. Citizens who have reached retirement age, unemployed, temporarily disabled, have lost the bread-winner (orphans or half-orphans under 18 years of age, as well as people with disabilities of the 1st and 2nd group without both or one of the parents), as well as people whose right to social security monthly income is below the minimum amount required to stay.
A list of those entitled to social security can be found in regulatory documents, such as the European Social Charter (Article 12), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 9) or in the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 39). It is worth noting that laws relating to social security of citizens are enshrined in federal legislation, decrees of the President and government decrees.
According to the law
Article 39 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation stipulates that the protection and assistance of the state may:
- Every citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached retirement age.
- Citizens raising children, large families.
- Students and young children, orphans.
- The poor and the unemployed.
- Disabled people.
- WWII veterans, liquidators of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, military.
- Donors
Help families
Articles 7 and 38 of the Constitution state that the state should provide support to families, childhood, motherhood and fatherhood. The law, which entered into force on May 19, 1995, protects the right to social security for families with children. The following types of benefits are provided:
- One-time payment at birth.
- Monthly payment for each child in the family up to 18 years. If the child does not attend school, the allowance ceases to accrue at the age of 16.
- Payments to pregnant women and women in labor who are not subject to state social insurance. They also receive the right to monthly benefits for the period of maternity leave until the child reaches 1.5 years.
Protecting Orphans
On December 21, 1996, the law on the protection and support of children without parents entered into force. According to the current legislation, this category of citizens can receive:
- Free education.
- Increased scholarships.
- Free travel on public transport, treatment and medical care.
- Trips to recreation facilities.
- Living area out of turn.
- Unemployment benefits for a period of 6 months in the amount of the average wage.
All these privileges end after citizens have reached the age of 23, except for receiving housing out of turn.
Protecting the rights of retirees
Who is eligible for social security? Of course, pensioners. The state provides people of retirement age with discounts on utility bills. But only on condition that payment of housing and communal services exceeds 22% of personal income. Pensioners are not required to pay taxes on movable and immovable property, regardless of the number of objects of ownership.Citizens of retirement age are also entitled to benefits on land and travel in public transport. Pensioners have the right to a tax deduction when buying real estate, despite the fact that they do not pay taxes.
Unemployed and poor
The right to social security in the Russian Federation has unemployed, poor and disabled citizens. As the lines of the Law on Employment say, unemployment benefits can be received by residents of the country who have applied to regional employment centers that have been officially recognized as unemployed. They are accrued unemployment benefits, scholarships for the duration of the retraining in the direction of the employment service. Also, unemployed are entitled to one-time material support after the end of the period of payment of benefits.
Count on state assistance can families whose total monthly income is below the subsistence level. The legislative act “On State Social Assistance” stipulates that these families should receive cash benefits, humanitarian aid and benefits to maintain the normal functioning of all family members in society.
Disabled citizens
Those who are entitled to social security are also disabled citizens. These include those people who cannot receive a retirement pension, that is, the one that determines the length of service. Such people include people with disabilities of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd groups, disabled children, those who have reached retirement age, but have not earned a retirement pension. In addition, such a right is granted to children who have become disabled before reaching adulthood and have lost one or two parents, disabled children under the age of 16 years.
After providing the appropriate package of documents, disabled citizens (disabled people) receive monthly fixed payments, and can also use benefits.
Military personnel
A special segment of military law is the social security of military personnel. According to the current legislation, in particular the laws “On the status of military personnel” and “On military duty and military service”, all military personnel are persons entitled to social security. All persons who have been or have been involved in military activities should receive social security, regardless of whether they are retired, fired or in the service.
Employees who are retired are entitled to a special amount of pension payments and other benefits provided by law. Such people can be considered citizens with special social status, because servicemen with their families belong to a separate social security group.
World War II Veterans
Among all military personnel and combatants, veterans of the Great Patriotic War have a special right to social security. Social support for combatants began during the Second World War. The families of those who fought at the front received a salary for them. This allowed many to survive during the famine. After the end of hostilities, soldiers who were injured and became disabled received a pension.
According to regulatory documents, the ranks of veterans of the Great Patriotic War include:
- The soldiers who took part in the hostilities during the Second World War.
- Workers at military facilities in the combat zone.
- Residents of Leningrad, who were in the city during its blockade.
- Persons working in the rear, and those who were awarded medals of the USSR for their contribution during the war.
Those who can be attributed to the participants of the Second World War are divided into 9 subgroups, which significantly affects the forms of social assistance and its volumes. To ensure that everything is honest and fair, they primarily protect the disabled WWII, who are provided with the greatest social support. The same support can be received by persons equated with disabilities of the Second World War. For example, those who were in captivity, in a concentration camp or family members of deceased veterans.
The state should also help the children of war. A child of war - is he entitled to social security? Today it is an unresolved social problem. There are 13 million people who were born during the Great Patriotic War or shortly before its start in Russia. However, at the legislative and state level, their status is not fixed and local authorities decide everything.
Donating blood is beneficial
Today in Russia, the donation of blood and its components is encouraged. People who are willing to sacrifice part of themselves for the good of the sick also have the right to social security. So, on the day of blood donation, citizens receive free food. If during the year a person passes 2 permissible norms free of charge, he receives the right to preferential tickets to the sanatorium.
Anyone who donated blood about 40 times a year receives the “Honorary Donor of Russia” award. This allows you to receive paid leave at any time of the year, preferential vouchers and primary medical care, as well as an annual cash payment. In turn, local government can support honorary donors with funds that are not specified in the law. For example, provide benefits for utilities, etc.
Who is eligible for the extra bonus?
In addition to the main categories of people in need of support, there is also the category of citizens entitled to additional social security. In addition to retirement benefits, these people have the full right to an additional monthly payment:
- Liquidators, invalids of the Chernobyl accident.
- People who defeated radiation sickness.
- Children of people exposed to radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
- Citizens who work in high-risk units.
- As well as people who were exposed to radiation at the Mayak Production Association or the Semipalatinsk test site.
They have a right
Everyone has the right to social security. And right, this means that the state will take a direct part in the lives of those people who cannot cope with the conditions of harsh reality themselves. Social security is the most important constitutional form of public protection.
But today in the legislation of the Russian Federation there are still no specific requirements and standards for the minimum amount of security, this reduces the value of the right to social security. Simply put, citizens are sure that the accrued material assistance will be so scanty that it is not worth spending time and effort on its preparation. However, voluntary social insurance, charitable foundations, and other non-state forms of material support for people are encouraged in the country. Moreover, when calculating social assistance, they try to “fit” it into the minimum cost of living.
Therefore, do not be silent about your poverty and want. You need to not only know your rights, but also be able to use them. A person’s life is only one and it’s not worth spending all his strength on somehow supporting his existence. It is necessary to assert your rights, using them to the full.