The dream of any family is to live in abundance, to live without denying anything to itself. Some achieve this by working and developing. But sometimes, for circumstances beyond the control of a person, the material situation of his family leaves much to be desired. It is to such people that the state is trying to help, offering to use the benefits to the poor.
Who is included in the category of low-income families?
A family whose average per capita income is less than the established living wage considered in need of state assistance. A mandatory requirement for the assignment of this status is the fact of being in a difficult financial situation due to circumstances beyond the control of people. That is, citizens who abuse alcohol, do not want to work, are not included in this category.
The answer to the question of who is one family is uncertain. There is no clear definition in the law. From the Family Code, one can only conclude that members of the same family include spouses, parents and children, adoptive parents and adopted children. For example, one parent with a child or a married couple without children are also a family and can apply for state social assistance. In addition, higher authorities recognize as part of the same family grandparents and grandchildren, stepmothers and stepdaughters, stepfathers and stepsons, trustees (guardians) and wards. Similar conclusions follow from the procedure for calculating family income. It further emphasizes: all family members must live together and conduct a joint household. That is, if, during an official marriage, the spouses live separately and do not jointly farm, they will not be able to obtain the status of the poor. At the same time, citizens who cohabit, but did not register marriage, are not considered a family by law and do not have the right to state support.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that the benefits are provided to the poor if several criteria are met simultaneously. The main one is the amount of total income.
What per capita income families?
In order to find out whether a family belongs to the category of the poor, it is necessary to establish its average per capita income and compare the result with the approved living wage in the region. Its size is set for each quarter of the year. If this indicator is not defined in any region, then it is necessary to focus on the size of the federal minimum.
To determine the amount of family income, the total amount of in-kind and cash earnings of all its members over the past three months should be determined. The result should be divided into three, and then by the number of people in the family. If the received figure is less than the size of the subsistence level, the family has the right to be considered low-income.
What incomes are taken into account when assigning the status of a low-income family?
Not all people know what income is taken into account when calculating average earnings per family member. In addition to salaries, the total amount of income includes many other types of payments. Among them:
- all payments provided by the salary system;
- the amount of average income kept by a citizen in cases provided for by law;
- compensation for fulfilling obligations to the state and society;
- termination benefits and transfers related to retirement;
- social cash payments and compensation;
- rental income;
- income received from running their own subsidiary plots;
- other income.
Features of obtaining
Social support is provided to low-income families, regardless of region of residence. It is provided for every family, and its size is the same throughout the country. However, there are privileges and benefits for the poor that are present in only one subject. That is, material support from the state can be both regular and one-time. Benefits for low-income families are divided into federal and regional, for which funds are allocated from the local budget. Regional social assistance is diverse. It differs depending on the region in which the family lives.
Benefits per child are completely dependent on the age of the baby.
Where to apply for benefits and benefits?
To be able to use any benefits or receive additional material assistance, you should know what documents you need to collect and where you need to take them. The status and benefits of low-income families can be issued:
- in the social support unit at the place of residence;
- in specialized licensed social service centers;
- in the management of social protection.
Information on the whereabouts of the presented institutions can be found on the website of the State Services portal or in the Department of Social Support of the Population.
The necessary package of documents
To establish the status of a low-income family, it is necessary to collect and transfer to a social protection institution a sufficiently large package of documents and a corresponding application.
The list includes the following papers and certificates:
- passport + photocopy of the person involved in registration;
- identification documents of all family members + photocopies;
- certificate of family composition;
- a document confirming that the other family member is not the recipient of benefits and subsidies on the status of a low-income family;
- certificates for each family member confirming their income for the last three months.
Previously, before going to the accounting department of your organization, it is best to go to the local social security agency to determine what form the document should be received. Standard certificate confirming the amount of wages (2-personal income tax) is not suitable. If someone from the family does not work, he must obtain official unemployed status and then take a certificate of income from the employment center.
Housing subsidies
The government has defined the category of low-income citizens who are able to receive state assistance to pay for housing and public services. These include homeowners and tenants. Today, the payment of housing subsidies is possible if the amount of the bill for housing exceeds 22% of family income. Moreover, for a poor family, the allowable share of their own expenses is reduced. Benefits for the poor are calculated by using special formulas and coefficients. This housing subsidy is valid for six months.
To receive it is necessary to prepare a package of such documents:
- documents proving the identity of all family members + their photocopies (passports and birth certificates);
- document confirming the right to own and use housing;
- receipts confirming payment of housing bills and utilities;
- a certificate confirming the absence of unfulfilled obligations on rent;
- family income statements for the last six months;
- certificate of family composition;
- help from BTI.
Benefits and subsidies for children
What benefits are provided to the poor? The state, in addition to general financial assistance to the budget of such a family, provides subsidies for children.
- For children under the age of two, free meals are provided. The decision to provide the family with “dairy cuisine” is made depending on the average per capita income for the past six months.The average monthly income of a large family is not taken into account when providing this assistance.
- Disabled children and children of military personnel and single mothers are paid an increased monthly allowance.
In addition, the following benefits are provided for the poor family (2015):
- Free school meals.
- Compensation for the purchase of a school uniform and tracksuit.
- Subsidy for travel in municipal public transport.
- Benefits for admission to a higher educational institution. Children under the age of 20, having only one parent who is a disabled person of the first group, must be accepted out of competition in any state and municipal institutions. At the same time, they must have successfully passed all entrance exams.
- Subsidies for the purchase of products.
Benefits to large families with low income allow monthly benefits for children aged 1.5 to 3 years and increased benefits up to 16 years. Their size will mainly depend on the age of the baby for which this provision is paid.
Benefits and subsidies to families of refugees and internally displaced persons
There is a special category of low-income families. These include internally displaced persons and refugees. Who is it?
Forced migrants are citizens of our country who have left their place of residence due to persecution of various kinds. Compensation for travel expenses and baggage allowance is provided for them from the place where their application for obtaining the status of a migrant was recorded to the point of temporary settlement.
Refugees are persons of a foreign state who are also afraid of persecution and who have left their places of permanent residence. Before such a person is recognized as a refugee, he must have a certificate in his hands certifying the submission of an application for the provision of the corresponding status. Having such a document, poor families can count on receiving material support. Benefits in this case are calculated a little differently. The criterion of insecurity in both cases will not be income, but family composition.
Other types of assistance for low-income families
What are the benefits for poor families? State social assistance can be provided both in cash and in kind. In addition, they are provided with increased subsidies for housing and utilities and the possibility of receiving free legal assistance. It consists in legal advice and representation in litigation. In the tax sphere, it is possible to obtain exemption from payment of contributions from the amount of targeted social support.
It should be noted that the rights inherent in the rest do not lose the poor families. The privileges laid down by him for other circumstances are retained by them.
