Compensation for utilities for pensioners

Types of compensation for categories of beneficiaries

First of all, pensioners need social support. Let us remind you that men go for a well-deserved rest in Russia upon reaching 60 years of age, and women at 55 years of age.

Additional benefits in the field of housing and communal services are provided to participants of the Great Patriotic War, citizens who became disabled of groups 1 and 2 during the war period, during service. Benefits apply to people who have been exposed to radiation.

100% benefits for housing and communal services are provided to people awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor and Labor Glory awards.

Certain categories of pensioners have the following benefits for housing and communal services:

Who has the right to count on receiving this type of social assistance?

There are quite a few such categories of pensioners:

1. persons of retirement age living in rural areas;
2. pensioners who spend more than 22% of their total monthly income on housing and communal services;
3. pensioners who have reached 70 years of age pay half the amount for capital repairs;
4. pensioners who have reached 80 years of age either stop paying for major repairs altogether, or, after making payments, receive one hundred percent compensation;
5. having the title “Veteran of Labor”;
6. veterans of the Great Patriotic War;
7. in some regions, preferences have been established for pensioners living in rural areas;
8. those who became disabled as a result of participating in the Great Patriotic War;
9. having the title “Hero of Socialist Labor”;
10. Knights of the Order of Labor Glory, etc.

The list is incomplete; other categories of pensioners may be added to it depending on the subject of the Federation and even on the municipality.

A mandatory condition for absolutely all categories of people of retirement age is the absence of debts for the provided housing and communal services.

What is regulated by the provision of benefits?

The legal act regulating the procedure and principles for providing social assistance to citizens of retirement age in the field of public services is the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, namely Article 159 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. It contains rules defining the circle of persons entitled to benefits on utility bills, the procedure for their provision and sources of financing.

IMPORTANT! You are entitled to a subsidy if the family's costs of paying rent and utilities exceed 22% of the total income of all family members living together.

If the amount of expenses is less than the specified percentage, then the subsidy is not provided.

The legislation also stipulates that in some cases of overspending, benefits are not provided. This option is not provided:

• tenants of housing from private apartment owners;
• loan recipients under a free use agreement;
• recipients of life annuity under maintenance agreements with dependents.

In each region or territory of Russia, local authorities have developed regulations that specify the calculation of payments, the registration procedure and the timing of the provision of social support for payment of housing and communal services for pensioners.

Federal benefits

Benefits for utility services for pensioners established at the national level:

• subsidy for the use of square meters;
• compensation for the use of electricity;
• subsidy for heating use;
• compensation for contributions for major repairs.

In addition to federal compensation, the constituent entities have established other benefits for paying for housing and communal services.

Regional subsidies

Regional rent benefits for pensioners are developed by executive authorities within the region. They are established in compliance with federal principles, as well as assessing the financial capabilities of the region to provide assistance of this kind.

Regional support measures include the following types of compensation to pensioners for utility bills:

• payment of contributions for major housing repairs;
• tariffs for current repairs;
• landline telephone services;
• radio communication point;
• television services, installation and use of antennas;
• garbage and household waste removal;
• other help.

You can find out detailed information on the categories of citizens who are entitled to utility benefits for housing and communal services, as well as the method and procedure for applying for them, on official websites, or you can receive them in person at an appointment at the regional social protection department.

Municipal social support measures

In addition to federal and regional ones, municipal and city measures of social support for pensioners are established in the form of benefits for utility bills. Compensations are developed by local authorities of the locality.

Benefits for pensioners in terms of rent and utilities provided by the municipality do not differ from regional compensation, but only establish additional payments for the same categories of beneficiaries.

Information of interest regarding the registration procedure and deadlines is provided by the local administration of the locality: on its official website or during a personal visit.

What to pay attention to before registration

Pensioners can use benefits for housing and communal services if the following conditions are met:

1. The amount of monthly utility costs must be more than 22% of the total income of all family members.
2. A pensioner who wants to receive a benefit pays for services without significant delays and has no rent arrears. And in case of existing debt, the pensioner will be offered to enter into an agreement with the terms of repayment.
3. The Department of Social Protection of the Population has submitted a complete package of documents necessary to calculate compensation in monetary terms.

IMPORTANT! You can apply for a utility subsidy only for one dwelling. But whether the pensioner is registered in this premises or not does not matter, since all the necessary information is reflected in the certificate from the place of actual residence.

How to get a subsidy for utility bills

To take advantage of the subsidy and corresponding reimbursement of expenses, the beneficiary submits an application to social security at their place of residence. The period for reviewing papers is 10 days. If the application is submitted between the 1st and 15th of the current month, then the subsidy is established from the beginning of this month. If the documents were sent to the authority in the second half of the month, then it begins to apply from the beginning of the new month.

Another way is to document the benefit using the Unified Government Services Portal or MFC, which offers similar services to residents of populated areas.

It is important to remember that if a refusal to provide compensation is received, a citizen has the right to appeal it in court and expect a comprehensive consideration of all the circumstances of the case.

What documents are needed to apply for compensation?

Along with the application you must submit:

• passport;
• pensioner's ID;
• a document on the basis of which a citizen lives in an apartment or house (certificate, rental agreement or warrant);
• a certificate from the management company confirming that there are no debts on utility bills;
• utility bills;
• salary certificate for all people living together;
• certificate of family composition.

This is a list of key documents. Regions may expand this list and request additional papers that must be submitted to social security.

Subsidy application form

Sample application for a subsidy to pay for housing and utilities

How the benefits work

Documents are reviewed within 10 days and a decision is made by the social security authority: to assign a subsidy or to refuse. Monetary compensation is paid to the beneficiary to the current account specified in the documents, opened in the bank.

Benefits for utility bills are provided for a period of six months. After six months, the package of documents must be updated and resubmitted. Social protection specialists have the right to check the submitted documents and make various requests.

Grounds for suspending subsidy payments

Payment is suspended if:

• the beneficiary moves to another residential address;
• the income of at least one of the family members changes, significantly affecting the procedure for submitting compensation;
• specialists are presented with deliberately false information and forged papers;
• Utility debt is allowed for more than 2 months in a row.

Thus, social protection authorities in Russia offer several options for benefits and compensation for pensioners to pay for utility services, which will significantly reduce the burden on the family budget. For detailed information about housing and communal services benefits for pensioners, contact the social security department at your residence address.

For pensioners who are currently applying for benefits, we invite you to watch a video on this topic:

How to submit a request for low-income people, get support and how long will it take?

First of all, we collect all the necessary certificates and make copies. We visit housing and communal services to obtain a complete register. We come to the local government and write a statement. We hand over everything personally to the social protection worker. We are waiting ten days to provide a response.

Depending on the queue, sudden difficulties or questions, the application may be considered within two weeks.

After this period, the family receives confirmation or denial of benefits in writing.

Sample application for a subsidy

Subsidy period

Help is urgent. This is temporary support for people who really need it.

The application for receipt will be considered ten days from the date of submission. If not all documents are provided, there is a high probability of refusal. Refusal can only be in writing, indicating the reason. This is done so that the applicant can appeal the administration’s decision in court.

The assistance will be valid for six months. If this time was not enough, you can submit the request again.

The authorities do not require people to improve their quality of life for six months by receiving benefits for utility bills. Therefore, after the deadline, you do not need to provide any additional certificates. An application for benefits can be submitted several times in a row. At the same time, the number or size of benefits for utilities for the poor will not decrease.

Benefits for paying for housing and communal services are issued not in money, but in the form of various products and compensation for utility costs.

The time to receive first aid depends on the deadline for submitting all necessary documents. If this was done at the beginning of the month, then payment benefits can be received at the end. If the subsidy request was granted at the end of the month, assistance will only be received at the beginning of the next.

What could be the reasons for refusing a subsidy?

There are times when a subsidy may be denied. Within ten days from the date of receipt of the application, a commission may come to the house with an inspection. Income levels and recent purchases will be checked. If it has been decided that the citizen lives in abundance, the commission may refuse to provide assistance. But this does not mean at all that if they have a car or computer, housing and communal services benefits will be denied to the poor.

This refusal can be appealed in court. After all, furniture and other expensive items could have been bought by the parents of the owners of the house.

The commission will also interview neighbors of the house. She will ask about the behavior of the residents and whether they are renting out the house.

1. A stranger, possibly a relative, is registered in the apartment. The applicant must provide evidence that the outsider does not reside in the area.
2. Expensive purchase. The commission decides everything here. If they see the presence of valuable items, this will not affect the subsidy. But there comes a time when a person sells his home and buys a cheaper one. Living conditions have decreased. In this case, the commission may refuse.
3. Incorrectly provided documents. The subsidy will not be awarded until the violations are corrected.