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Subsidies to low-income families in 2018: on social benefits

This WordPress post examines the ways that subsidies are provided to low-income families in the United States in 2018. It highlights the various forms of financial assistance available, such as the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and points out their many benefits, such as helping to reduce poverty and increasing access to healthcare and nutritious food. It also examines the cuts and restrictions to these subsidies enacted by President Trump, and the corresponding increase in the cost of living for many low-income families. This post provides an in-depth overview of these subsidies, their advantages, and the implications of their fluctuations.

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Not all employed people can provide for the needs of their families. The functions of the state include providing material support to those in need, so you should know when to apply for it. To determine the need for additional assistance to citizens, a living wage indicator is set on a quarterly basis. Its size depends on the cost of the minimum human needs for food, clothing and other goods necessary in everyday life.

What families can get the status of the poor

To receive social assistance, registration of the status of low-income is necessary. It is awarded by a decision of a local government commission. The main criterion for allocating a subsidy to low-income families in 2018 is the average per capita income. It is determined by summing up all payments that family members received for 3 months. When determining the total income take into account:

  • salary, vacation pay and temporary disability payments;
  • all social benefits: scholarships, pensions, unemployment benefits, childcare, the disabled and others;
  • Compensation paid for the performance of state or public duties;
  • retirement benefits;
  • income received from rental property (apartment, car, equipment);
  • income from the sale of vegetables, fruits, animals from their own farm;
  • royalties;
  • income from shares;
  • business income;
  • payments under a civil contract;
  • alimony and others.

The amount is divided into three and the number of residents. The result is compared with the regional cost of living. The PM is reviewed quarterly taking into account changes in prices for goods from the consumer basket. It is assumed that for the first quarter of 2018 it will be:

  • 10,423 rubles for children;
  • 11163 rubles for people of working age;
  • 8726 rubles for pensioners (approved by Federal Law No. 362-FZ of December 5, 2017).

Woman with children

Criteria for assessing the situation of family members by social protection authorities

In order to recognize citizens in need, in addition to average per capita income, other factors are taken into account, but before that the commission will have to establish a circle of people who apply for material support. Family members include spouses, their children and parents, adoptive parents and adopted children, sisters and brothers. To receive a subsidy to low-income families in 2018, you must:

  • all family members should live together and share a common household, and marriage should be legally established between spouses (in the absence of a marriage certificate or marriage registration, but if separated, the spouses are deprived of the right to apply for subsidies to low-income families in 2018);
  • all able-bodied persons must earn income or be registered with the Employment Center (the exception is women on maternity leave);
  • family members should not include persons suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction and who are causing the poor financial condition of relatives.

The right to receive priority subsidies from the state is given to families with:

  • low earnings of all employed persons;
  • on the maintenance of one working citizen are disabled people: minors or disabled people;
  • spouses bring up 3 or more children (own or adopted);
  • one or both parents of minor children have died;
  • spouse does not pay child support;
  • one of the parents is absent due to military service.

Official confirmation of status

Registration of the status of low-income citizens is carried out by the district body of social protection of the population. An applicant for state assistance must write a request for a subsidy to a poor family in 2018 and provide the following documents:

  • passport and birth certificate;
  • income statement;
  • in the presence of unemployed status – a certificate of status registered with the Employment Center, possibly a work book and a statement of payments;
  • marriage certificate of spouses;
  • extract from the house book on family composition, which is issued by the administration at the place of residence;
  • plastic card, account number for transferring social assistance.

To assign social assistance, it is necessary to comply with the conditions – the employment of all adult citizens. In the absence of a citizen and the possibility of establishing his place of stay, in order to provide proof of income, it is necessary for the applicant to give consent to initiate proceedings regarding the conduct by the internal affairs bodies of the search for absent persons.

Passport of a citizen of Russia

Help for the poor in 2018

Funding for subsidies to low-income families in 2018 is provided from the federal treasury. Additionally, at the regional level, authorities decide on the allocation of funds from the local budget. The Government of the Russian Federation and municipal authorities provide material support to the poor by providing:

  1. Cash payments. The benefits are targeted and paid mainly for children (after birth, before reaching 3 years, 18 years).
  2. Natural help. Issuance of food, clothing, shoes, other commodities, medicine, fuel.
  3. Increases in compensation for housing and communal services.
  4. Housing subsidies.
  5. Benefits. It is provided: to schoolchildren – compensation for 50% of the cost of travel by public transport; children – free trips to the sanatorium once a year; students – enrollment out of competition for education at universities and the appointment of state social scholarships; for adults – exemption from taxation of social payments, from payment of legal advice and contribution when registering individual entrepreneurial activity.
  6. Land and garden plots.

Poor citizens are provided with the following types of support:

  1. Children’s allowances for children under 18 years. Distinguish: one-time and monthly; children from birth to 3 years, from 1.5 years to 3 years, until reaching 18 years of age. The amount and targeting of benefits assigned depends on regional legislation. In regions where fertility is low, large families with many children are paid lump sum benefits for each child. Parents receive a monthly allowance for 3 children and all subsequent children until they reach the age of three in the amount of the regional living wage. For example, people with a residence permit in St. Petersburg will be paid 913 rubles per child from 1.5 to 3 years in a full family; a single parent, spouse in the absence of alimony, as well as in the service of the parent in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – 1318 rubles.
  2. Social payments. The legislation provides for lump-sum payments to poor families in case of illness, accident, loss of property. Their size depends on the region of residence and ranges from 15,000 rubles to 30,000 rubles.
  3. Medical benefits. Children under 6 years of age are provided with free medical services and medicines. If there is evidence, the child is entitled to a free voucher for spa treatment 1 time per year.
  4. Targeted assistance. It is provided to the families of a military serviceman, large families, single parents, pregnant women in the form of accrual of benefits. Additionally, a large family can be given food, clothing. 25892.45 rubles are paid to the pregnant wife of a serviceman at a time, and a monthly allowance of 11096.76 rubles is paid for the child of the parent who is in the conscription service.
  5. Material assistance to pupils and students. Students receive: by the beginning of the new school year, school and sports uniforms (or parents are compensated for the cost of its acquisition), and during the training period, free two meals a day, a discount of 50% of the cost of travel in public transport, the opportunity to visit exhibitions and museums for free (no more than 1 once a month). Out of the competition, he is enrolled in a university and a state scholarship is awarded to a student from a poor family up to the age of 20, provided that his parent is disabled in the first group, and the child scored a minimum pass when passing the exam.

Young family

What subsidies are given to poor families in 2018

A significant part of the family budget is made up of expenses for utilities and rental housing. Without the help of the state, low-income citizens cannot acquire housing in their property, therefore, the following types of subsidies to low-income families are provided for in 2018:

  • increase in the amount of compensation for housing and communal services;
  • free housing or buying a mortgage on preferential terms.

Regulatory and legal framework

The provision of state support to those in need is regulated by legislative acts:

  1. Federal Law No. 178-FZ of July 17, 1999, as amended on December 8, 2010, On State Social Assistance.
  2. Federal Law No. 44-ФЗ dated 04/05/2003 “On the Procedure for Accounting for Incomes and Calculation of Per capita Income …”.
  3. Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
  4. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 512 “On the list of types of income taken into account when calculating the average per capita income …”.
  5. Decree of the Government of Moscow No. 805-PP dated 10/31/2017.

Housing subsidy

The state is helping low-income people to improve their living conditions. Subsidies apply to citizens of the Russian Federation. State programs are implemented by:

  1. Registration of those in need of better housing conditions. Social housing for the poor is provided from state or municipal housing stock.
  2. Acquisition of own real estate or construction of a house using a social mortgage. It is distinguished by preferential interest, the availability of social guarantees, the ability to pay the down payment or part of the loan by maternity capital. There are special programs that involve additional financing for the repayment of a mortgage loan from budgetary funds. So, according to the “Young Family” program, up to 70% of the size of a mortgage from the state budget can be obtained to pay for the cost of purchased housing. In 2018, mortgages will be issued to poor citizens for construction or finished housing at 6%, the rest of the interest will be covered by budgetary funds.

For registration, you should contact the local authorities, write a statement and provide documents:

  • passport of adult citizens;
  • birth certificate of children;
  • Marriage certificate;
  • certificate of lack of residential property;
  • certificate of family composition;
  • income statement.

The decision is made within a month, but before its adoption the living conditions are examined by the commission. Mostly the housing subsidy for the poor stands out in the form of a certificate. To obtain housing in this way, you must follow the algorithm of actions:

  • open a bank account for crediting certificate funds;
  • choose residential real estate (when buying from a developer, its readiness should be more than 70%);
  • draw up a contract of sale;
  • provide a contract to the bank for transferring funds to the seller;
  • take a receipt from the seller about the receipt of money, issue an act of acceptance of transfer of real estate;
  • register property;
  • provide a certificate of registration in the housing stock.

House and money

Terms of receipt

Article 49 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation specifies the right of poor citizens to free primary housing. According to article 51 of the LC RF, citizens are recognized as needing to improve their living conditions and are registered for social housing on such grounds:

  1. There are no residential property owners or social housing tenants among family members.
  2. The room in which poor citizens live is unsuitable for housing, is in disrepair.
  3. One family member is seriously ill.
  4. In one room (apartment, house) several families live.
  5. Own or rented housing does not meet established standards. According to the legislation, no less than 18 sq. m living space.

Compensation for utility services to the poor

As before, subsidies will be provided to poor families in 2018 for utility bills. The right to receive such material assistance from the state has the owners and tenants of housing, provided that they have:

  • there is no debt for the payment of housing and communal services;
  • the total cost of paying for all types of utilities exceeds the statutory rate.

At the federal level, it accounts for 22% of total family income. Local authorities determine their threshold for providing compensation for the cost of housing and communal services. Mostly it is below this indicator, so you can count on an increase in subsidies. For example, in Moscow it makes up 10% of the family budget, the rest of the expenses are compensated from the municipal budget.

Types of subsidies for housing and communal services

When calculating the consumption rate by type of utilities, the number of residents and the size of housing are taken into account. Low-income citizens have the right to choose the method of obtaining subsidies:

  • payment of the full cost of housing and communal services with subsequent compensation of part of the amount paid and crediting funds to a bank account;
  • payment of utility bills at reduced rates – taking into account the assigned subsidy.

Who is eligible to receive

Subsidies for the poor to pay utility bills are assigned to owners and tenants of housing. The right to receive state assistance to pay for apartments and utilities is granted to such categories of residents:

  • who use state or municipal housing stock;
  • renting housing under a lease;
  • housing construction cooperatives;
  • homeowners – apartments, houses or parts thereof.

There are cases of refusal to issue a subsidy to pay for utilities. According to the legislation, financial assistance for partial compensation of housing and communal services expenses is not assigned:

  • when, at the conclusion of a rental contract, citizens live on the same living space with the owner of real estate;
  • rent recipients.

House and money

Deadline

Subsidies to the poor for paying utility bills are assigned by the social security authority for a period of 6 months. Allocation of funds occurs monthly. After 6 months, it is necessary to reissue the compensation for the payment of utility bills. It should be noted that when applying for a subsidy:

  • until the 15th day, the allocation of funds starts from the month of writing the application;
  • after the 15th day – compensation is allocated from the next month.

How to make out

To receive a subsidy for the payment of housing and communal services, it is necessary to perform the following actions:

  1. Find out the list of documents required to obtain compensation for the cost of housing services.
  2. Collect documents.
  3. To write an application.
  4. Submit an application together with documents for the purpose of compensation for the costs of housing services.

Where to go

You can find out the necessary information on the provision of this type of state support in the department of social protection of the population, housing and operational organization or a multifunctional center. The above bodies are provided with the collected documents and a written statement. The decision on the appointment of subsidies is made within 10 days.

List of required documents

To receive compensation for the cost of housing services, you must provide the following documents:

  • passport or birth certificate of all residents;
  • tax certificates;
  • Marriage certificate;
  • certificate of family composition;
  • certificate of ownership of housing or a contract of employment;
  • income statement;
  • certificate of absence of debt;
  • documents on the basis of which residents receive communal benefits (certificate of a pensioner, single mother, mother of many children, etc.).

What are the social benefits for poor families in Moscow in 2018?

Benefits will be paid to low-income residents of the capital in 2018:

Purpose of Payments The size of the monthly allowance, rubles
Parents when raising a child from birth to 3 years:
lonely 15,000
spouse 15,000
who do not receive alimony 15,000
everyone else 6000
Parents when raising a child from 3 to 18 years:
lonely 6000
spouse 6000
who do not receive alimony 6000
everyone else 4000
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Comments: 1
  1. Dylan Clarke

    How were the subsidies allocated to low-income families in 2018? Were the social benefits in place effective in alleviating the financial burden for these families?

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