Money and benefits: what combat veterans are entitled to

The official policy of the state considers the social security of persons risking their lives for the sake of peace on Earth to be one of the main tasks. For this reason, legislation in the field of providing measures of state support to military personnel who took part in armed conflicts is constantly updated. Benefits for combat veterans in 2020 will mostly remain the same after the innovations that came into force in January 2020, but some types of benefits are planned to change.

Categories of persons who are entitled to benefits as veterans of painful actions

Article 3 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Veterans” contains a list of persons who belong to combat veterans, these include:

1. Military personnel, those liable for military service, employees of the Ministry of Defense, sent to other countries by government authorities and who took part in hostilities, demining and performing special tasks in connection with their official duties.
2. Military personnel, law enforcement officers, including security agencies, who took part, in accordance with the decision of the federal authorities, in hostilities on the territory of the Russian Federation.

A complete list of countries, cities and periods of hostilities is contained in the appendix to the above-mentioned federal law.

The legislative framework

1. Resolution of the regional administration No. 594 dated December 11, 2012.
2. Resolution of the regional administration No. 220 dated December 29, 2006.
3. Resolution of the regional administration No. 75 dated September 7, 2005.
4. Resolution of the regional administration No. 845 dated December 3, 2004.

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What benefits are available to combat veterans in Russia: list of benefits

Article 16 of the Federal Law “On Veterans” lists measures of social assistance to combat veterans, including:

• pension benefits in accordance with Article 45 of the Federal Law “On pension provision for persons who served in military service, service in internal affairs bodies, the State Fire Service, authorities for control of the circulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, institutions and bodies of the penal system, troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, and their families";
• providing housing to veterans in need of improved housing conditions at the expense of the federal budget;
• compensation payments for expenses related to housing and communal services;
• priority telephone installation;
• preferential rights when obtaining land plots, joining housing and garage cooperatives;
• the opportunity to receive medical and sanitary services in specialized departmental medical institutions;
• provision of prosthetics at the expense of the federal budget in accordance with Article 11 of the Federal Law “On social protection of disabled people in the Russian Federation”;
• extended vacation period up to 35 days, with the possibility of free choice of vacation time;
• priority right to use cultural, sports, transport and communication services;
• obtaining additional professional education and advanced training at the expense of the employer.

In addition to the benefits determined by federal law, combat veterans have the right, depending on their place of residence, to take advantage of the benefits provided by regional laws. For example, in Moscow, a combat veteran has the right to free use of public (except taxis) transport.

Orphans

Every orphan child living in Kurgan and the region receives full social security for the duration of their studies. In addition, the following benefits are provided for orphans:

• provision of manuals and educational literature at the expense of the regional budget;
• issuance of seasonal clothing and footwear, basic necessities;
• the opportunity to receive a second professional education and take preparatory courses for free;
• free travel on public transport + annual paid tickets to the place of study/residence in both directions;
• obtaining annual vouchers to summer camps, sanatoriums and health resorts (only for medical reasons);
• the opportunity to attend cultural events, exhibitions and museums with discounted tickets;
• free subscriptions to sports and fitness centers.

Also, orphans are paid one-time benefits and housing is allocated from the municipal fund.

Tax benefits for military veterans in 2020

In addition to social support measures, tax benefits are also provided for combat veterans. In accordance with Article 407 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Such benefits include:

In addition, according to the norms of regional legislation in some constituent entities of the Russian Federation, combat veterans are exempt from transport tax on vehicles they own. More information about current regional benefits can be found on the official website of the Federal Tax Service.

For disabled people

The following privileges are offered to people with disabilities:

• partial or complete exemption from real estate tax;
• reduction in utility bills by 50%;
• free medical care;
• preferential provision of prescription drugs;
• travel documents for public transport, 50 percent discount when purchasing tickets to international destinations;
• provision of rehabilitation equipment and prostheses at the expense of the municipal budget.

Disabled children living in the Kurgan region receive the right:

• admission to higher education institutions without competition;
• free travel on public transport;
• provision of comprehensive support: technical re-equipment of premises, medical care, rehabilitation;
• receiving medications with a 50% discount;
• extraordinary issuance of vouchers to sanatoriums and health resorts;
• compensation for the cost of travel to the holiday destination in both directions (applies to accompanying persons).

Important: Parents who have a dependent disabled child receive additional days off and are completely exempt from paying transport tax.

Features of paying utility bills for combatants in 2020

The peculiarity of compensation for payment of housing and communal services is that benefits are provided at both the federal and regional levels. So Art. 16 of the Federal Law “On Veterans” regulates the right of a combat veteran to receive compensation in the amount of 50% for funds already paid:

• for renting a dwelling and (or) services and work related to the maintenance of housing in apartment buildings, and it does not matter what type of housing stock it belongs to;
• for major repairs carried out, based on the standards approved by law.

After registration of the benefit, compensation is transferred to the account of the combat veteran specified in the application.

Compensation payments for utility services, such as electricity, water supply, and gas supply, are additionally introduced in some constituent entities of the federation, depending on their economic capabilities, at the expense of regional budgets and are not provided for at the federal level.

Monthly cash payment

EDV, as the name implies, is paid to those who participated in the Chechen war every month. Its value is indexed annually on February 1. In 2020, the amount of the so-called “veteran pension” was 2972.82 rubles. In 2020, taking into account inflation, all payments provided to veterans increased by 3%.

Each year, the veteran makes a choice whether to receive the full amount in cash or cash and benefits in kind. In each specific case, a different option will be beneficial to the beneficiary.

There are three possible types of in-kind benefits:

1. Exemption from fares on commuter trains (a measure very relevant for people who commute to their workplace every day by this type of transport).
2. Free provision of medications according to the approved list. In practice, beneficiaries often face a problem: pharmacies do not have the necessary medications at the time of application. You have to wait, and this is not always acceptable.
3. Free spa treatment, including discounted travel to and from the place where you receive the service.

If a veteran chooses to receive all the benefits of the package, then the size of his EDV on average is reduced by 1,100 rubles. In particular, for a person who does not travel by train every day, does not have serious health problems and is not planning a sanatorium-resort holiday, it is better to choose monetization of natural benefits and receive EDV in full.

Disabled people who were injured during the Chechen War receive an increased allowance compared to other veterans.

Specifics in obtaining benefits for veterans of military operations in Chechnya and the North Caucasus

The specificity in receiving benefits for persons who took part in connection with official necessity in the armed conflict and anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya and the North Caucasus is the time frame established by the annex to the federal law “On Veterans”. So, to obtain the status of a combat veteran, a person:

1. Had to perform official tasks and, in connection with this, take part in the armed conflict in Chechnya and adjacent areas from December 1994 to December 1996.
2. Performs a mission in the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus from August 1999 to the present.

Veteran status can be assigned not only to citizens of the Russian Federation, but also to persons with foreign citizenship and stateless persons permanently residing in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Where to go

Any questions related to applying for benefits and receiving payments in Kurgan can be resolved at these addresses:

How to apply for benefits for military veterans in Moscow

Benefits for combat veterans are issued depending on the type of social support. So, to get:

• the opportunity to use the right to improve housing conditions and obtain a certificate, you must contact the housing department at your place of residence or local government authorities of the locality;
• compensation for rental housing and housing and communal services must be addressed to the social protection department at the place of registration of the veteran;
• tax deductions and benefits require registration at local branches of the Federal Tax Service;
• For a one-time cash payment, you need to contact the branch of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.

To obtain benefits, a mandatory condition is the presence of a certificate of a combat veteran.

Repressed

The following types of benefits apply:

• material compensation for days spent in dungeons in the amount of 75 rubles/day, but not more than 10,000;
• free prosthetics of teeth and limbs;
• receiving medical care without waiting in line;
• discount on payment of housing and communal services tariffs and major repairs of residential premises;
• priority right to registration in special boarding schools and nursing homes.

In addition, repressed citizens are entitled to a social supplement to their pension in the amount of 457 rubles.

Important: Payments and financial benefits apply only to rehabilitated citizens against whom all charges have been dropped.