Poor citizens: definition, income, rights and benefits

The standard of living in our country, despite the positive dynamics of growth in some sectors of the economy, still remains quite low. Therefore, today, it is especially important to inform Russians about the rules and procedures for obtaining the status of a poor citizen, as well as possible ways of material support, preferential terms and various subsidies. All questions of social security of this category of population are occupied by local self-government bodies.

Who can claim

In our country, in order to get the status of "needy", citizens must provide the relevant organization with all the data on their monthly cash receipts, this criterion will be the main, but not the only, calculation. The level of per capita income should not exceed the minimum index for the country. It also takes into account the fact that family members live together, the presence of children, disabled people or other dependents.

In order to understand exactly who is among the poor, it is necessary to get acquainted with the normative legal acts of the Russian Federation. They indicate that this category of population can be classified as:

• Spouses;
• Adoptive parents and adopted children;
• Guardians and their wards;
• Stepfathers, stepdaughters, stepchildren;
• Grandchildren, grandmothers, parents, children;
• Incomplete families.

When considering the application, specialists also take into account the legality of the provision of such a service. Thus, persons who deviate from work, drink and lead an immoral way of life can not be recognized as needing social assistance.

How to calculate the per capita index

The main question that interests low-income families: what income should they have in order to obtain an appropriate status? The formula for determining the level of the average earnings of a family depends on a number of factors. In each case, the calculation takes the amount of the subsistence minimum established by the state with Rosstat's data on consumer prices and their level.

The amount will depend on the category of citizens (able-bodied, retired - working or not, children, etc.), as well as from the region of residence. Those who claim the status of "poor citizens" can independently calculate whether their income corresponds to the amount of the subsistence minimum - in 2017 this is 9662 rubles. For this you need:

1. Add all household income for the last three months: salaries, benefits, profits, etc. Not counted:

• Pensions to the participants of the Great Patriotic War, the parents and widows of the deceased soldiers;
• Benefits for children from the regional budget;
• Preferential payments to veterans;
• Sale of own products, etc.

2. This amount is divided by the number of months - 3 - and by the number of family members.

If the value does not exceed the minimum subsistence level established by the state, you can qualify for status.

Types of state support of the population

Specific assistance to the poor depends on the region of residence, since the financing of this social program comes from the local budget. As a rule, support is provided in several areas:

1. Cash benefits.
2. Assistance is provided in the form of the delivery of clothes, shoes, medicines, food, etc.
3. Tax benefits, compensation for utility services.
4. Social payments to families with children (the conditions in each area are different), one-time benefits for pregnant women or for preparation for school.
5. Monthly allowance for a third child.
6. Given the recognition of this category of citizens in need of housing, they can claim to receive from the state apartments under a contract of social hiring or rely on special conditions for mortgage lending.

Children from low-income families have the right to preferential priority for admission to secondary professional or higher educational institutions, as well as to receive scholarships.

Documents, order of registration

Far from the whole population of our country understands to the end who is among the poor citizens. Such ignorance leads to the fact that most families who can receive real help are simply not aware of this and remain without state support. In order to dispel all doubts, at the first stage it is necessary to calculate your average income and apply to the social protection agencies at your place of residence.
In order for a person or a family to be recognized as needy, the following package of documents will have to be submitted:

• All copies of the identity card (passport);
• Certificate of family composition;
• A document from the guardianship authorities that adults were not deprived of parental rights;
• Marriage certificate;
• For all working members of the family - certificates of income.

In addition, you will need to provide a work book and details of an electronic card for charging funds.

What to look for

It is necessary to understand that poor citizens can not be recognized as such without confirmation of official employment, or they must be registered with the local Employment Center. If this condition is violated or if the fact of deception of employees of the social service is revealed, citizens will be refused a service, and this action may be considered a criminal code of the Russian Federation as fraud.

Calculations of per capita income are made without the inclusion of mandatory tax calculations in them. And in the certificate from the place of work, all the data should be indicated with a description of the grounds for each specific case: salary, bonus, vacation, etc.

The status of poor citizens will have to be confirmed in a year with a new package of relevant securities.

Where to go: regulators

Together with documents and an application for recognition of a family in need of assistance from the state, a citizen should apply to the ministry or the department of social protection of the population. Some papers have a limited period of validity, so it is better to apply as soon as possible when applying.

An application for the recognition of a citizen to the poor is usually considered within ten working days, and in some cases up to a month. If all the conditions for passing the procedure are met and you have confirmed a certain status, you can immediately apply to the administration of the place of residence to receive cash payments or other kind of support.

Possible causes of failure

Not all of this process goes smoothly, sometimes the regulatory bodies issue a decision on the refusal. Usually the reasons are:

1. The discrepancy between the reported total profit for the reporting quarter and the figures that low-income families should have. What income is required to be included in the social program was stipulated above.
2. It presents a complete package of documents, or they are written with errors and corrections.
3. The data are inaccurate or untrue.

If the problem is only in the wrong spelling or technical errors, you will be called to re-fill in the forms. In all other cases it is always possible to apply for justice to the higher social protection bodies or to the court.

Nuances when receiving cash payments

Aid to the poor is aimed at raising the standard of living of this category of citizens, reducing the indicators of social inequality and increasing the availability of services for every needy person. Moreover, material support is provided both at the regional and federal levels.

Each constituent entity of the Russian Federation determines its amounts of benefits and subsidies, these figures can be found in more detail on official social protection websites or directly addressed to the structure. It is worthwhile to understand that all receipts are possible from tax deductions, so that under difficult economic conditions there is a possibility of temporary termination of payments or reduction of material support.

Privileges

Assistance from the regional budget is usually a fairly small amount, but it is still a good help for a low-income family. These conditions apply only to each specific area.

However, it is necessary to know that at the federal level you are entitled to mandatory benefits. Poor citizens can be eligible for housing subsidies, a review of the percentage of tax deductions or free legal aid. And also the state renders support to such a category of people as internally displaced persons and refugees.

Provision of housing to low-income citizens is possible on the basis of a contract of social employment. This program does not work in all regions, and where it exists, the pace of construction of suitable housing is very slow, as the funding is mainly coming from the local budget.

Regulatory documents

Each constituent entity of the Russian Federation develops its own regulations that establish preferences for the poor, the amount of payments and types of subsidies. These regulatory documents, in turn, rely on the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the main federal laws that govern this area of social activity.

The rights of poor citizens are taken into account in the following provisions:

1. No. 178-FZ of the RF "On State Social Assistance" of 17.07.1999.
2. FZ RF "On the procedure for recording income and calculating the average per capita income of a family and the income of a lonely resident for recognition as poor and rendering them state social assistance" of 5.04.2003.
3. No. 188-FZ "Housing Code of the Russian Federation" of 29.12.04.
4. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 14.12.2005 No. 761 "On Granting Subsidies for Payment of Housing and Utilities."

Every citizen of Russia who finds himself in a difficult life situation, under certain conditions, has the right to receive various forms of social support from the state.