“Targeted social assistance” is worse than mockery
- 18.12.2007, 9:52
“Targeted social assistance” could make 1,000 Br (40 cents), but it could be received only by those whose income is less than 185,000 Br a month.
By the way, people shouldn’t expect big money. When one thousand is wanted to make up the sum, the state will pay one thousand. And at the same time, to receive assistance from the state one should get an official document from Bureau of Registration and Technical Inventory. The cost of the document is 3,500 Br. And students who pay for their education cannot receive assistance at all.
The head of the department of state social assistance to the population of Labour and Social Protection Valyantsina Syarheeva told to Euroradio that first a number of documents should be collected, and then a decision of a commission expected.
“A person should address a local department of labour, employment and social protection. When an applicant will have the full pack of documents with information about the income and the family composition, then the commission will make a decision within 5 days and inform about in within 3 days. And right after that payment is made,” the official told.
European Radio’s journalist tried to get state assistance and addressed the social protection department of the Tsentralny district of Minsk. The expert was surprised to hear the story that both the correspondent and her husband have full-time jobs, but their income is lower than basic minimum subsistence income. The expert couldn’t believe that and asked to bring all documents.
As said by her, many documents are needed: “An official document about income of all family members, composition of the family. An act of inspection is made: whether the person is registered in the Central district, whether you have a lot of land, a garage. A document from Bureau of Registration and Technical Inventory will be ordered, and you have to pay for that. A copy of marriage certificate, information whether you are registered as an individual entrepreneur, a document from the housing office are needed,” the official of the social service said.
After we heard such a long list, we decided to find out the sum of money received after a lot of fuss and trouble. And as it turned out, the state could pay even 1,000 Br.
The difference between the income and the minimum subsistence income will be paid. If a person gets 184,000 Br, about one thousand rubles would be paid. The assistance is to be given for 6 months.
The situation when a lower-income family manages to pay for education of their child in a university is not considered hard in the Labour and Social Protection ministry, and in this situation a student mustn’t expect assistance from the state.
The Statistics Ministry has also informed that about 10% of the population of the country with the income lower than 185,670 Br. It means that every 10th Belarusian citizen is close to the poverty line.