Do Belarusians refuse from social assistance?
The sum of money allocated for social assistance in Minsk is twice less than last year. However, ERB has found out that the number of applicants has also decreased a lot.
The public excitement concerning social assistance has decreased in comparison with the last year. Social assistance departments of executive committees assure that it is true. However, people wishing to get social assistance claim that their applications are not accepted.
Let us remind you that the money allocated last year was not enough for everyone. Thrice more money was spent on social assistance. ERB is interested whether the situation has changed this year.
Executive committees claim that there is no public excitement like last year. However, witnesses disagree with it. An invalid of the 2nd disability group, officially jobless Altsya living in Pershamaiski District of Minsk, told ERB:
“A categorical assistance specialist entered the corridor and said that those who wanted to ask for categorical assistance could leave. When people asked her when the money would be available, she did not reply. Finally I managed to make her tell me that the money would be available in April”.
Ms. Altsya says that she has the right to get categorical assistance and she is officially recognized a disabled person. Our interlocutor was not angry about the absence of money, as we had been told in the executive committee, but she was angry about the fact that employees had refused to accept her application:
“Well. It is clear why they don’t want to get assistance… Applications are not accepted. It turns out that everything is great and nobody needs this assistance, everything is all right! The country is flourishing”.
ERB phoned the department of social assistance of Pershamaiski District. Such incidents were refuted to have happened there. We were told that people had probably forgotten to bring all the necessary documents:
“Where did those people go? What do you mean by saying that their applications were not accepted? A person should present a number of documents to write an application for the state categorical social assistance. If it is a family, they should bring passports, marriage certificates, their children’s birth certificates and the income statement for the last three months… If they did bring it all, we could not refuse to accept their application!”
At the same time, she assured us that the number of applicants had decreased in comparison with the previous year. However, the employee refused to tell us the exact number of applicants.
Only 11 people have officially asked for social assistance in Minsk Savetski District since the beginning of the year. It is fewer than last year. However, the sum of money allocated this year is twice less too!
Social assistance department of Savetski District:
“We have received 73 millions this year. It is less than last year as we got 146 million 436 thousand roubles back then”.
The number of applicants for social assistance has also decreased in the Belarusian provinces. However, the provinces have received more money than the capital. ERB has found out that Pinsk District has received 200 millions more than last year.
The head of the department for material welfare of invalids and pensioners of Puhavichy District Executive committee Syarhei Yaromin says that the money should be enough for everyone:
“The excitement is not that great this year. Not many people have applied for assistance. At the moment we have registered 59 people. We allocated 420 million roubles for categorical assistance last year and I think we have received 456 millions from the budget this year.
We cannot be sure of it in advance, but I think that we will not spend more money than we have received in order to solve these problems”.
Thus, “the trick” concerning social assistance may resemble that of the jobless. Nobody will ask the state for it as it seems senseless.
Photo by: photoclub.by
The public excitement concerning social assistance has decreased in comparison with the last year. Social assistance departments of executive committees assure that it is true. However, people wishing to get social assistance claim that their applications are not accepted.
Let us remind you that the money allocated last year was not enough for everyone. Thrice more money was spent on social assistance. ERB is interested whether the situation has changed this year.
Executive committees claim that there is no public excitement like last year. However, witnesses disagree with it. An invalid of the 2nd disability group, officially jobless Altsya living in Pershamaiski District of Minsk, told ERB:
“A categorical assistance specialist entered the corridor and said that those who wanted to ask for categorical assistance could leave. When people asked her when the money would be available, she did not reply. Finally I managed to make her tell me that the money would be available in April”.
Ms. Altsya says that she has the right to get categorical assistance and she is officially recognized a disabled person. Our interlocutor was not angry about the absence of money, as we had been told in the executive committee, but she was angry about the fact that employees had refused to accept her application:
“Well. It is clear why they don’t want to get assistance… Applications are not accepted. It turns out that everything is great and nobody needs this assistance, everything is all right! The country is flourishing”.
ERB phoned the department of social assistance of Pershamaiski District. Such incidents were refuted to have happened there. We were told that people had probably forgotten to bring all the necessary documents:
“Where did those people go? What do you mean by saying that their applications were not accepted? A person should present a number of documents to write an application for the state categorical social assistance. If it is a family, they should bring passports, marriage certificates, their children’s birth certificates and the income statement for the last three months… If they did bring it all, we could not refuse to accept their application!”
At the same time, she assured us that the number of applicants had decreased in comparison with the previous year. However, the employee refused to tell us the exact number of applicants.
Only 11 people have officially asked for social assistance in Minsk Savetski District since the beginning of the year. It is fewer than last year. However, the sum of money allocated this year is twice less too!
Social assistance department of Savetski District:
“We have received 73 millions this year. It is less than last year as we got 146 million 436 thousand roubles back then”.
The number of applicants for social assistance has also decreased in the Belarusian provinces. However, the provinces have received more money than the capital. ERB has found out that Pinsk District has received 200 millions more than last year.
The head of the department for material welfare of invalids and pensioners of Puhavichy District Executive committee Syarhei Yaromin says that the money should be enough for everyone:
“The excitement is not that great this year. Not many people have applied for assistance. At the moment we have registered 59 people. We allocated 420 million roubles for categorical assistance last year and I think we have received 456 millions from the budget this year.
We cannot be sure of it in advance, but I think that we will not spend more money than we have received in order to solve these problems”.
Thus, “the trick” concerning social assistance may resemble that of the jobless. Nobody will ask the state for it as it seems senseless.
Photo by: photoclub.by
