PRIVILEGES, RIGHTS AND GUARANTEES

Provided in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On State Social Benefits, rights and guarantees for certain categories of citizens" (Further – Law).

Citizens with disabilities exercise their rights to state social benefits, rights and guarantees on the basis of a certificate of a disabled person, issued by medical and rehabilitation expert commissions, according to application 6, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 13 December 2007 r. № 1738 "On approval of the Regulations on the procedure for submitting documents, on the basis of which the right to state social benefits is exercised, rights and guarantees for certain categories of citizens”.

In accordance with the Law, disabled people of groups I and II have the right to:

90-percentage discount on the cost of medicines, prescriptions issued by doctors within the list of essential medicines, and with surgical diseases – also dressing materials (with an appropriate medical certificate) in order, determined by the Government of the Republic of Belarus; free production and repair of dentures (with the exception of prostheses made of precious metals, methacrylate (metal composites), cermets and porcelain, as well as applying a protective and decorative coating of titanium nitride) in public health organizations at the place of residence; free or preferential provision of technical means of social rehabilitation in accordance with the State Register (list) technical means of social rehabilitation¹ ok and on terms, determined by the Government of the Republic of Belarus, (provision of means of rehabilitation is carried out by labor authorities, employment and social protection of local executive and administrative bodies and (or) public health organizations free of charge (on preferential terms) on the basis of an individual rehabilitation program for a disabled person or the conclusion of a medical advisory commission of a state organization);

priority free spa treatment (in the presence of medical indications and the absence of medical contraindications) or recovery (in the absence of medical contraindications) (for non-working disabled people), (faces, accompanying disabled people of group I to sanatorium-resort or health-improving organizations, are provided with vouchers for sanatorium- spa treatment or wellness free of charge (without treatment) on condition, that the need for such support is confirmed by the conclusion of the medical advisory commission of the state healthcare organization);

free travel on public railway transport in city trains, public inland water transport, carrying out urban transportation of passengers in regular traffic, urban electric transport and in the subway, in public transport, carrying out urban road transportation of passengers in regular traffic, except taxi, regardless of place of residence, and those living on the territory of village councils, urban-type settlements and cities of district subordination, being administrative- territorial units, urban-type settlements, being territorial units (when, if they are administrative centers of districts), cities of district subordination, being territorial units,

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¹State Register (scroll) technical means of social rehabilitation, Regulations on the procedure for providing citizens with technical means of social rehabilitation by labor bodies, employment and social protection, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 11 December 2007 r. № 1722.

– also in public transport, carrying out intercity road transportation of passengers in regular traffic, within the borders of the district at the place of residence (also for face, accompanying disabled person of group I);

free travel on public railway transport in trains of regional economy class lines, public inland water transport, carrying out commuter transportation of passengers in regular service, public transport, carrying out suburban road transportation of passengers in regular traffic, except taxi (also for face, accompanying disabled person of group I);

50-percentage discount on the maintenance fee (or) use of residential premises within 20 square meters of total living space occupied and eligible for a 50% discount on utility bills (hot and cold water supply, drainage (sewage), gas, electro- and heat supply, elevator use, export, neutralization and processing of municipal solid waste) according to the tariffs established by the legislation within the approved consumption norms, and those living in houses without central heating – for fuel, acquired within the limits, established by law for sale to the public (for invalids, non-working family members, obliged by law to keep them, and living alone or only with disabled people of group I or II and (or) with non-working pensioners, aged, giving the right to an old-age pension on a general basis).

Group III disabled persons are entitled to a 50% discount on the cost of medicines by the said Law., prescribed by doctors within the list of essential medicines in the order, determined by the Government of the Republic of Belarus, to treat a disease, leading to disability.

TYPES OF MATERIAL SUPPORT

Citizens in need of social support can be provided with material support in the form of state targeted social assistance (GASP) and material assistance from the funds of the Social Protection Fund of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus (Further – material aid).

The issues of providing the population with GASP are regulated by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 19 january 2012 r. № 41 "On state targeted social assistance".

GASP can be provided in the form of monthly and lump-sum social benefits.

Monthly social allowance provided to families, whose average per capita income for 12 months, previous month of seeking help, for objective reasons, below the largest subsistence minimum budget per capita for the last two quarters (Further – need criterion)¹. The amount of the monthly social benefit is the positive difference between the need criterion and the average per capita income of the family and is recalculated when the need criterion is increased. This benefit is provided for up to 6 months.

A one-time social allowance is provided to families in the event of a difficult life situation and the condition, that their average per capita income does not exceed 150 percent of the criterion of need”.

Having a difficult life situation, entitling to the provision of a one-time social benefit, documented and (or) established by a special commission on the basis of an inspection report. The amount of such allowance depending on the difficult life situation, in which the family is, up to 10 subsistence minimum budgets per capita (Further – BPM).

In accordance with the Instruction on the procedure for providing financial assistance to needy elderly and disabled citizens from the funds of the Fund for Social Protection of the Population of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus, approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus dated
3 August 2001 r. № 9, non-working disabled people can also be provided financial assistance.

The amount of financial assistance² in each specific case is established by the head of the labor body, employment and social protection or a territorial center of social services for the population on the basis of an application, an act of examination of the financial situation and, if necessary, other documents, confirming the need for assistance.

In exceptional cases, financial assistance in the amount of up to 3 BPM can be provided by the labor committee, employment and social protection of regional executive committees (Minsk city executive committee). In such cases, the decision is made by its chairman on the basis of a petition from the labor authority., employment and social protection with justification for the need to provide such assistance.

SOCIAL SERVICE

The provision of social services is regulated by the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Social Services".

In each administrative region of the republic there is a territorial center of social services for the population, whose activities are aimed at organizing and providing social services to needy citizens in the form of stationary, semi-stationary, non-stationary, emergency social services, social services at home.

Territorial centers provide various types of social services (social and household, social rehabilitation, social intermediary, babysitting services, assisted living services and others) in accordance with the list of free and publicly available social services of state social service institutions with the norms and standards for the provision of citizens with these services.

Social services to citizens are provided on a gratuitous and reimbursable basis. Conditions for the provision of territorial centers of social services, included in the list within the established norms and standards, depend on the financial situation and composition of the family of a disabled citizen.

The provision of social services is carried out by the territorial center on the basis of a written application and a contract for the provision of social services, concluded between a citizen (his legal representative), one side, and territorial center, on the other hand, if the citizen has medical indications and (or) no medical contraindications, confirmed by a medical health certificate.

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² Financial assistance is provided, usually, once per calendar year. Repeated provision of material assistance in the calendar year is possible only in exceptional cases of special need.