In the Vitebsk region, there are 450 veterans of the Great Patriotic War and 2.8 thousand citizens affected by the consequences of the war, as reported by Vera Astapenko, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
In the Vitebsk region, there are 450 veterans of the Great Patriotic War and 2.8 thousand citizens affected by the consequences of the war, as reported by Vera Astapenko, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
The oldest participants and disabled veterans of the war are now over 100 years old, and the youngest are around 90 (these are partisans and underground fighters).
Disabled veterans of the war of groups 1 and 2 receive approximately Br273 in addition to their pensions, and group 3 receive Br171. War participants, as well as those involved in mine clearance operations in 1943-1945, receive Br171 each. Those who were under siege in Leningrad and former prisoners of Nazi concentration camps receive Br68 each. Pensions are supplemented by Br34 for those awarded USSR orders and medals for selfless work and impeccable service in the rear, and for disabled persons from childhood due to war-related injuries or concussions. Family members who lost their spouses during the war and have not remarried receive allowances ranging from Br68 to Br123. Taking these allowances into account, the average pension for a disabled veteran of the war is estimated to be Br832 in May, and for a war participant, again based on preliminary estimates, it is Br690.
These are not the only pension supplements received by war veterans and persons affected by its consequences. Those who have reached the age of 75 (which now includes everyone born during the war years) receive a monthly age supplement. From May 1, its amount is Br51 for those aged 75-79, and Br68 for those aged 80 and over. In addition to the age supplement, those who have reached the age of 80 receive a monthly care allowance – an additional Br34. For those who have reached the age of 80 and are group 1 disabled persons, this allowance is twice as high – Br68. Thus, individuals who lived through the war years, war participants, and persons affected by its consequences receive three types of allowances and additional pension payments."
War veterans and those affected by its consequences constitute special categories. Therefore, a proactive principle of additional social support is applied to them. In order to identify the problems these individuals face and their needs, annual surveys of their material and living conditions are conducted. Traditionally, this survey takes place in the first quarter, so that all submitted requests can be fulfilled by the May holidays. This year, 3.1 thousand individuals from these categories have been surveyed. We have endeavoured to fulfil all requests by May 1st. Approximately 237 people received assistance. This included cleaning of residential premises, adjacent territories, wood chopping, provision of firewood, as well as measures aimed at ensuring the safety of elderly people's living conditions: renovation of residential premises, stoves, electrical wiring, gas equipment, and so forth. Additional requests received throughout the year will be promptly addressed. Volunteers, organisations, and enterprises are involved in this process.
Those in need of additional support in the form of social services benefit from social care provided by territorial centres for social services to the population and residential care homes. We have 25 territorial centres and 14 residential care homes for adults. Among war veterans and affected individuals, 335 receive home-based social services. According to legislation, such services are to be provided on a paid basis for these categories; however, by decision of local authorities, all Great Patriotic War veterans are exempt from paying for home-based social services. In residential care homes, 27 individuals from the specified categories receive round-the-clock social and medical assistance. Furthermore, 206 veterans and affected citizens receive individual care from family members, with payments made to those providing care for a disabled person of Group 1 or an elderly person over 80 years of age. The amount of this benefit is equivalent to the subsistence minimum budget, which is slightly over Br273.
Furthermore, a wide range of social benefits are provided to war veterans and persons affected by its consequences. Veterans receive benefits in the areas of healthcare, sanatorium-resort treatment, public transport travel, and payment for housing and communal services. This includes free provision of medicines, free manufacturing and repair of dental prostheses, free provision of technical means of social rehabilitation, and priority free sanatorium-resort treatment. Moreover, if Heroes of the Soviet Union, or disabled persons and participants of the Great Patriotic War have not exercised their right, they are paid monetary assistance for health improvement – 10 base units. War veterans are entitled to free travel on all types of urban passenger transport, and a 50 percent discount on the maintenance of the premises where they reside.
May 9th is a very important and special holiday for all of us. There are fewer and fewer veterans every day. Therefore, we have organised a large number of events aimed at preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War. Territorial centres organise meetings with those who survived this war so that they can pass on the memory of those terrible events to the youth, tell them how they felt in those circumstances, and convey to our youth the idea that such a thing should not be repeated. Every veteran of the Great Patriotic War will be congratulated on this holiday, and this work will not stop, because for us it is a unique opportunity to communicate once again with people who took part in those great events.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by