Russian MPs ask to increase benefits for carers
Russian MPs ask to increase benefits for carers
In Russia, 2.5 million people are carers for those with disabilities and receive state benefits.
30.08.2022
A group of ministers in the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly sent out an appeal to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for an increase in benefits. The ministers identified two main problems.
Firstly, parents of children with disabilities receive 10,000 roubles a month, while if the carer is a guardian, the allowance is 1,200 roubles. Benefits have not increased since 2007, and since then the minimum wage has increased more than sixfold to 13,890 roubles per month.
Secondly, part-time and working pensioners who are also carers do not receive any benefits.
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labour, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, Yaroslav Nilov supported the initiative. But he noted that it is necessary to address this to the president because in 2019 compensation to parents was increased by presidential decree.
In February, a group of deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party asked to increase the amount of the allowance to meet the minimum wage and public organisations asked for the same in May. But the requests were denied because the Ministry of Finance believes that this problem should be solved by a long-term care system.
