Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – January 4, 2021 – Economy
As reported on the official website of the Ministry of Politics, in mid-December last year, the Cabinet of Ministers, at a regular meeting, “under the Christmas tree”, pleased citizens by improving the procedures for assigning housing subsidies and providing benefits for payment of housing and communal services.
About the new changes very briefly
Speaking about the changes that took place in the appointment and provision of subsidies and benefits for the payment of housing and communal services, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine focused on the following points:
– firstly, now there is an opportunity to receive a housing subsidy for households that include persons who officially work abroad in countries with which Ukraine has not concluded social security agreements, or they are abroad during the period of caring for a child until the child reaches the age of three;
– secondly, the right to receive a housing subsidy on a general basis is granted to persons who have acquired ownership of housing within 12 months before applying for a subsidy, in particular, through inheritance, and to persons who have no income and in accordance with the law exempted from paying a single contribution for compulsory state social insurance (previously, a housing subsidy for such citizens was assigned only by the decision of the commission);
– thirdly, the list of channels of information interaction between AT “Oschadbank” and recipients of benefits and housing subsidies through the use of instant messengers has been expanded;
– Fourthly, a procedure has been established for the return of excessively (erroneously) paid benefits and housing subsidies to citizens in non-cash form.
Now about some of the changes in more detail
Let us remind you that currently the main document that regulates the appointment and provision of housing subsidies is the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 848 dated October 21, 1995 as amended by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 807 dated August 14, 2019. on the procedure for assigning housing subsidies (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation on Subsidies). In addition to these regulatory legal acts, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 373 of April 17, 2019 is in force. payment for housing and communal services, purchase of solid fuel and liquefied gas in cash.
On December 16, 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 1282 “On Amendments to Certain Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine”, which amended the Regulation on Subsidies.
According to the most recent interpretation of the definition of “housing subsidy”, which is given in paragraph 3 of the Regulation on Subsidies, “a housing subsidy is irrevocable targeted state social assistance to vulnerable consumers of housing and communal services – residents of households who live in residential premises (houses) and cannot independently pay for housing and communal services, pay the costs of managing an apartment building and the costs of utilities in such a house.
In accordance with clause 14 of the Regulation on Subsidies, the presence (absence) of (applicants’) ownership of vehicles is indicated in the declaration of income and expenses of persons who applied for the appointment of a housing subsidy. Here, in the new edition, the rule stating that “if the ownership of the vehicle was acquired during the receipt of the housing subsidy, the citizen who was assigned the subsidy is obliged to inform the structural unit for social protection of the population within 30 calendar days, regardless of the size of the cost vehicle”.
According to subparagraph 1 of paragraph 14 of the Regulation on Subsidies, the housing subsidy is not assigned (including for the next period) if the total area of the residential premises exceeds 130 sq. meters for apartments in an apartment building, 230 sq. meters for individual houses (except for residential premises of family-type orphanages, foster families, large families, families in which three or more children live at the beginning of the month from which the subsidy is assigned, taking into account those over whom guardianship or guardianship is established). Previously, the maximum area for apartments was 120 sq. meters, and for individual houses – 200 sq. meters.
According to clause 20 of the Regulation on Subsidies, a housing subsidy cannot be assigned by a decision of the commission if the income of a household member or a family member of a person from the household, which is taken into account when assigning a housing subsidy, was the same as specified in paragraphs 2 – 4 of subparagraph 3 of paragraph 14 of the Regulation, and such persons were abroad in aggregate for more than 60 days during the period for which income is taken into account for the appointment of a housing subsidy (except for the cases specified in paragraphs 2 – 4 of paragraph 16 of this Regulation, as well as if able-bodied persons during the period , for which income is taken into account for the appointment of a housing subsidy, was documented by the provision of documents legalized in Ukraine, the acquisition of insurance experience in other countries, or the fact of caring for a child until he reaches the age of 3.
According to the new version of clause 44 of the Regulation on subsidies, an application and a declaration can be sent by mail or in electronic form through the Unified State Web Portal of Electronic Services “Portal Diya”, the official website of the Ministry of Social Policy or integrated information systems of executive authorities and local authorities. local governments, as well as information systems of the Ministry of Social Policy (with the imposition of a qualified electronic signature).
In accordance with clause 50 of the new version of the Regulation on Subsidies, for the appointment of housing subsidies, at the request of structural units for social protection of the population (hereinafter referred to as the Department of Social Protection), information is submitted within 5 days from the date of its receipt:
– income of individuals and payment of a single contribution for compulsory state social insurance from the register of insured persons of the State register of compulsory state social insurance by the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the manner prescribed by the PFU and the Ministry of Social Policy;
– income of persons from the State Register of Individuals – Tax Payers, as well as the group of single tax payers, which includes an individual – an entrepreneur who has chosen a simplified taxation system – STS;
– crossing the state border by persons who must indicate the dates of crossing the state border – the State Border Service;
– the presence of vehicles by the authorized bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
– details of identity documents confirming citizenship or the right of a foreigner or stateless person to legally stay on the territory of Ukraine – SMS;
– the composition of persons registered in residential premises (houses) – by local government bodies;
– provision of citizens with living space and communal services – by managers, executors of communal services, which indicate:
– the amount of prices and tariffs for housing and communal services and payments for such services;
– the amount of contributions / payments to pay the costs of managing an apartment building and utilities in such a building.
At the same time, from now on, information about the alimony arrears will not be transferred to the social security departments, since the paragraph on the presence of debts on enforcement proceedings on the collection of alimony from the Unified Register of Debtors was excluded from paragraph 50.
According to paragraphs 58 – 59 of the new Regulation on Subsidies, if the information necessary for the appointment of a housing subsidy (including for the next period) and the automatic calculation of a housing subsidy for the heating season cannot be obtained due to an error discovered during the exchange of information with the subjects of information provision, state registries or others, the social security department informs the citizen about the need to correct the error by the applicant himself and calculates the housing subsidy within 10 days after submitting updated data and / or receiving the necessary information.
If, within 30 calendar days after receiving a notification about the need to correct an error, the applicant did not take any actions to correct it and / or did not submit the necessary documents, the Social Security Department decides to refuse to assign a housing subsidy, and informs the applicant about it in the prescribed manner. The specified period may be extended by the decision of the commission for reasons recognized by the commission as valid.
In accordance with clauses 60 – 62 of the Regulation on Subsidies, the Department of Social Security, within 10 calendar days from the date of submission of these documents and receipt of information, a decision is made on:
– appointment of a housing subsidy;
– non-assignment of a housing subsidy (in the case when, according to the results of the calculation of the housing subsidy, its size is zero or negative);
– refusal to appoint a housing subsidy;
– transfer of documents to the commission.
In the event of a decision on the appointment (non-appointment) of a housing subsidy, the Social Security Department informs the applicant about the decision taken within 3 calendar days from the date of its adoption. At the same time, the social security department independently chooses the form of such notification (in paper or electronic (if there is an e-mail address) and the method for notification (personal conversation, postal communication, SMS message, electronic means of communication, e-mail (if any), notification through the Portal Diya).
If a decision is made to refuse to assign a housing subsidy, the Social Security Department informs the applicant about the decision taken within 3 calendar days from the date of its adoption. At the same time, the social security department informs the applicant about the decision made in paper form with the delivery of the corresponding notice to the signature, indicating the reasons for the refusal and the procedure for appealing the decision.
According to the new version of clause 70 of the Regulation on Subsidies, the housing subsidy for the payment of utilities for the supply of heat energy, the supply and distribution of natural gas, the supply and distribution of electricity for centralized, autonomous and individual heating is calculated in April and October, taking into account the duration of the heating season from October 16 until April 15 inclusive.
Instead of a conclusion
According to the updated Regulation on subsidies, now using messengers, you can get more information about benefits and housing subsidies from Oschadbank. Also, a procedure has been established for the return of excessive (erroneously) paid benefits and housing subsidies to citizens. All financial transactions between the bank and the client will take place in non-cash form.
In July 2020, almost 3 million citizens received a subsidy for housing and communal services in Ukraine, and its average size was UAH 256.73, which is 4% less than a month earlier. This is evidenced by the information on the website of the Ministry of Social Policy.
There are other data as well, more than 6 million families in Ukraine benefit from the subsidy. How not look, but the reduction in the number of subsidies is beneficial to the authorities. Therefore, it is no coincidence that, evaluating the new government initiatives to revise the procedure for granting housing subsidies, the media and the expert community indicate that the number of Ukrainians who will have problems with paying for utility services will significantly increase in the new year. Hence the conclusion: for those who intend to receive a housing subsidy in the coming year, it is advisable to constantly “monitor the process” of assigning, recalculating and paying subsidies, and not rely on the state. It is not for nothing that the people say: “Trust in people, but do not make a mistake yourself.”
