Which state support payments can people living in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) expect? And doesn’t the state suspend monetary assistance during martial law? These questions often arise due to different interpretations of legislation and, in general, a difficult situation with the calculation of payments to TOT residents. Our lawyers tell us what such persons can currently apply for.
- If you were registered as an IDP before February 24, 2022, and received a monthly allowance to cover living expenses, you will automatically continue to receive it after the introduction of martial law. Your place of residence in this case does not matter. Today, such payments amount to UAH 3,000 per child or person with disabilities and UAH 2,000 for all the others.
- If you were granted social assistance or certain benefits, you will also continue to receive them. This includes assistance to low-income families, single mothers, persons who have taken children into custody or care; assistance for children suffering from serious diseases; assistance to persons living with a person with group I or II disability due to mental disorder; assistance to people of retirement age who have not acquired the right to pension payments, etc. (the full list is established by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 214).
What should be kept in mind:
- such payments are accrued in full for the entire month;
- you will receive them during the entire period of martial law and one month after its termination;
- in order to receive payments, you do not need to apply additionally to social protection authorities;
- even if you miss the deadline of assistance revision, payments will continue until the end of martial law and the month after.
If you live in those regions where the social protection authorities cannot exercise their powers due to active hostilities or temporary occupation (prepare payment documents, calculate payments), you receive cash assistance, benefits and subsidies to your bank account. Important: it must belong specifically to you, that is, the person to whom the payments are addressed. All data (account number, full name, Tax Identification Number) must match the data in the register of beneficiaries of such assistance. This register is maintained by the state enterprise “Information and Computing Centre of the Ministry of Social Policy”.
Do IDPs registered before February 24 have the right to receive a living allowance?
- If, as of March 1, 2022, you were registered as an IDP and received monthly living allowance, you will continue to receive it automatically.
- If you had the status of an IDP before February 24, 2022, but lived in a region that is not included in the list approved by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 204, assistance is not provided in this case. But there is an exception: if you have already received it, it will not be suspended.
- If you are entitled to the living allowance, but have not previously received it, you should contact the Department of Social Protection of the Population at the place of actual residence. However, it is currently impossible to do this in the temporarily occupied territories, where state authorities do not operate.