The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is developing a new mechanism for verification of beneficiaries and subsidianes. On social assistance, the state spends hundreds of billions of hryvnias, which is about 40% of the total budget of the country. How it spent the funds remains in question. Still in Ukraine have not created a single register of recipients of social assistance, each Agency maintains its accounting records. And social inspectors, who must verify beneficiaries, conducting raids at their discretion. This year the government plans to introduce a verification process to a new level – to make a “grey list” of beneficiaries and subsidianes and to create the Institute of “social auditors”. The website “Today” figured out how officials will test the Ukrainians with privileges and subsidies.
How to work social “audit” and “grey lists”
From the first of January of the following year in Ukraine can receive the social inspectors with enhanced powers. The creation of a new Institute plans to spend 50 million hryvnia, said the bill “On ensuring the state control in the provision of social support.” The document was developed by the Ministry of social policy, the first of February it was approved at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, the next step is the vote in Parliament.
Social inspectors are working now, but the quality of their work “extremely low”, said the authors of the bill. Now the inspectors often check for the assistance provided at the birth of a child – talking to neighbors, checking the conditions in which the child is brought up. “The problem of social inspectors is that they have too much load, and now on their shoulders and even checking immigrants,” – said the people’s Deputy Natalia Veselova during open discussion, “social assistance: who needs and who receives it”.
Photo: archive
Social inspector at its discretion chooses one of the hundreds of cases and goes to check, specific criteria for which families should check in the first place, no, said the Director of the Department of exchange of information and verification of payments of the Ministry of Finance Anatoly Klimenko.
If the proposals of the Cabinet will support parliamentarians in Ukraine will create a “grey list” of beneficiaries, which in the first place will have to check the social inspectors. After the first stage of the verification officials will compare the data from different registries and you will find “suspicious” of beneficiaries – to them and go “audit”. In this case the auditor will have the right to initiate an audit of the financial status of the family, to visit beneficiaries and subsidianes at their place of residence.
If the auditor finds out that the family hid an extra income or real estate, social assistance will be abolished, again requested to provide a benefit or subsidy can only be made after six months.
Requirements subsidianes can tighten
In Ukraine, when calculating subsidies take into account only the income of the family, while in the EU countries also look for property, cars, income from deposits, says the head of public programs at the Institute of social and economic research Marianna Onufryk. According to experts, the requirements to Ukrainians “utilities discount” you need to toughen up. For example, in France the subsidy cannot qualify the citizens that live in their own apartments or houses.
The Director of the Department Minsotspolitiki Vitaly muzichenko says: it is impossible to fit the criteria that the state cannot control. Keep track of how many apartments and houses have a particular family, the office are unable. Until 2013, the information on acquisition of real estate was kept on paper – BTI introduced electronic registries only three years ago. To check whether subsidence the second apartment, the bodies of social protection has sent a written request to the BTI. This, according to Vitaly Muzychenko, was possible, when the grant was received up to a million households, but now the number of subsidianes increased to seven million families. Officials are physically unable to handle this number of requests. “When will you be able to check, add this criterion”, says Vitaly Muzychenko.
This year the Ministry of social policy planning to consider when calculating the subsidy income from Bank deposits, this was in the last year, said Minister Andriy Reva. “We probably still include deposits in the calculation of household income for the purpose of the grant. But, most of all, we will do this with the month of may, after the end of the heating period. Because it is right to include, it’s still possible to consider the income, especially when interest is paid,” said the Minister sotspolitiki.
By the way, by the end of 2017 receive subsidies from 9 to 15 million of Ukrainian families. Now the results of the verification of seven thousand families were left without subsidies (the state saved almost 15 million). Just a “blacklist” of the Ministry of Finance got 185 thousand grantees, now the information is verified by the social security authorities.
Without leave of subsidies for two reasons:
- Grantee hides part of the income
- Grantee made a purchase for the sum from 50 thousand within 12 months of receipt of “discounts”
Without the help can also be those Ukrainians whose income over the past year increased significantly.Since the middle of last year, if able-bodied family member not officially working, when calculating subsidies, as stated by the Deputy social policy Minister Vitaly Muminin, will take into account his income in amount of two living wages (currently – UAH 3200). Previously unemployed family member considered income in the amount of one subsistence minimum.
Subsidies will reduce due to new regulations
Subsidies in Ukraine covers a social requirement, and for the rest have to pay full price. The ratio of consumption of gas in Ukraine just a few years was reduced from 11 to 5.5 cubic meters per square meter. The new standard is 5 cubic meters per square meter – will come into force in may this year.
Photo: archive
Now that the subsidies cover 330 cubic meters heating the apartment with an area of 60 square meters, in the next heating season “utilities discount” will charge only 300 cubic meters. If we continue to burn 330 cubic meters, 30 cubic meters have to pay without subsidies. According to the current rate is still 204 hryvnia.
By the way, in the apartment of the same size, with Central heating, the subsidy will cover instead of 3.28 is only 2.5 Gcal of heat. If you do not reduce consumption, 0,7 Gcal will have to pay without subsidies. In Kiev, this amount of heat will cost about 1411 USD.
Revision of standards will allow the state to save on the subsidies, said the ex-the head of Department on public relations NAK “Naftogaz of Ukraine” Valentin Zemlyansky. According to estimates of the Ministry of social policy, in the following heating season grants will issue 9 of the 15 million Ukrainian families. “Utilities discount” in the budget for this year provided 51 billion hryvnia. “This will lead to the reduction of subsidies. Social norms are reduced, and the subsidy covers only social norms. In addition, it will lead to growth of payment. Something to cover the subsidy, and the rest people have to pay themselves,” – said the “Today” Valentin Zemlyansky.
