Large families in Russia are eligible for a substantial 30-50% discount on their utility payments. Lyubov Khrustova, an expert from the “MyFinances.rf” project, a division of the Russian Ministry of Finance`s Research Institute, provided insights to the Prime agency on who qualifies for this benefit and the application process.
Khrustova highlighted that the specific criteria for obtaining this discount are established at the regional level, leading to considerable variations. Generally, most of these benefits are granted until the eldest child in the family reaches 18 years of age.
The precise amount and conditions for these discounts also differ from one region to another. While federal legislation mandates a minimum discount of 30% of the total utility bill, some regions extend this benefit further, allowing it to reach up to 50%.
“The subsidy amount can be influenced by several factors,” explained the financial expert. “These include the number of children in the family, its total household income, the regional living wage, the local standard cost of housing and communal services, the maximum permissible expenditure on utility bills in that region, and the regional standard for residential area.”
Moreover, certain regions offer additional financial support to large families, such as subsidies for capital repair contributions.
According to Khrustova, the utility payment benefit is provided in the form of a subsidy, meaning a portion of the paid amount is reimbursed to the payer`s account. It`s crucial to note that compensation will not be issued if the payer has accumulated outstanding debts for housing and communal services.
