Significant Portion Of Benefits Taken Away From Belarusians

What will change and for whom from July 1?

From July 1, the social package that the state previously guaranteed to the population will be cut in Belarus. For example, it may become more difficult to get into boarding houses, and social services from private individuals will be subject to licensing. Zerkalo reminds us of the main innovations.

In Belarus, there are state guarantees for social services. This is what our officials like to focus on when they talk about a socially oriented state. This social package has until now been considered largely untouchable — something that the state guarantees and that is not subject to significant changes.

When they talk about social services, they mean, among other things, special territorial centers, boarding houses, family and children's centers, as well as non-governmental non-profit organizations that provide social services under government orders.

Getting into nursing homes may become more difficult

From July 1, long-term care for social services and medical care will also be provided in a new way. Officials want people who need such assistance to be kept at home for as long as possible. They will be able to transfer them to a nursing home if their health condition does not allow them to stay in their own home.

“Organizing such care will allow citizens in need of care to stay in their usual favorable home environment as long as possible,” the Ministry of Labor stated earlier.

However, nursing homes for the elderly and disabled want to be called by a new name — social boarding houses, nursing homes for disabled children with special psychophysical development — children's social boarding houses, and special homes for veterans, the elderly and disabled — supported living homes.

They will optimize the range of social services that a person can receive

Officials will also change the criteria by which they will determine that a person needs social services. For example, those that are provided to people at home — through social workers.

“Today, a medical model is used, that is, the need for social services is based on a person's health. At the same time, such a model does not take into account the individual characteristics of recipients of social services,” the Ministry of Labor noted earlier.

From July 1, officials intend to take into account, in addition to health, “the citizen's living conditions (availability of a barrier-free environment, amenities, hot water, elevator), as well as his social environment and other factors”.

The list of those who can apply for social services will be cut

Starting next month, the list of reasons for which a person can be recognized as having found himself in a difficult life situation and provided with social services will also be adjusted. As stated in the bill, for example, unemployment and the presence of a child with special psychophysical development in the family will be excluded from such grounds (but the clause on the presence of a disabled child will be left). Another important point is that the absence of able-bodied relatives who are legally obligated to support a person in a difficult life situation has been removed from this list. For example, this could be children who are supposed to look after their parents.

At the same time, the list of reasons for providing social protection includes orphanhood, lack of a fixed place of residence, the birth of twins (three or more children), as well as family problems and domestic violence.

Social services from private individuals will be subject to licensing

Licensing will be introduced for private individuals who provide social services with accommodation to the elderly and disabled from July 1. They will have to obtain a license from local authorities before October 1 of this year. Earlier, similar licensing was introduced for schools, which is why many private ones were closed.

There are at least 15 private nursing homes in Belarus. Only one of the networks has boarding houses in ten cities of Belarus.

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