The Housing Code regulates a number of important rules and requirements that must be met when people use housing and communal services. Subsidizing is one of the norms of legislation in this area. Article 159 of the Housing Code states that some social groups of the population, including low-income citizens, have the right to use state support when paying. The opportunity to participate in the preferential program is also supported by a special Government Decree, which is aimed at the physical implementation of the foundations of the housing complex of the Russian Federation.
A family whose income cannot physically cover the costs of utilities can receive support. To confirm the impossibility of paying the full cost of services, you must provide the necessary package of documents to the relevant authorities. The discount amount under this program is not always standardized for all constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Often, the requirements and rules of the municipality, which determine the standards for the size of living space, play an important role. Local standards and payment tariffs for housing and communal services are also taken into account.
Who can receive a subsidy
According to the Housing Code, Article 159. Providing subsidies for the payment of housing and utilities of the Russian Federation, a subsidy can be received if a family spends more than the maximum share of the total family income established in the region on housing and communal services. At the federal level, the starting point is set by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 29, 2005 N 541 (as amended on December 16, 2006) “On federal standards for payment of housing and utilities” at 22% of total income, but regional authorities have the right to reduce this figure.
If the average per capita family income is below the regional subsistence level, then the maximum share is reduced in accordance with the coefficient, which is calculated using the formula:
Coefficient = average per capita family income / cost of living in the region.
The following can apply for a subsidy:
- Owners of the apartment.
- Citizens occupying housing on social rent terms.
- Members of housing cooperatives.
- Citizens renting an apartment from private individuals - subject to an official contract and permanent registration at the place of residence.
Oksana Krasovskaya
Leading lawyer of the European Legal Service
If you live in an apartment owned by a relative, but are not registered in it and have not entered into a rental agreement, you cannot apply for a subsidy. Those who rent an apartment but are not registered in it should also not count on help from the state.
If you have several residential premises, a subsidy can be applied for only one of them - the one in which you are registered.
Additional housing benefits for military personnel
In addition to subsidies for the purchase or construction of housing, military personnel have the right to benefits in relation to the hiring and purchase of housing:
- housing rental compensation;
- savings-mortgage system.
We will talk about them briefly.
Compensation for rental housing
If a serviceman does not have housing at his place of service, he will have to rent an apartment or room. The state compensates part of the amount for renting housing.
The amount of compensation directly depends on the number of people who live with the military man and the area in which the housing will be rented. The maximum amount of compensation that can be paid to a military personnel for renting housing per month is calculated using the following formula:
For example, if a serviceman moved alone, then he is entitled to a living space of 20 square meters, if together with his wife, then 36 square meters. Provided that the family of a serviceman consists of three people, including him, then they are entitled to housing of at least 43 square meters, and if there are 4 or more people in the family, then at the rate of 12 square meters for each family member
.
To determine the amount of compensation for renting housing, you can use the online calculator located on the official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, following this link.
The calculator is easy to use. You only need to select the number of family members and region of residence.
As an example, we took a family consisting of a serviceman, his wife and one child. It is planned to rent an apartment in the Tyumen region. Total, the maximum amount of compensation in 2021 will be 22,228.42 rubles per month
.
And, for example, if a serviceman is sent to serve under a contract in the Kursk region, then the amount of compensation in 2021 will not exceed 8,332.54 rubles per month.
To receive compensation for rented housing, a service member must first apply for it. To do this, you must provide the commander of the military unit with:
- report;
- a copy of the rental agreement;
- certificate of family composition from the military unit;
- a copy of passports and birth certificates of military personnel's family members;
- other documents.
Compensation is accrued monthly simultaneously with the payment of the serviceman's salary for the past month
.
Savings and mortgage system
Also, military personnel are given the opportunity to join the accumulative housing system (NIS) in accordance with Government Decree No. 89 dated February 21, 2005. 3 years after joining the NIS, a serviceman has the right to enter into a targeted housing loan agreement for the purchase or construction of housing
.
If both spouses are military personnel and participants in the NIS, then each of them has the right to enter into a targeted housing loan agreement, but the housing will still be purchased as common property.
The responsible body for the functioning and control of the NIS is the Federal State Institution “Rosvoenipoteka”. On their official website, you can study the regulatory documents in detail, find out how to become a member of the NIS or how a certificate of entitlement to receive CLC is issued, and also ask your question.
You can read more about NIS
in another article on our website.
How to get a subsidy for utility bills
Prepare documents
You need to collect a package of documents, which will include:
- Application for a subsidy, which indicates all family members living in the apartment.
- Certificate of family composition (obtained at the passport office, valid for 2 weeks).
- An extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate confirming that you own the apartment. Or a copy of the rental agreement.
- A copy of the applicant's passport, including the page indicating the place of permanent registration.
- A copy of the single payment document for the month that passed before applying for a subsidy. The document must reflect the total amount of payment and information about the presence or absence of debt.
- Income certificates for all family members for at least six months. This is a 2-NDFL certificate from your place of work, a document on the amount of a scholarship from the university, and so on. Those who are not working need to provide a copy of their work record book and a certificate from the employment center stating that you are or are not registered. Moreover, if the husband and wife do not live together and are registered at different addresses, the income will still be considered joint and the subsidy can only be issued for one apartment.
- Copies of documents on the basis of which you receive any benefits, social support measures and compensation for paying housing and communal services (compensations are assigned only to preferential categories of citizens: large families, pensioners, orphans, and so on). Copies of documents must be notarized or provided along with the original.
- Documents confirming the citizenship of all family members: internal passport, military ID with an insert with a mark on citizenship, birth certificate with an insert). Moreover, subsidies can be received not only by Russians, but also by citizens of states with which the Russian Federation has concluded a corresponding international treaty (currently Belarus and Kyrgyzstan).
The subsidy is provided only if the citizen has no debt on housing and communal services or if there is an agreement in which he undertakes to repay it.
Submit documents
You can submit a package of documents to:
- Territorial department of the regional social protection authority.
- Multifunctional Center. The address of the nearest one can be found on the website of the MFC of Russia.
In some cities, you can apply for a subsidy through the State Services website. You should look for this function in the . Click on the "All services" button.
Select the section “Benefits for payment of housing and communal services”.
Depending on the region, the required service will be called differently. You should look for the option “Providing citizens with subsidies to pay for housing and utilities” or something similar.
Then click on the “Get a service” button, and the system will take you to the local service page where you can apply for a subsidy.
If not, on the page you can familiarize yourself with the available methods of submitting documents specifically in your locality.
Who is entitled to benefits for utility bills?
The following persons can receive assistance from the state in the form of a discount on housing and communal services for a residential building or apartment:
- a citizen with a heroic title;
- persons with a disability group or veterans of the Great Patriotic War, “hot spots”;
- blood relatives of military personnel who died during hostilities;
- people belonging to the most vulnerable segment of the population;
- pensioners;
- citizens affected by radiation;
- low-income families.
According to 2021 statistics, the last category of citizens is the largest. In view of this, the question of what signs correspond to status remains relevant. To determine the right to use assistance for a category of low-income family, it is necessary:
- calculate the arithmetic average of total expenses for housing and communal services for the last six months;
- summarize the incomes of all able-bodied citizens;
- determine the percentage of payment for housing and communal services from the total amount of income.
If communal services account for more than 22% of the income structure, then the owner of the residential premises will help to obtain social assistance on an absolutely legal basis.
How is the subsidy calculated?
The amount of payments is calculated using the formula:
Subsidy amount per month = MS × n – MDO / 100 × D.
MS is the established minimum cost of utilities in a separate municipality per person (established by the regional executive body and published on its website).
n is the number of family members.
MDO is the maximum permissible share of the total family income to pay for housing and communal services. It is established by the regional legislative body and published on its website. For the calculation, only the number is taken, without taking into account the % sign.
D is the total family income.
If the earnings per family member are below the subsistence level, then a coefficient (K) is added to the formula:
Subsidy amount per month = MS × n – MDO / 100 × D × K.
The formula may change if you are part of a population group eligible for additional benefits:
- Heroes of the Soviet Union or Russia, heroes of Socialist Labor.
- Disabled people, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, their close dependent relatives.
- Disabled relatives of military personnel who died in combat or as a result of diseases acquired in service.
- People affected by radiation who participated in the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
- Disabled people of all groups, families caring for disabled children.
The list may be expanded by regional authorities.
The subsidy will be provided only for that part of the apartment that fits into the regional standard for the standard area of living space. You will have to pay in full for the “extra” square meters yourself.
The normative area standard is established by the legislative body of the subject. You can find it on the website of this body or on the portals of the departments responsible for social protection.
Subsidy for housing purchase
The state is obliged to fully provide military personnel with everything necessary
- including housing. The right to housing is spelled out in Article 15 of Federal Law No. 76-FZ of May 27, 1998 “On the status of military personnel.” In addition to this law, Government Resolution No. 76 of 02/03/2014 was adopted, which approves the rules for calculating subsidies for the purchase of housing for military personnel.
Which military personnel are entitled to a housing subsidy?
Article 15 of the Federal Law “On the Status of Military Personnel” states that a subsidy can be provided to a military personnel and members of his family only if they are classified as needing housing
in accordance with Article 51 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. That is, if the serviceman does not have residential premises that belong to him by right of ownership, or there is not enough living space for each person. For example, if an apartment of 35 square meters is owned by three people, that is, each person has less than 12 square meters, then this is not enough, so the family will be recognized as needy.
The rules for calculating the subsidy state that if a serviceman owns housing, but its area is not enough to meet the standard, then the subsidy is calculated taking into account the housing that is already owned.
Military personnel are entitled to receive a housing subsidy provided that they have served under a contract for more than 20 years
. However, there are exceptions.
A serviceman discharged from military service whose total duration of service was 10 years or more
, housing compensation is also due, provided that the dismissal was made
on one of the following grounds:
- reaching retirement age:
- for health;
- in connection with organizational and staffing events.
If the contract for military service was signed before 1998, then the length of service is no longer taken into account, since before 2014 the required number of years of service for obtaining a housing subsidy had already passed.
Who is eligible to receive a subsidy out of turn?
Get a housing subsidy out of turn
Some categories of military personnel may:
- if there are three or more children in the family;
- whose housing is declared unfit for habitation and cannot be repaired or reconstructed;
- one of the family members suffers from a severe form of a chronic disease, in which living together with him is considered impossible, in accordance with Order of the Ministry of Health of Russia dated November 29, 2012 No. 987n.
Family members of a serviceman who died while serving under a contract can also receive a housing subsidy out of turn.
, who already had the right to a subsidy on a general basis (but, for example, did not have time to apply for it).
Living space standard for a military man
The standard size of living space for military personnel and their families is established by paragraph 3 of Rules No. 76:
- 33 square meters per soldier;
- 42 square meters for a family of two people;
- 18 square meters for each member of a family consisting of three or more people.
Moreover, if a serviceman already owns housing, then the established standard is reduced by the size of the existing housing.
For example, a soldier’s family consists of four people, including himself. The property has an apartment of 32 square meters. The subsidy will be calculated based on the total required living space of 40 square meters
(18 sq.m. * 4 people – 32 sq.m.).
Additional living space - what is it?
Some categories of military personnel are entitled to additional living space. They can be divided into 3 categories according to the size of the additional area:
- 15 square meters;
- 18 square meters or room;
- 20 square meters.
The right to an additional 15 square meters of living space
have the following categories of military personnel:
- commanders of military units;
- scientific workers with an academic degree or title;
- if you have an honorary title of the Russian Federation;
- teachers of a military professional educational organization, including higher education or a military department;
- having the military rank of colonel equal to or higher.
Additional 18 square meters or room
are provided to military personnel who:
- are disabled people suffering from certain types of diseases in accordance with Order of the Ministry of Health of Russia dated November 30, 2012 No. 991n;
- suffer from severe forms of chronic diseases, in which living together with them is impossible, according to Order of the Ministry of Health of Russia dated November 29, 2012 No. 987n.
Right to an additional 20 square meters
The following categories of military personnel are entitled to the established standard of living space:
- heroes of the Russian Federation, heroes of the Soviet Union, full holders of the Order of Glory;
- heroes of Labor of the Russian Federation, heroes of Socialist Labor, full holders of the Order of Labor Glory;
- military judges;
- employees of the Investigative Committee.
Calculation of the amount of housing subsidy
The rules for calculating subsidies for the purchase or construction of housing are prescribed in paragraph 2 of Rules No. 76. The amount of the subsidy is calculated using the following formula:
The value of the correction factor directly depends on the service life and is:
- 1.85 – service life from 10 to 16 years;
- 2.25 – service life from 16 to 20 years;
- 2.375 – service life from 20 to 21 years.
- by 0.075 for each year of military service over 21 years.
The maximum correction factor is 2.75 (inclusive).
The standard value for the cost of 1 square meter of housing is established annually by the Russian government.
You can also calculate the amount of the subsidy using a special online calculator located on the official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation at this link.
For example, a family consists of 4 people, one of whom is a military serviceman who served under a contract for 22 years. There is no right to additional living space. The serviceman also does not own housing.
In total, the applicant is entitled to receive a housing subsidy in the amount of 8,939,651.4 rubles
.
If we slightly correct our example and reduce the service life by 7 years, that is, to 15 years, then the amount of the housing subsidy will be 6,549,843.6 rubles
(almost 2.5 million rubles less).
Let's take another example. A family consists of three people; a serviceman has the right to an additional area of 15 square meters, since he is the commander of a military unit. But he already owns an apartment with a total area of 34 square meters. Service life – 20 years and 3 months.
In total, he will be able to receive a subsidy for the purchase of housing, or rather, for improving living conditions, in the amount of 4,087,505.63 rubles.
Please note that the calculator independently calculated the total area of housing.
How to apply for a subsidy for the purchase of housing
To receive a housing subsidy, a serviceman must initially register as one in need of improved housing conditions.
. To do this, write an application and attach all the necessary documents, for example, about the availability of other housing and a certificate of family composition. The application is sent to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (possibly through the unit commander). On the day the application is received, the serviceman is added to the queue.
After this, a person can track his turn through the online service
“Unified Register” on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. To view, use your personal number and verification code.
After it was the turn
, the soldier will need:
- open a current account where the subsidy will be transferred;
- submit an application to the Regional Housing Administration of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Within 20 calendar days, the serviceman must receive a response (positive or negative). If the decision is positive, the money will be credited to your current account within 5 business days. After purchasing housing, the serviceman must report on the intended use of the funds received.
A negative decision may come, for example, if not all documents were provided or if new housing had already been registered for the serviceman
.
How is the subsidy paid?
The housing subsidy department of the local administration (the name may change depending on the locality) will review the application, check the veracity of the documents and respond within 10 working days. If any paper is missing, you must bring it within a month, otherwise you will have to start the procedure all over again.
If officials make a positive decision on your request, the money will begin to be transferred to your bank account.
For those who, for health reasons or other reasons, cannot open and use bank accounts, the subsidy will be delivered to their homes via mail.
Oksana Krasovskaya
If the application was submitted from the 1st to the 15th, the subsidy will be accrued from the first day of the current month, if after the 15th - from the first day of the next month.
The money will be paid within six months, then the documents will have to be collected and submitted again. If you are denied a subsidy, you must be notified within five working days.
In what cases will the subsidy stop being paid?
According to Oksana Krasovskaya, there are four cases in which money will stop being transferred to your account:
- You haven't paid your utility bills for two months.
- The recipient of the subsidy changed his place of residence and did not notify the social security authorities about this within a month after the move.
- The composition of the subsidy recipient's family changed, and he did not report this to the social security authorities within a month.
- The recipient of the subsidy does not comply with the terms of the agreement to repay the debt.
To find out about violations, the social protection authority only needs to periodically contact the management company and the migration department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for your region. In the first organization they find out about the debts, in the second - that a new tenant has registered in your apartment or you have checked out of it.
First, the social security authority will suspend the payment of the subsidy for 30 days, notifying you of this in writing within five days, and will try to find out whether you had good reasons for the violations (long-term hospital treatment, death of a relative, delayed wages, etc.). If yes, you will be paid for the missed month, and further payments will go according to schedule.
If there are no valid reasons, the subsidy will no longer be paid. You can re-issue payments when all the shortcomings have been eliminated. In this case, you will have to collect the documents to apply for the subsidy again.
