Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection: 450 veterans of the Great Patriotic War live in the Vitebsk region

450 veterans of the Great Patriotic War and 2.8 thousand citizens affected by the consequences of the war live in the Vitebsk region, reported Vera Astapenko, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

The oldest participants and disabled veterans of the war are now over 100 years old, and the youngest are around 90 (these are partisans and underground fighters).

Disabled veterans of the 1st and 2nd groups receive about Br273 in addition to their pension, and those of the 3rd group - Br171. War participants, as well as those who took part in demining territories in 1943-1945, receive Br171 each. Besieged Leningrad residents and former prisoners of Nazi concentration camps receive Br68 each. Those awarded with USSR orders and medals for selfless labor and impeccable service in the rear, and disabled persons since childhood due to injury or concussion related to the war, receive Br34 in addition to their pensions. Family members who lost their spouses during the war and have not remarried receive allowances ranging from Br68 to Br123. And taking into account these allowances, the average pension for a disabled veteran is estimated to be Br832 in May, and for a war participant, again, according to preliminary estimates, - Br690.

These are not the only pension supplements that war veterans and victims of its consequences receive. Those who have reached the age of 75 (and this includes everyone born during the war years) receive a monthly age supplement. From May 1, its amount is Br51 for those aged 75-79, and Br68 for those aged 80 and older. In addition to the age supplement, those who have reached the age of 80 receive a monthly care allowance - this is another Br34. For those who have reached the age of 80 and are disabled persons of the 1st group, this allowance is twice as high - Br68. Thus, persons who lived through the war years, war participants, and persons affected by its consequences receive three types of allowances and additional pension payments.

War veterans and victims of its consequences are special categories. Therefore, a revealing principle of additional social support is applied to them. In order to

to identify the problems and needs of these individuals, annual surveys of their living conditions are conducted. Traditionally, this survey takes place in the first quarter so that all submitted applications can be fulfilled by the May holidays. This year, 3.1 thousand representatives of these categories were surveyed. And we managed to fulfill all applications by May 1st. Approximately 237 people received assistance. This includes cleaning of residential premises, adjacent territories, chopping firewood, providing firewood, as well as measures aimed at ensuring the safety of elderly people's living conditions: repair of residential premises, stoves, electrical wiring, gas equipment, and so on. Additionally, applications received throughout the year will be promptly fulfilled. Volunteers, organizations, and enterprises are involved in this. Those who need additional support in the form of social services receive social services provided by territorial centers for social services of the population and nursing homes. We have 25 territorial centers and 14 nursing homes for adults. Among war veterans and victims, 335 receive social services at home. According to the law, such services should be provided on a paid basis to these categories, but by the decision of local authorities, all Great Patriotic War veterans are exempt from paying for social services at home. In nursing homes, 27 people from the specified categories receive round-the-clock social and medical assistance. In addition, 206 veterans and affected citizens receive individual care from family members with the payment of a benefit for caring for a Group 1 disabled person or an elderly person over 80 years old. The amount of this benefit is the subsistence minimum budget. This is slightly more than Br273. In addition, war veterans and persons affected by its consequences are provided with a wide range of social benefits. Veterans receive benefits in the areas of healthcare, sanatorium-resort treatment, public transport travel, and payment for housing and communal services. This includes free provision of medicines, freemaking and repairing of dentures, free provision of technical means of social rehabilitation, priority free sanatorium-resort treatment. Moreover, if Heroes of the Soviet Union or disabled persons and participants of the Great Patriotic War have not exercised their right, they are paid monetary assistance for health improvement - 10 basic units. War veterans are entitled to free travel on all types of urban passenger transport, and a 50 percent discount on the maintenance of premises where they live.

May 9 is a very important and special holiday for all of us. There are fewer and fewer veterans every day. Therefore, we have organized a large number of events aimed at preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War. Territorial centers organize meetings with those who survived this war so that they can pass on the memory of those terrible events to the youth, tell how they felt in those circumstances, and convey to our youth the idea that such a thing should not be repeated. Every veteran of the Great Patriotic War will be congratulated on this holiday, and this work will not stop, because for us it is a unique opportunity to once again communicate with the people who took part in those great events.