Benefits for widows of WWII participants: what they are and how to get them

After the death of a person who took part in hostilities, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation in terms of social support for veterans, the benefits provided to the widows of WWII participants will not be maintained in the same amount. However, the state still actively supports this category of persons and offers a slightly reduced but effective list of benefits.

  • 2 Types of social benefits for widows of WWII participants
  • 3 Preferential pensions for widows of WWII participants
  • 4 Final recommendations

New benefits for widows of combat veterans in 2020

  • personal civil passport;
  • photo 3x4 cm;
  • documentary confirmation of the husband’s status (participant, veteran, disabled person);
  • funeral notice (if deceased) or death certificate in peacetime;
  • marriage certificate;
  • a certificate from the housing office about the composition of the applicant’s family;
  • additionally (optional) confirmation of the absence of registration of a new marriage.
  1. Municipal branch of the Pension Fund (PFR) - for processing federal payments;
  2. Local administration - to issue a housing certificate if necessary;
  3. Social Security Administration - to secure regional benefits and receive discounts on housing and housing department services.

This is important to know: Free consultation with a military lawyer

What benefits are granted to widows?

Widows of WWII veterans can receive an annual payment of 500 rubles. They also have the right to count on receiving a new apartment if the needy family was registered before February 1, 2005. If the deceased veteran was dependent on disabled children or the widow herself, then they can apply for a survivor’s pension.

  • 150% of the deceased spouse’s pension if he died from a disease that arose during military service;
  • 200% of the pension of a deceased retired military serviceman, if the cause of death was an illness acquired during military service;
  • 3600 rub. – for the widow of a contract soldier;
  • 40% of the amount of pay if the officer died due to an injury caused during military service;
  • 30% upon death of a spouse in military service.

Benefits and payments to relatives upon the death of a serviceman

rubles;

  1. disabled war veterans;
  2. WWII veterans;
  3. workers of Leningrad hospitals and clinics during the Second World War.
  4. during the Second World War, members of air defense personnel and emergency crews;
  5. combat veterans;

It is important to know that the number of combat veterans includes only those fighters who participated in operations within the country and abroad, officially recognized by the state as military/combat. Benefits are given to relatives of a veteran if the deceased:

  1. participated in military operations of the Russian Federation and during the existence of the USSR;
  2. cleared the territories after the Second World War before

Benefits for widows of deceased WWII participants - a list of benefits and how to get them

  1. application of the established form;
  2. passport;
  3. death certificate of a spouse or death notice (for those killed at the front);
  4. Marriage certificate;
  5. WWII participant certificate. If there is no such certificate, then upon prior request the military registration and enlistment office can provide the relevant certificate;
  6. Photo 3x4.
  • Pension Fund (to determine cash payments);
  • Department of Social Protection (to issue a certificate for improving housing conditions and benefits for paying for housing and communal services and housing). In the latter case, in addition to the ID of the widow of a WWII participant, you will also need an extract from the house register, a technical passport of the residential premises and paid receipts for housing and communal services for the previous month;
  • In the organization of housing and communal services (to receive benefits for the purchase and delivery of bottled gas and fuel for houses that do not have central heating or a gas pipeline).

Benefits for the Widow of a Combat Veteran

In addition, it should be borne in mind that, according to Art. 23.1. According to the Law on Veterans, widows of participants in the Great Patriotic War and combat veterans are entitled to monthly cash payments (MCP) in the amount of 600 rubles, subject to indexation.

In the new version of the Veterans Law, this restriction is removed. Now, social support measures apply to widows of participants in the Great Patriotic War who did not remarry even when they live not alone, but also with other relatives.

For widows of combat veterans who have not remarried, social support measures are provided not only to those of them who live alone, but also to those living with minor children, regardless of their number, or with children over 18 years of age who have become disabled before they reach 18 years old, or with children under the age of 23 and studying full-time in educational institutions. The new law is significant for many widows of veterans.

It is known that widows of participants in the Great Patriotic War: - people of advanced age, burdened with illnesses, they need constant help from their loved ones, and therefore mostly live with relatives. But under the old law, this was an obstacle to their receiving social support.

After the adoption of the above amendments, this obstacle disappears.

Good afternoon My husband was a combat veteran. Died in 2020. I am currently registered and live with my adult daughter (34 years old). Am I eligible to receive a Combat Veteran Widow ID? Thank you in advance!

This is important to know: Indexation of wages for military personnel in 2020

Hello, Maria, I just wanted to clarify the question about paying for housing and communal services. I have 2 sons living with me, one of them is a group 2 disabled person. For 2.5 years I was paid monetary compensation and everything was fine.

Expert opinion

Grigoriev Pavel Kirillovich

Head of the department for conscription of citizens for military service of the Russian Federation

This year in September, instead of the required compensation, I received some pennies, after calling the EIRC in Gatchina, they told me that the payments were calculated for 2 people and now I still owe about 2.5 thousand rubles.

I don't understand anything. Please explain.

What pension is due to the widow of a military pensioner?

In this paragraph, we will consider only options that provide for the retirement age of the widow of a serviceman. Upon reaching retirement age, the widow of a serviceman can apply for pension payments in accordance with her own length of service or switch to her spouse’s pension. In both cases, she can take advantage of the benefits provided by law.

How is it calculated?

After the death of her husband, the widow is assigned the right to live in the official living space, unless she is provided with other comfortable housing in return. She is also entitled to receive the following additional benefits:

Paragraph 2 of Article 21 states that widows, regardless of their state of health and degree of ability to work, the availability of wages and pension payments, have legal grounds for obtaining the preferential conditions described in paragraph 1.

  • utilities: with the possibility of receiving a 50% discount on payments for electricity, heat, sewerage, waste disposal, but within the limits of the standards;
  • housing with the possibility of improving the housing that the widow received from her husband;
  • medical with the opportunity to visit health resorts and sanatoriums using vouchers issued by the organization in which the veteran previously worked;
  • transport with the right to free travel on suburban railway transport;
  • pensioners with the right to receive an increase to the basic pension;
  • social with the right of priority check-in into nursing homes and various boarding houses, and receiving assistance from social services.

Benefits for widows of WWII participants provided by the state

This category is considered preferential, since women who were the spouses of front-line soldiers who defended the Motherland during hostilities throughout 1941-1945 also worked for the benefit of the country and tried to provide their family with everything they needed in difficult times. In the post-war period, many of the fighters did not have the opportunity to find a job due to illnesses and injuries, which prompted their wives to take the burden of responsibility for supporting their relatives and friends on their shoulders.

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The government agency to which the application must be submitted depends on this. In addition to pension payments, Russian legislation still provides some benefits to widows: Thus, the state provides financial support to women who remain financially unprotected after the death of military personnel

  • armed forces of the Russian Federation;
  • internal affairs bodies and the penitentiary system;
  • "Rosguard";
  • state fire service;
  • authorities for control over the circulation of drugs and psychotropic substances;
  • military formations of the former Union.

The procedure for obtaining a pension for the widow of a military pensioner and its amount in 2020

  • 50% on the amount of the spouse’s allowance if he went into the reserves or died due to a military injury;
  • 40% - if death occurred due to an illness acquired during service.

Social pensions are subject to indexation - annually from April 1, taking into account the growth rate of the living wage of a pensioner in the Russian Federation over the past year. The indexation coefficient of social pensions is determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.

State assistance to widows of combat veterans in Afghanistan

The state provided a number of social guarantees to citizens who participated in the military operation in Afghanistan. They rightfully deserve these payments and preferences. However, widows of combatants are a different category that is worth talking about in more detail. Benefits are granted to them if several conditions are met.

In order to clarify information about receiving benefits, widows of combat veterans should contact the city administration or the Department of Social Protection of the Population. These issues are within their competence.

How to apply for benefits

The fundamental document giving the right to benefits to widows of WWII participants is the corresponding certificate. This paper is issued by the territorial social security department.

To do this, you will need to contact the social security service, write an application for granting this status, and present the following set of documentation :

  • Passport for personal identification.
  • Photo size 3x4 cm.
  • Certificate of death of a spouse who was a veteran of the Great Patriotic War.
  • A certificate from the registry office confirming the fact of being officially married.
  • Veteran's certificate of the deceased spouse.
  • A certificate from the house management indicating joint residence with him.

The certificate is issued within a calendar month, and within this period must be handed over to the spouse of the deceased veteran.

After receiving the certificate, the spouse of the deceased will be able to apply for all required payments and preferences by contacting the pension fund or social security institution.

Benefits intended for widows of WWII participants

For widows of WWII participants, the procedure for providing assistance is different: they all fall under a preferential category and receive support from the state, even if they have a job. The only exceptions are the wives of deceased war participants who remarried. In this case, the benefit is cancelled.

  • provision of free medical care in a departmental health care institution;
  • free distribution of necessary medications;
  • free vouchers for health improvement and rehabilitation in sanatoriums owned by the military department;
  • preferential provision of directions to resorts;
  • housing benefits (reduced utility bills).

Who is entitled to privileges

State assistance to the spouses of deceased veterans and disabled people of the Great Patriotic War is provided for by the provisions of Article 21 of the Federal Law No. 5, as well as a number of local legislative acts of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Widows of war participants include the spouses of the deceased:

  1. Soldiers of the Red Army and Navy, and other paramilitary units who took direct part in the battles on the fields of the Great Patriotic War.
  2. Persons who worked in teams for the collection and disposal of ammunition and equipment on the battlefields.
  3. Participants in mining and demining operations of territories and national economic facilities.
  4. Soldiers who received disabilities as a result of wounds and injuries inflicted on them during the Great Patriotic War.

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Widows of the above persons have the right to receive benefits after the death of their spouse, up to remarriage.

Reasons

In 2020, it is possible to receive the following benefits:

  • early retirement;
  • registration of a survivor's pension, including for minors and adult disabled children of a deceased military man, a pensioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a participant in the liquidation of the consequences at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;
  • the opportunity to receive free medical care in departmental institutions;
  • payment for travel to the burial place of the spouse, treatment in a sanatorium;
  • payment for cargo (up to 20 tons) – when a widow moves to a new place of residence;
  • the right to a housing subsidy if a veteran, deceased military member, or participant in military operations joined the queue before February 1, 2005;
  • non-competitive enrollment of children in military universities;
  • receiving housing and communal services subsidies.

It is possible to receive part of the benefits at the regional level - payment for travel on public transport, except for taxis. Benefits are provided to widows if they have not entered into a new official marriage.

Accepted documents include a citizen's death certificate and marriage certificate. Based on them, you can issue a payment.

To receive housing benefits, you must be in line to improve your living conditions and (or) be a participant in the savings mortgage system.

Important clarifications

All of these types of benefits are provided to the spouses of deceased war veterans, and not to all WWII veterans. According to paragraphs. 1 clause 1 art. 2 laws “On Veterans” recognize the following as war participants:

  • military personnel of the army and navy;
  • military personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, state security, intelligence and counterintelligence who participated in hostilities;
  • members of partisan detachments and organizations;
  • workers and employees of enterprises that supported the activities of the army and navy, equal in status to military personnel.

Wives of other categories of persons who during their lifetime had the status of WWII veterans (home front workers, residents of besieged Leningrad, persons who worked on the construction of defense facilities, etc.) do not receive the right to preferential benefits after the death of their spouse.

Also, these types of social assistance are provided to widows only if they have not remarried.

Which ones are required?

Most benefits for the spouses of the deceased relate to pensions. Housing subsidies and compensation for housing and communal services are provided.

Widows have the right to take care of the education of children in common with the deceased beneficiary. They can be enrolled in specialized universities without competition.

Payments

The amount of the survivor's pension for a military serviceman is as follows:

  • 150% of the deceased spouse’s pension if he died from a disease that arose during military service;
  • 200% of the pension of a deceased retired military serviceman, if the cause of death was an illness acquired during military service;
  • 3600 rub. – for the widow of a contract soldier;
  • 40% of the amount of pay if the officer died due to an injury caused during military service;
  • 30% upon death of a spouse in military service.

This is important to know: What documents are needed for contract service: 2020 list

For housing and communal services payments

To apply for a subsidy, you will need to contact the social security authorities and confirm your need for the subsidy, i.e. the cost of paying for services should be at least 20-22% of the total family income.

Medical service

Wives of deceased servicemen have the right to receive medical care in departmental institutions. If they have a disability, they may also be entitled to free medicine.

Preferential medical care is also available to family members of a deceased military man, a liquidator of the Chernobyl accident.

Other

Expert opinion

Grigoriev Pavel Kirillovich

Head of the department for conscription of citizens for military service of the Russian Federation

The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs regularly hold events dedicated to the memory of military personnel and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who died in the performance of their duty. On them, widows are given memorable gifts and other material incentives.

Similar events are held by societies of veterans of the Great Patriotic War and other military operations in the regions.

How to use?

To receive benefits, you will need to contact the military commissariat at the widow’s place of residence, the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, and social security authorities. All payments and preferences are provided only on an application basis.

Where to contact?

The widow addresses:

  • to the military registration and enlistment office;
  • to social security authorities - to receive housing and communal services subsidies;
  • to the Pension Fund of Russia - to process the payment.

The housing subsidy is issued by the local administration.

A widow has the right to receive housing from the Ministry of Defense if the spouse was a participant in the funded mortgage system, including when he received a housing certificate during his lifetime.

Documentation

The list of documents depends on the specific benefit. The widow must provide:

  • military documents confirming the status of a military man, employee, pensioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, veteran, cause of death (if necessary);
  • death certificate of the spouse;
  • photo 3*4 – when issuing a certificate confirming the right to a measure of social support from the state;
  • copy of passport;
  • copies of the children's registration certificate;
  • title documents for real estate - to receive a housing subsidy.

When applying for a housing and communal services privilege, you must provide a certificate confirming that you have no debts to pay for utilities.

What benefits are available to foster families with many children? Information here.

Are there any benefits for entering a university after the army? Details in this article.

Additional points

All of the above shows what kind of assistance is available to widows of those participating in the Great Patriotic War. But this is only at the state level. Local authorities may provide additional benefits, for example, for funerals. For more reliable information, you need to contact the social service at your place of residence.

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Do they depend on the region?

Most benefits come from the federal budget. At the regional level, subsidies for housing and communal services are paid, compensation for travel on public transport, to the burial place of the deceased spouse. Pension provision for widows is provided at the expense of federal funds.

The difficulty lies in obtaining a housing subsidy, the processing time for which can take years. In a controversial situation, including in the presence of litigation, the support of a qualified lawyer is desirable.

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