Reports are emerging from multi-child families across Russia detailing persistent difficulties in accessing state-provided social benefits. Many families find themselves in a frustrating paradox: according to official policy, benefits exist, yet in practice, they remain largely inaccessible or difficult to obtain. The core issue appears to be a complex web of bureaucratic requirements, regional discrepancies, and interpretations of eligibility rules that create significant hurdles for those who need the support most.
One of the recurring problems highlighted by families is the potential loss of multi-child status if a family member, even a child, obtains registration in a different region. Legal experts indicate that current regulations offer little recourse against this outcome, leaving families who relocate or whose members have diverse registration points vulnerable to losing their status and associated support.
Adding to the complexity is the matter of the multi-child family certificate itself. While initially issued upon the birth of the third child to confirm status, these certificates often have an expiration date. Families attempting to renew their status upon expiration are sometimes met with refusal, effectively revoking their official recognition as a multi-child family, despite their continued circumstances. One listener from Chuvashia shared her experience, holding an expired, effectively invalid certificate after her application for renewal was denied, rendering her family no longer officially `multi-child`.
Federal benefits, such as access to cultural institutions or early pension for mothers, are theoretically guaranteed nationwide, irrespective of a family`s region of residence. However, a significant portion of support, including free land plots, school meals, public transport passes, parking discounts, and utility bill reductions, falls under the purview of regional authorities. This is where the system becomes particularly challenging.
While a presidential decree stipulated that regional support should be provided without a needs-based assessment, this is reportedly only the case in 42 regions. In the remaining regions, multi-child families must also qualify as officially “low-income” to receive regional benefits. This introduces another layer of complexity and potential inequity.
The definition and calculation of family income for low-income status can also be a significant barrier. A state employee from Moscow Oblast, a multi-child father, recounted how his application for additional benefits was denied because his income was calculated based on his gross salary before tax deductions. Despite his net income being stretched thin supporting five people, the gross figure pushed his family`s per capita income above the regional minimum living wage threshold (around 18,296 rubles per person in Moscow Oblast currently), disqualifying them from regional support. He lamented the irony: “It seems like the benefits are there, but you can`t access them,” due to what he described as bureaucratic calculation practices.
The ongoing reports underscore a disconnect between the policy objectives of supporting multi-child families and the practical realities of navigating the administrative system. Families are left grappling with expiring documents, conflicting regional rules, and opaque income calculations, turning the process of accessing promised support into a frustrating, often futile, endeavor. The situation highlights the critical need for greater clarity, consistency, and accessibility in the implementation of social support measures across all regions to ensure that state assistance genuinely reaches the families it is intended to help, rather than being ensnared in bureaucratic red tape.
