At the end of April 1986, a system failure occurred in the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant , as a result of which a nuclear reactor exploded, resulting in a global catastrophe. This event went down in history as the accident of the century.
Adoption of law
During the explosion and in the elimination of the catastrophic consequences at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a very large number of people were injured. In addition to the rescuers, who eliminated the consequences of the explosion, those who were simply nearby were also hit. The law of May 15, 1991 “On the social protection of citizens exposed to radiation as a result of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant” spelled out items on the premature retirement of this category of citizens. The retirement age for them is reduced to 50 years for men and 45 years for women. The law also provides for compensation payments.
In this article, we consider pensions for Chernobyl victims.
Who gets paid?
In 2017, those who were exposed to the harmful effects of radiation during the elimination of the consequences of the accident or were in close proximity to the station at the time of the disaster are classified as Chernobyl victims. In addition, several categories of citizens, one way or another connected with the consequences of the accident, can count on state payments:
- Close relatives of already deceased victims who were unable to work. Pensions are laid for the widows of Chernobyl victims, for example.
- Production workers who continued their activities until 1987.
- Persons who agreed to become bone marrow donors for victims of an accident.
- Military personnel involved in the fight against the consequences of the explosion.
- Persons who were forced to relocate due to a disaster.
- Those who receive preferential status due to living in the exclusion zone.
Regions
Since many adjacent territories were exposed to radiation and were subjected to powerful pollution and became unsuitable for living, the pension is also paid to those who lived at that time or are currently living in the following regions:
- Resettlement zones: Voronezh, Tula, Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol, Lipetsk, Kaluga and Kursk regions.
- Exclusion zones: Krasnogorsk district, Barsukovsky, Zaborsky, Medvedev village councils, the villages of Barsuki, Progress, Knyazevschina and the Lower Mill. All objects are located in the Bryansk region.
This list was fixed at the legislative level in October 2015. To obtain Chernobyl status, it is necessary to submit documents that confirm the fact of living in the present or in the past in the territory affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
What categories are taken into account when calculating pensions for Chernobyl victims?
Chernobyl residents related to the 1st and 2nd category
There are two options for pension allowances to Chernobyl residents in 2017 - the one that is issued to people who have received disability due to an explosion, and the payment for people who have reached retirement age. Close relatives of the victims but already deceased Chernobyl victims also have the right to special allowance for the loss of the main breadwinner of the family. It also happens that at the same time 2 pensions are paid to Chernobyl victims, since a disabled person for health reaches retirement age. Members of the Chernobyl family are entitled to receive insurance and state benefits.
Insurance benefits are paid to victims of an accident if they have accumulated the required number of pension points or if they lose their working capacity. It must be remembered that a person with disability status should have had official work until this moment, otherwise the right to state support will be canceled. The pension for Chernobyl residents of the first category for 2017 totals 9,200 rubles, and the second category - 4,600 rubles.
Early retirement
In addition to financial support, persons who suffered in an accident and liquidated its consequences are given the opportunity to prematurely retire. It is possible to carry out this procedure if you observe several rules:
- The experience of a person injured in a disaster should not be less than five years.
- Women can retire at the age of 45, and men at 50 if they took part in eliminating the consequences after the Chernobyl accident or were injured by an explosion at it.
- The amount of pension points must be more than 30.
The nuance is access to early retirement pension for those who are forced to live and work in an area considered to be potentially life-threatening. They can go on well-deserved rest seven years earlier, and residents of the territory with preferential status even less, three years earlier.
If all conditions are met, a person has the legal right to receive the preferential pension provided for the state by Chernobyl. For this purpose, it is necessary to go to the nearest branch of the Pension Fund, make a statement, presenting a work book and passport. The victim does not have to come to the Pension Fund on his own, he can do all the necessary manipulations through an authorized person.
How to confirm the status?
Pension payments are made only on the basis of confirmed Chernobyl status. The package of documents that must be submitted to prove their preferential status includes:
- Certificate confirming participation in the elimination of the consequences of the Chernobyl explosion.
- Documentary evidence of work or residence in the exclusion or resettlement zones listed above.
- Medical certificates containing information on diseases received as a result of radiation exposure.
- A document that can confirm the status of disability, which was assigned due to radiation sickness. What is the pension for a Chernobyl disabled person?
Chernobyl disabled people of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd groups
Payments to disabled Chernobyl workers are made regardless of the assigned group and the availability of seniority. When applying for a pension, it is necessary to submit, in addition to the passport and application, a document confirming the status of a disabled person.
As mentioned above, the area of residence at the time of the disaster affects the calculation of pensions for Chernobyl victims.
Upon reaching a certain age, payments are made to all categories of citizens who were or are currently living in the following areas:
1. Territories located in the immediate vicinity of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (exclusion zone).
2. Areas in which special living conditions are provided, including the possibility of relocation to another territory (resettlement zones).
3. Areas controlled by specialists, even taking into account the fact that they are not exposed to radiation (zones with the right to resettle).
4. Places that were practically not affected by the consequences of the Chernobyl accident (zones with assigned preferential status).
Is a pension for the loss of a breadwinner a widow of a Chernobyl victim? We will understand further.
Payments to Chernobyl relatives
Not only the area of residence affects the receipt of benefits from the state, but also the social status of the victim. Not only the victims themselves, but also their closest relatives can hope for a state payment. In 2017, pensions for the loss of the Chernobyl breadwinner were increased. For children, the amount will be 12,400 rubles, for other close relatives - 6,200 rubles. The following are entitled to claim the loss of a breadwinner:
- Children of the deceased Chernobyl victim before they reach 25 years old.
- Spouse or spouse in whose care children under 14 years of age remain.
- Spouses who have not yet reached the age when you can retire.
- Parents of the deceased recognized as disabled.
- The closest relatives who have entered the retirement age or have received the status of disabled people.
- Children of the deceased, who are studying in full time in a higher educational institution. Upon reaching 25 years, the right to payment is canceled. The size of the pensions of Chernobyl residents are of interest to many.
Documents and references
To apply for such a payment, the following documents and certificates must be submitted to the Pension Fund branch:
1. Statement.
2. Death certificate of the breadwinner.
3. Evidence of close ties with the applicant.
4. A document confirming the state of incapacity for work of a relative who died (is not submitted in the case of a pension for the loss of the main bread-winner of the family for children under 18).
5. Confirmation that the income of the deceased was the only source of livelihood.
Will pensions to Chernobyl category 1 be increased? We will tell further.
Estimated payouts
Many victims of the Chernobyl accident are interested in the question of whether a pension will be added to Chernobyl victims in the future. At the moment, those who participated in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident or suffered a disease due to radiation exposure receive pension compensation from the state, which amounts to 2.5 social pensions. Those categories of citizens who perform military service or live permanently in the zone of radiation pollution are entitled to material payments of at least two social pensions. After indexing in April 2017, the Chernobyl pension of the 1st and 2nd category reached the level of 12,400 rubles, of the 3rd category - 6,200 rubles.
The changes in April of this year affected not only the amount of accrued funds, but also the procedure for calculating pensions for various categories of citizens. Items such as the level of pollution in the area of residence, as well as pathologies in the health of those who suffered during the Chernobyl accident and personal characteristics, were taken into account. So, what is the pension for Chernobyl residents now?
Changes
Thus, the April changes led pensions to the following values:
- Living in pollution zones and serving there - 9920 rubles.
- Eliminated the consequences of the Chernobyl accident - 12,400 rubles.
- Disabled people of the 1st group - 12,400 rubles.
It should be noted that the indexation of pension payments to Chernobyl victims occurred at a low rate. For this reason, a lump sum payment of 5,000 rubles was made at the beginning of the year.
Other benefits
In addition to material payments, the state provides Chernobyl residents with other types of benefits:
- Certificate giving the opportunity to improve housing.
- A discount of half the cost of utility bills, including water, gas, heating and electricity. If Chernobyl is not equipped with central heating, then a discount is granted for any other fuel.
- Priority employment. Actually during cuts in enterprises, regardless of length of service.
- Priority right to participate in a horticultural, garage building and housing construction cooperative.
- Provision of a building plot out of turn.
- Extraordinary medical care.
- Payments for a child’s food in medical, sanitary and preschool institutions.
The average earnings are saved for the Chernobyl-lost job for four months.