Social protection of the population is a part of the state policy, which is aimed at maintaining an adequate financial and social situation of those in need. In Russia, it is implemented in many areas and enshrined in law. The social protection management system in our country is quite well developed.
Why social protection of the population is so relevant
In difficult crisis periods, many layers of society have problems ensuring the satisfaction of basic needs. There may not be enough money even for food. If there are health problems, a person may require expensive medications and the provision of qualified medical care. Such layers can be called socially unprotected. With the spontaneous development of capitalism and market relations, many of those who find themselves in these categories are left with almost nothing. The task of the state is to provide them with an acceptable existence at their own expense. The development of a system of social protection of the population goes in many directions in most countries of the world.
The rights of citizens to social protection are enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation of 1993. Social support and protection measures are outlined in article 7 of this issue. It creates a legal framework for the operation of the system of state social protection of the population.
What is social protection?
Most often, this concept means precisely maintaining at an acceptable level of income those people who, for various reasons, are not able to do this on their own. Basically, the groups of needy include sick, disabled, orphans, unemployed, the elderly, large families and mothers.
Ideally, social support should contribute to:
- improving the health and lifestyle of citizens;
- the satisfaction of both material and spiritual needs of people;
- increase of material security, living standards of the population;
- equalization of social contrasts between wealthy and needy people.
When carrying out measures for social protection of the population proceed from the following basic principles:
- Providing targeted support to those in need.
- The principle of humanity.
- An integrated approach.
- Respect for the rights of citizens.
What is a system of social protection of the population
This system is a combination of measures, laws and assistance organizations that ensure the implementation of programs for social protection of the population. It includes sections such as social security, social insurance and social guarantees.
The following items are included in the tasks of organizing a system of social protection of the population:
- Fulfillment of requirements to ensure the state guaranteed minimum wage.
- Implementation of a set of measures for labor protection and human health.
- Maintenance of social services systems.
- Fulfillment of requirements to support the disabled, the elderly, children, large families.
- Payment of pensions, various benefits, provision of other guarantees for social support.
Maintenance of the social protection system requires considerable effort and money.
Social Security
It appeared in Russia in the 20s of the 20th century and was created to provide older people and those who are not able to work, from public funds.
Social security included many activities. Among them are:
- Regular payment of pensions.
- Payment of disability benefits, childcare benefits, etc.
- Preferential payments to persons with disabilities, their material support, training for professions.
- Payment of family benefits and other assistance to families.
- Maintenance of boarding schools, kindergartens, nurseries, pioneer camps and so on.
Social insurance
This type of measure provides for compensation for damage under various adverse circumstances (accidents, injuries, illnesses, death of a spouse, unemployment, etc.). For this, funds from extrabudgetary funds are raised, which are filled at the expense of state subsidies, funds of employers, and voluntary contributions.
Social insurance can be state and voluntary. It is implemented through the payment of various benefits, pensions, medical insurance.
What are social guarantees?
These include government-guaranteed cash payments and the provision of services free of charge.
There are several social guarantees in Russia:
- Free and affordable education.
- State-guaranteed minimum wage (minimum wage).
- Basic health care, which is legally free.
- The minimum level of pension, scholarships.
- Childcare benefits.
- Various social pensions, including pensions for the disabled, elderly pensioners, orphans, people without seniority.
- Allowance for the burial of the deceased.
It also includes social benefits. They are a type of guarantees intended for certain categories of citizens: labor veterans, disabled people, WWII veterans, etc. Since 2005, the classic benefits that were in force before that have been replaced by cash payments. Together they are called a social package and represent monthly payments.
The social package includes the free purchase of medicines, travel in public transport, treatment in sanatoriums and the way there. According to the law, preferential categories of citizens can choose the form of benefits themselves: in the form of cash payments or classic price reliefs.
The highest payments (coefficient 2) were provided for invalids of the Second World War. Payments for non-disabled veterans are much lower (coefficient 1.5). Other beneficiaries, including war veterans, can take advantage of even lower payments (coefficient 1.1).
The smallest privileges are provided for those veterans who were involved in ensuring the functioning of the rear facilities during the Great Patriotic War. For example, in the construction of military bases, defense structures. The same amount of benefits is provided for those who are members of families of disabled WWII in the event of their death. In this case, the payout ratio is 0.6.
The amount of cash deductions depends on the degree of disability. For the first degree (by restriction in labor activity), the rate is 0.8, for the second - 1.0, and for the third - 1.4.
If a person with a disability does not have restrictions on labor activity, the payout rate will be minimal and amount to 0.5.
Social support
This type of assistance to the population is provided for the most vulnerable categories of citizens, that is, for those who cannot independently provide for their financial situation. The nature of this help is twofold. This includes cash payments and in-kind assistance: things, free food.
Funds for the provision of social support come from tax fees. However, using this type of help is not easy. You must pass the test first. The main condition is the total income below the subsistence level.
Social service
Help to the population can be psychological. For this, social services have been created that are engaged in the adaptation of a person in difficult life situations in which they find themselves. Psychological assistance measures may be required in connection with various tragedies and diseases.
This form of support is called social services. It includes domestic help, legal issues, pedagogical and medical assistance. This is the system of social and legal protection of the population.
This form of support developed rapidly in the early 2000s. So, for example, over this period, the total number of social service centers of citizens increased by 1/3. The number of institutions to support the disabled and the elderly has been increasing since 1985. In 2004, they were already 1.5 times more. Also, new types of institutions for the social protection system were created: crisis centers for various categories of citizens, mainly for women.
Who is the object of social work
The professional activities of social workers are aimed at such groups of the population as people with disabilities, pensioners, people with serious illnesses, children, drug addicts, refugees, difficult teenagers, unemployed and prisoners.
Who does social work?
It involves a system of bodies and institutions of social protection of the population. The highest is the state power, which is engaged in the development of laws, issues decrees that are implemented through state programs. Also, public organizations, as well as organizations conducting charitable activities, for example, the Red Cross, are engaged in this.
The direct performers of social work are voluntary or declared social workers. There are several tens of thousands of professional social workers in Russia, and about 0.5 million people in the world. However, a significant part of the work is carried out by persons without special education who have agreed to this type of work due to circumstances (for example, emergency situations), or due to internal conviction.
Thus, the system of bodies of social protection of the population is now quite numerous.
What is social work efficiency?
Usually, by efficiency is meant the ratio of expended forces to the magnitude of the result obtained. In the field of social activity, measuring performance is quite difficult. After all, its result is determined by the general satisfaction of citizens with the work of social services, and this indicator is qualitative, not quantitative. Material indicators are closer to quantitative calculation. If the bulk of the allocated for benefits, pensions and benefits reached the end consumer, then the work of social services can be called effective.
If we consider the situation as a whole, an indicator of the effectiveness of social activity can be an increase in the birth rate, a decrease in mortality, an increase in life expectancy, a decrease in drug addiction, crime, poverty, etc. The effectiveness of the social protection system of the population in Russia depends on a specific region.
Not all social service performance can be rated as positive. If the system of social support for the population is overdeveloped, people may feel reluctance to work, get married, and so on. Such a problem exists in the United States, but for Russia it is not relevant. The system of state bodies of social protection of the population is not always able to provide effective and comprehensive assistance to citizens.
Social support for the Russian population in 2018
Currently, the focus of social assistance is on payments to those in need. The basis is taken as the cost of living. If a person’s income is below this value, then this is the basis for the provision of such assistance. The main directions of payments:
- Subsidies.
- Cash rewards.
- Payments for compensation.
- Humanitarian aid.
Social benefits are given free of charge and can be spent at the request of a person. Their size is regulated by law and depends on a specific category of citizens. In the regions, surcharges are possible by decision of the regional authorities.
Subsidies are also paid free of charge and occur by transferring money to the beneficiary's bank account.
Payments for the purpose of compensation are made after spending money on certain purposes. They are carried out in cases stipulated by law. This requires proof of spending for specific purposes.
Humanitarian aid is provided in kind: goods, clothing, products. Typically, fundraising is carried out by the public.
What you need to get help in 2018
Assistance is provided to low-income citizens, as well as to those who are faced with temporary financial problems due to reasons beyond their control. To obtain it, you will have to provide certain documents. The most important of them are a passport and a statement, but they may require a dozen different papers. The set of documents may depend on the type of social support.
You should contact the department of social protection of the population, the FIU or the department of the Pension Fund.
How to get social assistance
To do this, you should contact the appropriate authority or the MFC and provide an application and the required documents. The application is considered within 10 days, after which a decision is made to provide assistance or to refuse it. In some cases, this period is not enough. Then, after ten days, a preliminary opinion is issued, and consideration is extended to 1 month. In the period of 10-30 days, documents are checked and a more detailed study of the application is carried out.
The reason for refusing to provide social assistance may be concealment of true income and / or property, or the provision of false information about the structure of the family.
In case of improvement of the financial position of the recipient, social payments to him cease. It is necessary to report an increase in income to a level above the subsistence minimum within 14 days.
Help for poor families
It is provided to families whose incomes are below the established minimum level. It includes birth assistance, maternity benefits, and preferential mortgages. Such families can also rely on free medical services, in-kind assistance (food, fuel, medicines), tax benefits, psychological and legal support.
For large families, the following types of assistance are provided:
- Free use of public transport.
- Discounts on utility bills.
- For children under 6 years old - free medication if prescribed by a doctor.
- The right to free meals for children at school.
- Compensation payments related to school clothes.
- Admission of children to kindergarten out of turn.
