Single mothers get contingent alimony instead of categorical assistance

Women who appeal for categorical social assistance are told about some virtual money they have never been getting. ERB has found out that the majority of people coming to centres for social protection are single mothers because they are practically the only ones who have a chance of getting categorical assistance. However, besides the assistance the child is getting (alimony), centres for social protection take into account some contingent alimony many women have never head about before. According to a specialist from Frunzenksi District Centre for Social Protection, if a child has a father, this money has to be taken into account regardless of the fact whether he pays it or not. It means that the chance of getting categorical assistance has grown smaller.

Specialist: How can she be a single mother if there is a father? If the child’s certificate was composed according to her words that she is a single mother and she has a bill #2 from the civilian registry office it means she is not getting any contingent alimony. If she mentioned a father then she is supposed to be getting it.
ERB: What does “contingent alimony” mean?
Specialist: 25% of the living wage.
ERB: It turns out that it is some virtual money women are not getting?
Specialist: Why aren’t they getting it? They should have turned to the alimony court to be getting the money legally. Maybe they agreed with fathers and they keep giving them the alimony personally.

The contingent alimony is 42 thousand 400 roubles at the moment. The sum was defined in 2006.

The deputy head of Central District Centre for Social Protection Alena Rusakovich told ERB that 15 single mothers and 3 divorced women turned to them during the month. The former have a 100% opportunity of getting categorical assistance while the chances of the latter are still questionable. The woman who did not turn to court for alimony will have to write an explanatory letter in the centre.

Alena Rusakovіch: If a mother writes that she did not ask for alimony and has never got it we will take the contingent alimony into account. If she turned to court for alimony and is not getting it anyway, she will have to get a reference from the court and we will not take the contingent alimony into account.

At the moment a single mother of a 2-year-old child gets a monthly assistance of 168 thousand roubles. Thus, she can get 198 thousands more if she asks for categorical assistance.