State to cover a gap between students' allowance and minimum wage?
Under the law, “the monthly social assistance is given to the families and citizens who live separately or have separate households on condition that their average income per capita does not exceed 100 percent of the highest value of the minimum living age”.
Thus, an 18-year-old student who lives separately from his or her parents (e.g. in a dormitory) can apply for the social aid from the government. Why not? The living allowances for students do not reach the minimum living wage of Br185, 000.
For instance, the living allowance for students at the Belarusian National Technical University ranges from Br95, 220 ($47) to a maximum of Br152, 000 ($75); Belarusian State Pedagogical University (Br66, 000 – Br95, 000 – Br145, 000). Student couples, with the spouses living and studying together, can really “cash in”, because they will get over Br120, 000 in addition.
This reporter tried to get social assistance and called the social security department at the Leninski District Administration in Minsk. The call from a 19-year-old History student at the Belarus State University with the living allowance of Br120, 000 ($60) seemed to come the less expected.
The social security department’s staff was unable to explain what to do in this case. They had no idea that students were also covered by this law. Eventually, they gave up and agreed that students were apparently entitled to this assistance. However, they immediately rushed to add to my “income” even the transport fare discounts that I had used in the past three months.
Staff: Do you pay for your education?
ERB: No. The government pays.
Staff: If you are going to apply in December, then you need to bring all the papers for the past three months, including a statement that you study indeed and receive a certain living allowance. We will also take into account your previous transport benefits (Br21, 000). Bring a statement from your dormitory proving that you are registered there and that you have not received any subsidies over this period of time. Please make a copy of your passport. And, the last question: have you traveled abroad?
ERB: No. Why?
Staff: Those who traveled abroad are not entitled for the social aid within the period of one year.
So, it looks like students have to forget about holidays in Crimea. Otherwise, he or she will not qualify for the social assistance to be paid out for six months. Are there many students alike?
Moreover, students will have to prove to the members of the commission that they live only on their allowance. The staff at the social security department of the Zavodski District Administration was very surprised to hear that it was possible to survive on Br120, 000 of the living allowance for students.
“How are you going to claim your right to the social assistance, if you first have to prove to the commission that you have a separate household,” they asked me. In the view of the social security staff, it is virtually impossible to convince the commission that students live only on the living allowance of Br120, 000. Furthermore, I was subjected to a thorough interrogation. This is something you will be faced with if you hope to get social assistance.
Staff: My question is: How are you going to prove that you have a separate household from your parents? You have to understand that we are talking about the money from the state budget.
ERB: I don’t live with my parents. I rent a room at my aunt’s apartment. My parents live in another city and have nothing to do with me.
Staff: How do you survive? Your living allowance?
ERB: Yes
Staff: Do you really eat and buy clothes on your living allowance?!
She couldn’t believe that it was possible to survive on this money and kept telling me that students were totally dependent on their parents. Yet, under the law, when people turn 18, they are considered adults or “citizens who live separately or have a separate household”, according to the law.
ERB: When you are 18, you can live on your own. You have a living allowance of Br120, 000. But you maintain that I have to bug my parents, because I will not survive otherwise. Does this make you deny me social assistance?
Staff: Yes. I used to be a student myself. So, what is the problem with you?
ERB: Nevertheless, my income is less than the minimum living age. At the same time, I am denied my right to claim the remaining Br50, 000. How can I live on Br120, 000 and not depend on my parents?
Staff: We don’t deal with this. We are the executive power, not the legislative power.
Most of the district offices of social security departments admit that the law on the targeted social assistance covers students with their living allowances. But nobody knows how the reality will look like. One is thing is for sure: students who pay for their education are not covered by the law. It is not fair, because they also live separately from their parents and do not get living allowances from the state.
The European Radio for Belarus called a legal counselor to find out whether students who pay for their education could appeal their right to receive state subsidies in court.
Lawyer: Chances are low, but you could give it a try. The point is that they want to limit the number of citizens who have no money at all. This is why it is written this way.
At the moment, universities are waiting for the government to raise living allowances for students. (They were significantly increased ahead of the 2006 presidential elections). Will the increase cover the gap to make it at least Br185, 000?
