Commentary to Decree No. 211 of 15 June 2017

    Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed Decree No. 211 “Concerning the improvement of regulations on providing targeted social aid” on 15 June.

    The document aims to improve the regulations on targeted social aid and create a single system of providing technical means of social rehabilitation to people. In particular, the document simplifies the procedure of providing technical means of social rehabilitation to people having 3rd degree disabilities and children not recognized as disabled. The abovementioned categories of people as well as people having 1st and 2nd degree disabilities can get such rehabilitation facilities at the Belarusian Prosthetic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center.

    In accordance with the decree, a social allowance can be used to buy diapers and other hygiene products for people having 1st degree disabilities and disabled children.

    The commission for the allocation of the state targeted social aid will be authorized to provide monthly social allowances for the period of more than 6 months (up to 12 months) to families with children provided that both parents in a two-parent family, one parent in a single-parent family have 1st degree disabilities or one parent in a two-parent family has a 1st degree disability and the second parent is taking care of them.

    In case there are reasons to suppose that the state targeted social aid can be misused or parents do not take proper care of their children, the social aid can be transferred to the accounts of organizations providing necessary services (housing repairs, procurement of fuel, etc.) to such families.

    The decree enters into force on 1 July 2017.