What benefits are provided to military wives?

Benefits for widows of military pensioners are provided in accordance with the following laws: 1. Law 4468-1 of February 12, 1993, which regulates pensions:

1. Law 408-3, which determines the procedure for providing benefits;
2. Government Decree No. 941 of September 22, 1993, which regulates pensions and compensation for military personnel and members of their families.

Important! Privileges for widows of military personnel are valid for the entire life of the woman or until the woman remarries.

Benefits for housing and communal services

The state guarantees 50% benefits to the wives of military pensioners who participated in military operations to pay for housing and communal services.

Other women receive preferential pay according to local laws. For example, in the capital, Krasnodar and Belgorod regions, such a benefit has been preserved. In the Belgorod region, a discount is also provided on the fee for using a landline telephone.

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When living in her own house, once in a ten-year period, the widow is given the right to repair her home. Public housing is being renovated according to schedule.

When a military pensioner was on a waiting list for improved living conditions or participated in the NIS, the right to receive housing or money can be used by the widow.

What kind of financial support is provided?

At the legislative level, in 2021, widows of persons who served in military service are provided with the following types of payments:

• pension for the widow of a military pensioner, and she can choose to receive her own pension or her husband’s pension;
• allowance for a minor dependent;
• additional payment due to the loss of the main breadwinner;
• financial benefits for widows of military pensioners when paying for utilities.

One of the benefits provided to widows of military pensioners is that they can count into their work experience the time that they were with their husband traveling around the country and could not officially find employment.

In 2021, there is a limitation on this opportunity - it is permissible to include no more than 5 years from the entire specified period.

When paying for utilities, the final discount for a military widow depends on the type of regional program and on what status the military pensioner had before his death.

If the deceased husband was a participant in military operations, the family is entitled to a 50% discount on housing and communal services.

It’s worth mentioning separately about military children. If there is a minor child, parents have the option of enrolling him in kindergarten and school on a prevailing basis, in other words, without waiting in line.

The same applies when entering a military school, if the child wants to go there.

A survivor's benefit is received even if the widow of a military pensioner has not yet reached retirement age.

This payment is assigned immediately after the death of the husband. The same benefit is also available to other persons who were dependent on the military pensioner.

Also watch a video about helping the families of fallen servicemen:

Benefits for medical care

Widows of retired military personnel are given the opportunity to take advantage of the same benefits in the medical field as wives of military personnel:

• the opportunity to contact the department’s medical institutions, register and benefit from free treatment there;
• free receipt of medications prescribed at the department’s clinic;
• privileges for rehabilitation services in the department’s sanatoriums, free travel to the sanatorium;
• 25-100% discounts on holidays and treatment in boarding houses and sanatoriums of the department.

Provided benefits

Let's take a closer look.

In the field of labor legislation

Marriage to a military personnel requires constant moving, which is why the employee’s wife cannot get a long-term job.
This automatically deprives such women of the opportunity to receive a normal pension. To stop this, the legislation provides for several labor benefits that should help the wife of a serviceman get a job at a new place of residence:

• enter the service;
• undergo advanced training at the expense of the state;
• receive extraordinary leave at the same time as your spouse;
• extend the duration of leave for your own reasons, if they are related to caring for a child under 14 years of age or arranging your home.

Retirement

As practice shows, wives of military personnel constantly lack sufficient work experience to receive an increased pension. And all because, due to the type of activity of their husbands, they have to constantly change their place of residence, which entails problems in finding employment. Therefore, the legislation provides for the possibility of registering a joint work experience with a spouse, but only for 5 years.

On a note! Additionally, a woman is given additional time spent on maternity leave, but not more than 4 and a half years for all children.

Change of residence

If a woman needs to change her place of residence due to the transfer of her husband to another unit, she has the right to resign from her workplace at her own request. In the application, a forced change of place of residence can be indicated as a basis for termination of the employment relationship.

Additionally, the woman will be paid compensation in the form of two salaries. If the employer does not do this, the serviceman’s spouse will need to contact the Ministry of Defense, and then the funds will be transferred to her from the state budget.

Sample report for payment of compensation

The legislation also provides for another privilege - free travel to the husband’s place of duty, as well as transportation of things. All that is required to take advantage of this benefit is to provide military transportation documents. If they are absent at the time of moving, the transportation of things is carried out at the family’s personal expense, but then the money is returned to the new military unit.

Read also: Targeted social assistance

During pregnancy and childbirth

During pregnancy, a woman can count on receiving a number of benefits and privileges from the state. After the birth of the baby, the spouse of a serviceman has the right to receive an additional monthly payment. But such benefits are provided only if the relationship between spouses is officially registered.

Provided payments and benefits

Women may need to provide financial support from the state in order to solve their current financial problems upon termination of an employment contract or for other reasons.
Such a payment can only be processed by contacting the Employment Center located at the woman’s place of residence and submitting an application and related documents.

If the reason for the appeal was the death of a spouse while performing his official duties, then the amount of monetary compensation to his wife will be 3 million rubles.

In addition to compensation for the death of the breadwinner, the woman will also receive some financial assistance in the housing area. For example, provision of equipped living quarters, carrying out repairs in the house at public expense, assistance in paying off debts on utility bills.

Housing benefits

The main problem of providing for military families is providing them with housing for long-term living.
Usually these are special closed towns in which apartments are provided only for temporary residence. Therefore, the problem is providing military personnel with housing, which is located in large cities. If, due to working conditions or a small pension, spouses are unable to purchase housing on their own, the state may provide a subsidy for the purchase of a new apartment.

In some cases, a military spouse may be provided with public housing for permanent residence:

1. Death of a soldier.
2. Presence of young children.
3. Sufficient length of service.
4. Availability of certain military awards and ranks.

Attention! You can use this right only once in your life. However, you can apply for such a benefit even after the death of your spouse.

In the field of health

Only officers can exercise the right to treatment in sanatoriums.
Other military personnel cannot use such services even at their own expense. That is why the legislation provides for a number of benefits aimed at the possibility of receiving preferential treatment in several clinics in the country. According to the law, the family of a military personnel has the following rights:

1. Receiving medications from pharmacies at a discount or free of charge.
2. The possibility of obtaining a voucher to a sanatorium for the treatment of chronic diseases and injuries received during service.

The spouse of a serviceman has the right to receive free dental or surgical care, general medical care, and rest in sanatoriums.

Benefits provided for widows

Widows of military personnel have the right to receive lifelong financial support if the spouse died while performing his military duties. To obtain support, a woman needs to contact social security and submit documents confirming her status. Based on the results of reviewing the papers, she may receive:

1. Discount on utility bills.
2. Free rental housing.
3. Privileges when receiving medical care.
4. Benefits when receiving education.
5. Non-financial material support.

Read also: Child benefits for the unemployed

When paying amounts of money, funds are transferred before the 15th of each month.

Additional compensation benefits for the loss of a survivor

Military spouses are highly dependent on them, so after their death, women are provided with additional financial support. In particular, this category has the right:

1. Registration of a double pension if the woman has reached retirement age at the time of her husband’s death.
2. Providing additional payment if there is a small child.
3. Maintaining the queue for housing.

To take advantage of these benefits, the widow will need to additionally provide a certificate confirming the death of her spouse.

State support for the spouse of a military pensioner

Taking into account the fact that military service is not only honorable, but also difficult, former military personnel have the right to take advantage of a number of benefits, some of which apply to members of their families.
Accordingly, spouses of military pensioners have the right to count on receiving the following state privileges:

1. Improving living conditions.
2. Discount on utility bills.
3. Preferential pension.
4. Benefits in the field of medical care.

To take advantage of the above rights, a woman just needs to contact the social security department and provide documents confirming the fact that her husband served in the army.

Other benefits

This year, benefits for widows of military retirees include:

• funeral assistance;
• pension provision upon death of the breadwinner;
• assistance for children;
• compensation for housing and utility costs;
• health improvement in boarding houses and sanatoriums;
• enrollment of children in preschool and educational institutions without a queue. University students are paid a social scholarship for the loss of a breadwinner;
• assistance to the widow of a deceased serviceman in moving (free transportation of a 20-ton container by rail) and once a year free travel to the burial site.

What benefits are available to the widow of a military pensioner?

Women have to accompany their husbands during military service and move with them to garrisons. The legislation provides the following benefits for widows of retired military personnel:

• Compensation for housing and communal services expenses. The state guarantees 50% reimbursement of the cost of all utilities to widows whose husbands died during service. If the serviceman died after retirement, the woman will be able to take advantage of local benefits if they are provided for by regional legislation.
• Payment for repairs of a private house. The benefit is provided once every 10 years. If a woman lives in a multi-storey building, then repairs are carried out according to the housing and communal services schedule.
• Providing housing for the family, taking into account the square footage standards at the husband’s new place of duty. If there is no available apartment, the military man is paid monetary compensation. Its value is determined from the cost of renting 1 square in the region. For example, a family of 3 people in the Vologda region will be given 12,823.03 rubles. According to current legislation, this is how much it costs to rent an apartment of 43 m2.
• Medical service. The widow of a serviceman can take advantage of her husband's privileges when going to a departmental hospital. At the expense of the budget, a woman will be able to undergo a medical examination, take tests, and receive medications.
• Reimbursement of moving expenses. This right can be exercised if the husband died within a year of retirement. The total weight of the cargo should not exceed 20 tons.
• The right to sanatorium-resort treatment in departmental institutions. A widow can use it once a year. Travel to the sanatorium will be completely free, but for the voucher you will have to pay 25–75% of its full cost. Families of military personnel who have performed special services to the Fatherland will be able to relax in departmental health resorts for free.
• Counting into the length of service the time when the wife was unemployed and accompanied the serviceman on business trips (no more than 5 years). The lack of employment during the husband's service is confirmed by extracts from the Employment Center.

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Payment of preferential pensions and benefits

The main benefit for the wives of military personnel upon retirement is pension provision and additional benefits assigned under certain conditions.

Widows can choose to receive their own pension or that of their deceased husband. Their pension benefits are calculated in the same way as for husbands. Twenty years of service gives the right to a well-deserved rest according to length of service benefits. For each year of service after 20 years, an allowance is given.

Elena Smirnova

Pension lawyer, ready to answer your questions.

Ask me a question

With mixed service, you need to serve 12.5 years in the army out of 25 years until you reach the age of 45. When entering a well-deserved retirement earlier than the required period, a social benefit is assigned.

If a serviceman dies during service, the wife and children receive a survivor's death benefit, regardless of the woman's age. If a military man dies after he has already retired due to an injury received in service, then the family receives social benefits.

Widows have the opportunity to receive 2 pensions at once: their own and their husband’s for the loss of a breadwinner. When remarried, wives of military pensioners are not entitled to such benefits after the death of their husband.

Important! This year, widows are accrued a military pension as follows: in case of death from disease - 40%, in case of death - 50% of the husband's pension.

How to get a ticket to a military sanatorium

• officers (with length of service in preferential terms of more than 25, regardless of the reason for dismissal, or 20 years + general education, health status, age limit), members of their families. Warrant officers and midshipmen discharged from military service (with more than 20 years of service, discharged due to general education, age limit, health status);
• family members of military personnel who have lost their breadwinner;
• spouses and parents of military personnel who died in the line of duty;
• parents of dead or deceased officers;
• widows (widowers) of killed or deceased military personnel - until remarriage;
• Heroes from among military personnel and pensioners of the Ministry of Defense and members of their families;
• spouses and parents of deceased or deceased Heroes;

You interpret everything correctly, but I am the widow of a general, so I sent an application to the Saki military sanatorium. Pirogov, they will only consider it, but I sent it on October 12, I received a refusal, now I’ll try to send it on November 1, and you write 30 days before arrival, this is definitely a complete failure.

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How to apply for benefits and allowances, required documents

When calculating pensions, wives of military personnel must apply for benefits:

• to register your pension benefits at the Pension Fund branch at your place of residence;
• to receive the husband’s military pension – to the division of the Pension Fund in which the husband applied for his pension;
• for benefits from the Ministry of Defense;

Required documentation:

• passport;
• employment history;
• document on marriage and birth of children;
• certificate of disability;
• certificate of death of husband;
• corrections about the husband’s rank and position;
• husband's medical certificates.

Other documentation may be required to confirm the widow's right to a pension.

Benefits for spa treatment in 2021

• referral to a sanatorium is allocated at the initiative of the applicant;
• in the form of a standard document;
• the applicant must meet two criteria: have medical indications for referral for treatment (prevention);
• belong to one of the preferential categories.

Attention: you should apply for a voucher to a medical institution on your own initiative.

1. Visit your doctor and express your desire to go to a sanatorium. The doctor will send you for examination. Based on its results, a special document is issued - form No. 070/u-04.
2. With a certificate and passport, you should go to the social security or military commissariat at your place of residence to write an application.
3. Wait for a response about queuing.
4. As soon as everyone who has previously made a claim to the privilege is satisfied, receive a document and go for treatment.

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Hint: form No. 070/у-04 loses its relevance after six months. If during this period the queue has not yet arrived, you will have to update the certificate.

Are military pensioners paid for travel to the place of treatment?

How can a military pensioner get treatment at a sanatorium? The state is trying to help him with this. Special Resolution No. 176, which came into force on April 1, 2021, approved the rules for compensating travel for military pensioners to sanatoriums. Travel expenses to the location of a sanatorium or resort can be compensated for various categories of Russian residents, including;

• spouse;
• minor children;
• adult children who became disabled before reaching 18 years of age;
• children under 23 years of age who study full-time in educational institutions;
• dependent persons of military personnel or employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.