Business guide

Subsidies for firewood – what does the law say?

The right to receive a subsidy when purchasing solid fuel is regulated by the provisions of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 761 of 2005 (under the same law, subsidies are awarded for all other housing and communal services).

The basic requirements for a conditional recipient of social assistance are also indicated there:

solid fuel is used for heating private residential premises;
the applicant lives at the place of registration, and we are talking about heating the same house, he is its owner or legal user (a lease agreement is also suitable);
the total heating period throughout the year is 6 months;
the applicant is a citizen of the Russian Federation or a foreigner entitled to receive social assistance in accordance with Resolution No. 761;
the applicant has no debts regarding payment of housing and communal services at the time of applying for a subsidy;
the applicant belongs to a preferential category of citizens entitled to receive a subsidy;
the heated house is not connected to central heating;
the income of all persons living in a house heated by solid fuel should not exceed the subsistence level (for all family members, including minors and people of disabled age), but this rule does not apply to citizens of preferential categories.

But the calculation of the amount of social assistance is made taking into account the established subsistence levels, which vary in different regions. That is why, with the same characteristics of residential buildings, the size of the subsidy in one village can be radically different from another. The total income of all family members is also taken into account.

Who is eligible for government assistance?

Without any exceptions, citizens of preferential categories have the right to a subsidy. And this:

large families;
people with disabilities: disabled people of all categories, the maximum allowable discount from the state is 50% of the amount spent on heating;
pensioners whose income does not exceed the subsistence level or who spend more than 10% of their total income on paying utility bills (the percentage of total income differs in different regions, 10% is the established norm for Moscow);
miners;
military;
having a Chernobyl certificate;
honorary donors in some regions of the Russian Federation;
family members of deceased war veterans;
WWII veterans, as well as concentration camp prisoners;
Russians who worked during the Second World War;
bearers of the title of Hero of the USSR or the Russian Federation.

This is the so-called Federal List of Preferential Categories. But local administrations have the right to supplement the list based on gubernatorial orders or heads of republics. So, for example, in most regions, workers who worked in hazardous industries (chemical plants, oil refining industries, etc.) also apply for subsidies. The same applies to citizens who are recognized as “poor,” that is, receiving less than the established subsistence level in the region of their stay.

Conditions for appointment

Basic conditions for assigning a subsidy:

the citizen has the right to this, that is, he is included in the preferential category of citizens who can become recipients of a subsidy;
to pay for all housing and communal services, not only heating, but in total, more than 10–22% (depending on the region, as well as on the number of family members) of the total family income is spent;
the applicant submitted a package of documents for the assignment of a subsidy to the representative office of the social assistance service;
at the time of submitting the documentation, the applicant has completely no debts to pay for utilities (all, not just for heating);
the applicant is obliged to document the fact of purchase or intention to purchase solid fuel (receipt, agreement of intent to purchase or other document).

The application is submitted personally by the user of the housing, which is heated with solid fuel, or his legal representative. Along with the application, bank details must be submitted, to which social assistance will subsequently be credited. If a citizen cannot open an account for any reason, for example, he is a pensioner living in a rural area, then financial assistance will be delivered to him in another possible way (free of charge).

Even if the applicant meets all of the above requirements, the authority that issues the decision to award the subsidy is also required to check the following factors:

Is the award of a subsidy to the applicant justified? That is, you will need to check the accuracy of all the information specified in the application and the documents attached to it.
Is central heating available for the applicant's home? If it is connected, then he is obliged to use it. At the same time, he becomes entitled to a subsidy for centralized heating.
Do the indicated sources and amount of income for all family members correspond to reality? If at least one of the sources was not indicated (or deliberately hidden), then this will already be a reason for refusing to assign social assistance.
Is the amount of fuel indicated in the application (or receipt) adequate? Theoretically, the applicant can buy an excess amount of firewood for subsequent resale, and this already amounts to illegal commercial activity.
Is the living space really used only by family members? If not, then the income of all other users will also be taken into account when calculating the amount of assistance.
Are there any arrears in paying utility bills? If they exist, then in accordance with the RF Housing Code 159, a subsidy cannot be assigned until the debts are fully repaid.

Find out how to get free timber from the state for the construction of a private house

How to get free wood from the state for heating or building a house is a priority issue that interests many segments of the population from different regions of the Russian Federation. In a number of regions, heating with wood is the only way to heat a home, and considerable amounts are spent on its purchase.

Application for the provision of building materials (indicating full name, registration and passport details). The application also specifies the name of the forestry sector where it is planned to harvest the material, the quantity and quality of the material (wood for construction or as firewood).
A copy of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
A copy of the ownership of the land plot where the premises will be erected (if it is intended to allocate material for the construction of the building).
A document from the local government, which contains the commission’s decision on the construction of utility rooms or renovation of the applicant’s home (if it is intended to allocate material for the construction of an outbuilding or home renovation).

16 Mar 2021 uristlaw 1069
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Rules for applying for a subsidy

The requirements for how to apply for a subsidy are identical for all regions. The only additional requirement is the need to have in hand a payment document confirming the purchase of solid fuel for heating (or which shows an already concluded agreement for a purchase in the future).

One more nuance: the applicant has the right to receive a subsidy not only for purchased fuel, but also for services for its delivery. Again: a fiscal receipt will be required to confirm the use of the service.

Where to contact

To assign a subsidy for firewood, a citizen can contact the following offices:

social protection authorities at the place of residence;
multifunctional centers (MFC), in this case the place of residence does not matter, you can contact any.

If the above authorities refuse to assign a subsidy, then you can contact the municipalities. It is worth considering that an application from a citizen must be accepted in any case, even if he clearly does not apply for social assistance. And then the subsidy is either approved or given a justified refusal.

List of required documents

To receive social assistance you will need to submit the following package of documents:

identity cards of the applicant and all members of his family, and for those under 14 - birth certificates;
certificates of income of all family members for the last previous 6 months or certificates of no income; pensioners do not need to provide a pension statement - this data is automatically requested by the social assistance authority from the Pension Fund;
a receipt for the last month or a statement confirming the absence of arrears in payment of utilities;
a form with bank account details (if it is not available, an application for receiving a subsidy is written in another way);
documents for housing (certificate of state registration of ownership, lease or social tenancy agreement).

You should also add all other documents that confirm the applicant’s preferential status, and also indicate the difficult financial situation of the family. All these certificates will be taken into account when calculating the final subsidy value. If the family has children under 23 years of age who, at the time of submitting the application, are receiving education at a university, then a confirming extract from the educational institution will be required.

Time frame for consideration and decision making

The application review period is up to 15 calendar days. In most regions, if the application is submitted before the 15th day inclusive, then the subsidy, if the decision is positive, is provided starting from the 1st day of the current month. That is, assistance is accrued not after the decision, but from the moment the application is submitted.

Common mistakes and legal advice

The most common mistakes due to which subsidies are denied:

more citizens are registered in the house than actually live (the income of all registered persons is taken into account);
the applicant did not indicate additional sources of income (deposits, investments in investment funds);
solid fuel was purchased secondhand from a private person who cannot provide any receipts;
when renting housing, the absence of a corresponding agreement.

To avoid refusals, lawyers recommend adhering to the following rules:

buy only from organizations that provide payment documents;
provide the most comprehensive information about sources of income;
demand a rental agreement from the landlord.

Another feature is to always require the MFC or social protection authorities to accept the application. The application is sometimes not accepted, which is a legal violation. It’s even better to submit the application remotely, through the State Services portal, but for this you will need to acquire an electronic signature key, which can be obtained at the MFC.

Most citizens of the Russian Federation who live in private houses and heat their premises with solid fuel are entitled to receive subsidies, including the delivery of firewood. The amount of social assistance is calculated for each family individually, taking into account regional characteristics, as well as total income.

Firewood delivery under a special program from Sobyanin: why and to whom

For the first time such a benefit appeared on March 23 of this year. Fuel prices then were at the level of 1,000 rubles per 200 kg of coal and 1,575 rubles per 1.5 cubic meters. m of wood The program was supposed to operate until April 14, but due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the country, it lasted until the end of July.

Other measures to support pensioners that were introduced due to COVID-19

Every day it gets colder outside, and the time is approaching when it will be necessary to turn on the heating in residential areas. And if everything is clear with apartments, then what should residents of private houses do? This question is relevant for pensioners who heat their living quarters with wood, and during quarantine are not able to leave the house. The mayor of Moscow found a way out; the mayor of the city decided to introduce additional support for the population. In particular, for people of retirement age, the program for delivering firewood to garden plots and dachas in the city and region has been resumed. The program is provided on preferential terms.

Due to many years of experience, we know the needs of our customers inside and out; we transport firewood to teachers of rural schools, and especially for them we select firewood of 25-30 cm, which is very easy to carry and dry very quickly. How to order dry firewood? It’s easy, we always keep a supply of dry firewood, this is especially important in the fall, during the period of sudden cold weather. After all, not everyone thinks about firewood in the summer, and we are happy to help everyone, at any time of the year.

Another category of beneficiaries who can receive compensation are labor veterans. Veterans of labor deserve to receive assistance from the state. Veterans can also receive this compensation. Here again it is important to provide the necessary documents. We provide the documentation required on our part with full responsibility when ordering.

You may be interested in:: Benefits for labor veterans of Buryatia

Compensation for firewood for pensioners

The first category of people who can receive firewood at a discount are pensioners. The point is that you place an order for firewood and receive all the necessary statements and documents necessary to receive payment. The state does not issue subsidies based on the documents provided. You must also, of course, have proof that you are a pensioner.

Since January 1, 2019, citizens of the Russian Federation have received the right to collect dead wood, or fallen wood, in the forests for free - the lying remains of fallen tree trunks and branches . Previously, unauthorized removal of fallen trunks from the forest was considered a violation.

And since 45% of the territory of our fatherland is occupied by forests, the state, as a support to the rural population, provided the right to free timber harvesting. But, unfortunately, not everyone knows about this possibility.

Free wood from the state in 2021

Next, you will learn how to apply for free timber for firewood in the forestry enterprise through State Services and through the MFC. It is immediately worth noting that by 2021 such an online service is not yet available in all regional departments.