Question of the day: will Muscovites receive compensation for blocking social cards?

Irina Mishina

The blocking of social cards was announced by the Moscow government as one of the antiquated measures. It hit people hard, especially the poor. They found themselves, in fact, deprived of the opportunity to travel for routine medical care, to shops, on urgent matters. Interestingly, after blocking social cards, no one banned the passage of Muscovites in transport. It soon became clear that social cards were blocked not only for citizens over 65 and people with chronic diseases, but also for people with the 1st or 2nd group of disabilities.

From social media posts:

Olga Sokolova: “Social cards were blocked for everyone under 65+. You have to travel to work with a pension of 12.800! Even so, but we will squeeze the last".

Olga Kuvshinova: “I was at the MFC and found out why there was a blockage. They said that chronic diseases... I will find out why in the spring they were not and did not give 4 thousand rubles compensation, but now they suddenly appeared".

Valeria Skorobogatova: “I am not a pensioner, I have no chronic diseases! I am the guardian of my niece. The card was blocked!".

Gradually, the Internet began to fill with stories about how social cards are not unblocked even when registering at polyclinics, despite promises to allow discounted travel when registering with the UMIAS. More than 700 comments were collected on Facebook by the post of Alexander Eremin, who succumbed to the persuasion of the social protection of the Southern Administrative District to vaccinate in exchange for unblocking the social card. Alexander was also promised a reduced fare on public transport to the clinic, but his surprise knew no bounds when his social card did not work on bus 437 near Solnechnogorsk, and the controllers threw him out of the bus.

There are many questions to the Moscow government. As you know, after the optimization of healthcare there are not all specialists in polyclinics today. Many people have an appointment several weeks in advance, and the happiness of receiving a coupon for diagnostic procedures such as computed tomography or ultrasound can be compared to winning the lottery. That is why many have chosen private medical centers, where you can get to the right doctor, even for money, but right away. In addition, many Muscovites with chronic diseases are registered and treated at federal medical centers, such as the Blokhin Cancer Center, the N.N. A.N. Bakuleva of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the National Medical Research Center of Cardiology of the Ministry of Health and many others. Why, when temporarily unblocking, only trips to medical institutions in Moscow were taken into account, it is not clear. Human health is generally a very individual thing, and the general approach to everyone in the matter of treatment seems to be controversial.

We called the hotline of the Moscow mayor's office on coronavirus and asked why people without chronic diseases got under the blocking of social cards? Here's the answer we got:

“If a person is not older than 65, he does not have chronic diseases and he is not disabled of group 1 or 2, but his social card is nevertheless blocked, you must contact the clinic and ask for a certificate of the absence of chronic diseases. Then you need to inform us about this, and we will remove travel restrictions. In most cases, there is an old note about chronic diseases, and it is taken into account when blocking".

We also decided to clarify why social cards are not unblocked for those who have had coronavirus and, accordingly, have antibodies. Here is the answer given by Novye Izvestia on the "hot line":

“Only after vaccination will Muscovites over 60 and people with chronic diseases be able to enjoy the right of free and reduced travel in public transport. Social cards will be unlocked 14 days after receiving the second vaccine component. Pensioners who have had coronavirus will not be able to unblock the card, because the amount of antibodies may not be sufficient.

And here again questions arise. Not even about an ultimatum with vaccination as a condition for unlocking social cards. Although vaccination for those who have had coronavirus and who already have antibodies can turn out to be very sad consequences in fact.

Lina Rykhtikova, Candidate of Legal Sciences, asked the question: is not keeping records of chronic diseases and data from a person's medical record a disclosure of medical secrets? But even if we accept this, why does the accounting system of the Moscow government give so many failures? After all, the social cards of those who do not have chronic diseases and disabilities of groups 1 and 2 were blocked. And if the Moscow government is so concerned about the health of Muscovites, why weren't people aged 65+ and people with chronic diseases banned from using public transport, banning only reduced fare? There are a lot of inconsistencies.

But the most important question, which thousands of Muscovites are trying to find an answer to today, is compensation for the funds they spent on travel during the blocking of social cards.

“Funds for reduced travel for pensioners, which were previously included in the regional budgets, but remained unused due to the pandemic, could become an important and fair measure of support for the older generation”, - said the leader of the Fair Russia party, Sergey Mironov.

“As you know, in a number of regions of the country, the travel benefits for pensioners are financed from the budget. That is, the funds are reserved, they are already there. Since the pensioners stayed at home and did not go anywhere, I propose to transfer this money to them. People will decide for themselves what to spend them on. This would be an important measure of support for the older generation in difficult times”, - said Sergey Mironov.

Many retirees tried on an individual basis to claim reimbursement of travel expenses during the blocking of social cards. But not a single attempt was successful.

“In most cases, they were told that in the fall of 2020 the Moscow government had already paid compensation in the amount of 4 thousand rubles, and this supposedly had to cover all expenses, but if this was not enough, then the holders of blocked social cards have the right to demand monetization of this benefit. ... Many agreed, but very quickly it became clear that this amount could literally amount to a penny", - Lina Rykhtikova, Candidate of Legal Sciences, told Novye Izvestia.

The fact is that the size of the set of social services, according to the website of the Pension Fund of Russia, from February 1, 2021, is 1211.65 rubles. a month. The set includes: service money equivalent - medicines, honey. products, health food products - 933.25 rubles. Payment for a voucher for treatment in a sanatorium - 144.37 rubles. RUB 134.04 - the cost of providing the service for travel in suburban railway transport, as well as in intercity transport to the place of treatment and back. Nothing is said at all about travel on public transport.

“The social card is a measure of social support covered by the law on the monetization of benefits. The procedure for obtaining benefits or refusal from them is declarative. Any citizen has the right to refuse social support measures, but later this measure is compensated for by the amount of money specified in the law", - explained Lina Rykhtikova.

"Article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Appropriation of funds and embezzlement" implies compensation for damage in significant amounts. Why can you appeal to this article? Social support measures are property that cannot be withdrawn by a by-law (decree). Only a citizen himself can refuse social support measures by writing an appropriate application. But this social support was appropriated by the Moscow government. Proof will require receipts and other proof of transportation costs. After all, social cards, that is, the property of Muscovites, turned out to be, in fact, entrusted to the mayor's office. According to Art. 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, significant damage to property is determined by the amount of at least 5 thousand rubles. And under article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, misappropriation of someone else's property can be punishable by a fine of 120 to 300 thousand rubles", - Lina Rykhtikova, Candidate of Legal Sciences, told Novye Izvestia.

One way or another, the Federal Law “On State Social Assistance”, according to the lawyer, was violated: no category of citizens had the right to forcibly deprive of measures of social support, without compensating for this with an amount adequate to the costs.

The trouble is that Muscovites who were offered social cards instead of pension certificates, in fact, found themselves in a trap. They entrusted their social benefits, that is, their property, to the Moscow government, which began to manipulate them at its own discretion. And the law on the monetization of benefits, which at first seemed progressive, in fact turned into a mockery of Muscovites.