Disability Benefits, Caregiver Payments, and Rehab Equipment in Russia: My Personal Experience and the Reality

When I was 15 years old, I was assigned  group I disability. Until I turned 18, I was registered as a disabled child, and then at 18, my disability status was confirmed as indefinite (lifelong). However, despite having group I, my social pension is currently at the minimum level because I have no work experience. At the moment, I receive a social pension of about 32,000 rubles per month.

Russia is a huge country, and the size of pensions varies significantly by region. In Syktyvkar, where I used to live, the regional coefficient for pensions is 1.2, so my payment there would have been around 36,000 rubles. Meanwhile, my acquaintances in the far east regions have a coefficient of 1.5, and their pension is already about 45–50 thousand rubles.

In addition to the pension itself, Russia has care payments. These are assigned to Group I disabled people who cannot leave their apartment. These payments are called SDU and LOU (Long-term Care System / Caregiver). In practice, my parents act as my caregivers, but the amounts of these payments are also small because my degree of disability (need for care) is the second category. In reality, this is about half the minimum wage (MROT).

Besides the payments, there is support for technical rehabilitation equipment (TRE) in Russia. To receive it, you need to formalize an Individual Rehabilitation Program (IRP). This is where the necessary technical means are prescribed: wheelchairs, prosthetics, crutches, etc. These items must be medically documented, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Many people try to include as much as possible in the IRP because those equipments scan be sold. This creates a gray market where some people make money.

Unfortunately, due to the country’s economic difficulties, social benefits have decreased, and many disabled people are forced to work even full-time just to make ends meet. I work too, and perhaps in another article I’ll tell you more about where exactly. But the main thing is to understand that without knowing your rights, it’s very difficult to get the help you need. In Russia, rights are declarative: if you’re not ready to fight for your rights, then in essence, you don’t have them.