Social and domestic services: delivery of groceries, essential goods, medicines; assistance in food preparation, feeding; cleaning of residential premises, payment of utility bills.

Social rehabilitation activities: assistance in obtaining medical care, rehabilitation equipment, and following doctor's orders.

Social intermediation and consulting/information services: assistance in processing documents, applying for pensions and benefits, support in obtaining legally provided benefits and financial aid, assistance in assigning social payments, support in obtaining legal consultations, etc.;

Care services (nanny, caregiver): hourly care for children with disabilities, children in large families, as well as daytime supervision of severely ill citizens.

2. Implementation of new forms of social services aimed at the resettlement of elderly citizens (creation of substitute families, foster families, guest families).

3. Provision of one-time social and domestic services, both included and not included in the List.

4. Organization of long-term care for incapacitated citizens who require simultaneous social, medical, rehabilitation, and (or) habilitation services at home.

5. Training of persons caring for incapacitated citizens in caregiving skills.

6. Work with the automated information system software (AIS "TSSON").

Citizens who are cared for by persons receiving benefits for caring for a Group I disabled person or a person who has reached the age of 80 are entitled to the following social services from the List:

- purchase and home delivery of food products, essential industrial goods;

- handing over items for washing, dry cleaning, repair, and their home delivery;

- payment from the client's funds for housing and communal services, use of residential premises, communication services, and other payments (payment for goods, services, taxes, fines, loan repayments);

- delivery (provision) of medicines and medical supplies;

- caregiver services;

- day care services. 

 

Conditions for providing social services by the department in the form of social services at home (social worker services)

1. Social services are provided in accordance with the individual need for social services 

Social services are provided under the following conditions:

• Free of charge:

– low-income single disabled citizens.

• On partial payment terms:

– single disabled citizens whose per capita income does not exceed 200% of the subsistence minimum approved in the prescribed manner.

The amount of partial payment is:

– for a disabled citizen, 60% of the tariff for social services

• On full payment terms:

- disabled citizens, except for the citizens mentioned above.

The amount of full payment is: - for a disabled citizen, 100% of the tariff for social services (in accordance with the Decision of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee dated 19.09.2024 No. 591 "On tariffs for social services provided by state social service institutions" in the amount of 0.77 Belarusian rubles per hour (except for caregiver services and day care services)).

When determining the payment terms for social services, the following are applied:

- subsistence minimum, valid on the date of enrollment for social services;
- per capita income of a disabled citizen, calculated for the month preceding the month of application for social services. 

"To conclude an agreement, citizens provide a written application (of the established form) and the following documents:"

• application;
• identity document;

a document of the established sample confirming the right to benefits (disability certificate, Great Patriotic War veteran certificate, etc.) for citizens belonging to the category of beneficiaries;

a medical certificate of the citizen's health status in the form approved by the resolution of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus dated 09.07.2010 No. 92, indicating the presence of medical indications and (or) absence of medical contraindications for admission to service;

Employees of the territorial center within three working days from the date of application:

• request information on the amount of pension received for the month preceding the month of application for social services – for single incapacitated citizens;
• request information on the absence/presence of care for the citizen applying for social services by a person receiving benefits for caring for a group 1 disabled person or a person who has reached the age of 80;
• request a certificate of the residential premises occupied in this settlement, place of residence and family composition;
• request information confirming that the citizen applying for social services is not a recipient of rent under a rent agreement or lifelong maintenance with dependent care (with the exception of a lifelong maintenance agreement with dependent care concluded with a local executive and administrative body) – for single incapacitated citizens

Medical contraindications for receiving social services in the form of social home care

• infectious and parasitic diseases;

• acute diseases and (or) chronic diseases in the decompensation stage;
• diseases requiring medical care, including specialized medical care, in inpatient settings of a healthcare organization;
• "Mental disorders and behavioral disorders that have led to a severely pronounced (FC 4) limitation of the ability to control one's behavior, in patients under dispensary observation by a psychiatrist-narcologist in groups 1 and 2, as defined by Appendix 3 to the Instruction on the procedure for carrying out dispensary observation, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus of November 10, 2017 No. 95 (excluding caregiver services and day care services)

2. Provision of caregiver services

Caregiver services are provided to incapacitated citizens who have a severely pronounced (FC-4) limitation of self-care ability and a severely pronounced (FC-4) limitation of mobility. Caregiver services are provided on a paid basis, unless otherwise established by legislative acts (in accordance with the decision of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee of 09.19.2024 No. 591 "On tariffs for social services provided by state social service institutions", the payment is 1.20 Belarusian rubles per hour)

A caregiver provides home-based social and household services to persons with disabilities in self-care, staying with these persons throughout their working hours.

The standard provision of caregiver services is from 10 to 40 hours per week, if necessary.

To conclude a contract for the provision of social services, citizens must provide:

• a written application;
• an identity document of the citizen;
• a document of the established sample on the right to benefits (disability certificate, Great Patriotic War veteran certificate, etc.) – for citizens belonging to the category of beneficiaries;

• a medical certificate on the citizen's health status in the form approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus dated 09.07.2010 No. 92, indicating the presence of medical indications and/or absence of medical contraindications for enrollment in services.

Territorial center employees, within three working days from the date of application:

• shall draw up an act determining the individual need for social services;
• shall request information on the amount of pension received for the month preceding the month of application for social services – for single incapacitated citizens;
• shall request information on the absence of care for the citizen who applied for social services by a person receiving benefits for caring for a disabled person of group I or a person who has reached the age of 80;

• shall request a certificate of the living space occupied in the given settlement, place of residence and family composition;
• shall request information confirming that the citizen who applied for social services is not a recipient of rent under a rent agreement or lifelong maintenance agreement (except for a lifelong maintenance agreement concluded with a local executive and administrative body) – for single incapacitated citizens.

3. Provision of hourly childcare services (nanny services)

Assistance in childcare (nanny service) is provided free of charge subject to the conditions established by law:

• to families with a child with a disability – up to 20 hours per week until the child reaches the age of 18;
• to families with two or more children with disabilities – up to 40 hours per week until the children reach the age of 18;
• to families raising twins – up to 20 hours per week until the children reach the age of 3;
• to families raising triplets or more children – up to 40 hours per week until the children reach the age of 3;
• for families where both parents – mother (stepmother), father (stepfather) – or a single parent are disabled of group I or II – up to 20 hours per week until the child (children) reach the age of 6.

To conclude an agreement for the provision of a nanny service, the citizen provides the following along with the application:

• identity document;
• consent to the processing of special personal data in cases provided for by personal data legislation;
• child's (children's) birth certificate;
• disability certificate – for families raising a disabled child (disabled children), and for families where parents (parent) are disabled;
• a certificate stating that the citizen is a student, indicating additional information about receiving education at home – for disabled children studying at an educational institution with education at home;
• information confirming the employment of the able-bodied father (stepfather) in a full family at the date of application for social services and for at least 6 months in total out of the last 12 months prior to the month of application.

The hourly childcare service (nanny service) is not provided if:

• the child (disabled child) receives primary or special education in educational institutions (except for education at home);
• a disabled child receives primary or special education in educational institutions, and additional education for children and youth – at home;
• services are provided in the form of semi-stationary social services, as well as the social respite service;
• care for a disabled child (disabled children) with the receipt of a disability care allowance is carried out by another person who is not a parent (mother (stepmother), father (stepfather), legal representative.

The nanny service is provided by employees of territorial centers who are not relatives of the recipients of this social service – parents, children, spouses, siblings, grandparents. 

4. Provision of Day Care Services:

Day care services are provided as part of social services at home in accordance with the list of social services provided by state social service institutions, with norms and standards for providing citizens with these services, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 27.12.2012 No. 1218.

Day care services are provided to incapacitated citizens who have limitations in their ability to control their behavior corresponding to FC 2 – FC 3 – FC 4, including for citizens with dementia.

       Day care services are provided on a paid basis, unless otherwise established by legislative acts (in accordance with the Decision of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee of 19.09.2024 No. 591 "On Tariffs for Social Services Provided by State Social Service Institutions", the fee is 1.20 Belarusian rubles per hour.

To conclude an agreement for the provision of day care services, citizens submit a written application and the following documents:

• identity document;
• a document of the established sample on the right to benefits (disability certificate, Great Patriotic War veteran certificate, etc.) for citizens belonging to the category of beneficiaries;
• a medical certificate of health status containing information about the presence of medical indications and (or) the absence of medical contraindications for the provision of day care services in the form of social services at home.

Employees of the territorial center within three working days from the date of application:

• draw up an act determining the individual need for social services;

• request information on the amount of pension received for the month preceding the month of application for social services – for single incapacitated citizens;

request information on the absence of care for the citizen applying for social services by a person receiving benefits for the care of a disabled person of group 1 or a person who has reached the age of 80;

request a certificate of the living space occupied in this locality, place of residence and family composition;

request information confirming that the citizen applying for social services is not a recipient of rent under a rent agreement or lifelong maintenance agreement (with the exception of a lifelong maintenance agreement concluded with the local executive and administrative body) – for single disabled citizens.

Medical indications for the provision of day care services:

injuries and (or) diseases and (or) their consequences, which led to a moderate (FC – 2), or pronounced (FC-3), or sharply pronounced (FC -4) limitation of the ability to control one's behavior.

Medical contraindications for the provision of day care services:

• mental disorders and behavioral disorders that led to a sharply pronounced (FC 4) limitation of the ability to control one's behavior, in patients under dispensary observation by a psychiatrist-narcologist in the dispensary observation subgroups "Special Registration", "Special Registration", defined by the Instructions on the procedure for dispensary observation;
• injuries and (or) diseases and (or) their consequences, which led to a sharply pronounced (FC 4) limitation of the ability for self-care and a sharply pronounced (FC 4) limitation of the ability for independent movement.

5. Service in the form of social service in a substitute family

The service in a substitute family is provided in the form of social service at home in accordance with the Regulations approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 20.11.2017 No. 864.

"Substitute family" is a form of life arrangement for a citizen in a difficult life situation, under conditions of cohabitation and joint housekeeping with another individual.

Social service in a substitute family is provided to a citizen who is recognized as being in a difficult life situation, a non-working disabled person of group 1 or 2, a non-working citizen who has reached the age of 70, and who permanently resides in the Republic of Belarus;

who does not have minor children, as well as adult children, spouses, and parents who are not disabled persons of group I or II, and who have not reached the age entitling them to an old-age pension under general conditions;

who is not being cared for by a person receiving benefits for caring for a disabled person of group I or a person who has reached the age of 80;

who is not a recipient of rent under a rent agreement or a lifelong maintenance agreement;

To conclude an agreement, a citizen in a difficult life situation applies to the Territorial Center for Social Services (TCSS) at their place of residence or stay, and in case of residing not at their place of residence or stay - at the place of actual residence, with an application and provides the following documents:

identity document;

disability certificate - for citizens belonging to this category;

a medical certificate of health status containing information about the presence of medical indications and (or) the absence of medical contraindications for receiving social services in the form of home social services provided for by legislation.

For the purpose of concluding an agreement, the assistant applies to the TCSS at their place of residence or stay, and in case of residing not at their place of residence or stay - at the place of actual residence, with an application and provides the following documents:

identity document;

information on income, excluding information on the amount of pension, for the month preceding the month of application, if available;

a health certificate containing information about the absence of diseases specified in the list of diseases in which persons cannot be guardians and trustees, for himself and each adult family member living with him.

The territorial center for social services (TCSS) within three working days from the date of application conducts an inspection of the material and living conditions of the assistant, drawing up an act of inspection of material and living conditions, and requests from state bodies (organizations):

a certificate of the residential premises occupied in the given locality, place of residence and family composition;

information provided for in part five of Article 22 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Social Services" with respect to the assistant;

information specified in the fifth subparagraph of paragraph 10 of the Regulations on the Provision of Social Services in the Form of Social Services in a Substitute Family, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated 20.11.2017 No. 864, with respect to each family member living with him who has reached the age of criminal and administrative responsibility;

information on the amount of pension received for the month preceding the month of application, for pension recipients.

The assistant, when submitting an application, has the right to independently provide documents that are requested by the TCSS.

On the procedure for terminating the contract

The termination of the contract is carried out in cases and in the manner prescribed by legislative acts.

Additional grounds for terminating the contract by unilateral refusal to perform it are:

the fact that a citizen in a difficult life situation, and (or) an assistant, and (or) family members living with him are in a state of alcoholic intoxication and (or) in a state caused by the use of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, toxic or other intoxicating substances;

behavior of a citizen in a difficult life situation, violating generally accepted norms and rules of conduct, degrading the honor and dignity of the assistant and (or) family members living with him, not resulting from an existing illness;

the presence of a mental disorder (illness) in a citizen in a difficult life situation and (or) the assistant and (or) family members living with him, requiring inpatient psychiatric care;

conclusion by the assistant or adult family members living with him of a rent agreement or a lifelong maintenance agreement with a dependent by a citizen in a difficult life situation;

conclusion by a citizen in a difficult life situation of a rent agreement or a lifelong maintenance agreement with a dependent with another individual or legal entity;

conclusion by a citizen in a difficult life situation and (or) the assistant of an agreement with a state social service institution in the forms of inpatient social services or home-based social services;

the presence of a disease in the assistant that requires inpatient medical care;

the assistant reaching the age of 70 years and older;

establishment of group I or II disability for the assistant;

the occurrence of circumstances provided for in part five of Article 22 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Social Services".

In case of circumstances that are grounds for termination or cancellation of the agreement, the payment of remuneration shall cease from the first day of the month following the month in which such circumstances arose.

6. Long-term care – interdepartmental interaction on providing social services and medical care to citizens 

From July 1, 2024, the concept of "long-term care" for the elderly and disabled has been introduced in Belarus. 

Long-term care is intended for citizens who have a special need for assistance from others. This includes elderly citizens aged 65 and older, as well as individuals with disabilities of group 1 or 2, who have a pronounced or severely pronounced limitation in their ability to move independently, self-care, control their behavior, and experience the need for both social and medical services at home simultaneously. The main objective of long-term care is to create conditions that allow citizens in need of long-term comprehensive support to remain in their familiar home environment for as long as possible.

To organize long-term care, a citizen must submit a written application and the following documents:

• A conclusion from the Medical Advisory Commission (VKK) on the need for long-term care and the absence of medical contraindications;
• A medical certificate on health status, containing recommendations for treatment and dynamic monitoring of the citizen in need of long-term care;
• A copy of the individual medical rehabilitation and habilitation program for the patient (if available);
• A copy of the individual rehabilitation and habilitation program for the disabled person (if available).

Within the framework of implementing the individual program, the territorial center concludes a civil law contract for the provision of social services with the citizen in need of long-term care (or their legal representative), in the form established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.