The Ministry of Social Policy proposes to change the approach to approval of the social norm for solid fuel for the provision of social assistance and housing subsidies based on heat capacity, not weight. Focus learned how this would affect the amount of subsidies and aid.
The Ministry of Social Policy has prepared a draft decision titled “Some issues on providing assistance and housing subsidies to the population for the purchase of solid fuel”, which proposes to change the concept of calculating the social norm of solid fuel for the provision of benefits. Housing subsidies based on heat capacity. writes about this Focus in his new article “Subsidies in a new way: how the government plans to change the standards and format of financing payments.”
The Ministry proposes to determine the social norm especially for solid fuel, based on the separate heat capacity of coal and wood. “The fact is that the heat capacity of different types of fuel is different. The heat capacity of coal is on average 3.0 – 3.5 times higher than that of firewood. Accordingly, different amounts of coal and firewood are required to heat the same room. Authors of the decision First of all, what is required to heat the house “They calculated the amount of calories, but then they calculated the amount of coal and firewood needed for it,” he explained. Focus Candidate of Economic Sciences, independent expert Alexander Khmelevsky.
Thus, the ministry initiates the establishment of the following minimum standards for providing solid fuel to the population:
- provide benefit – volume of solid fuel capable of producing 12,064,500 Kcal of heat (about 6.22 tonnes per household per year can be obtained from freshly cut wood with 50% moisture content or from 1.87 tonnes of coal available on the Ukrainian market);
- provide housing subsidy — Solid fuel volume that can release 14,367,096 Kcal of heat per household per year (this amount can be obtained from approximately 7.41 tonnes of freshly cut wood with 50% moisture or 2.23 tonnes of coal available on the Ukrainian market).
Important
If we take into account that the housing social norm for subsidies for a family of 2 is 62.52 m2, and for social benefits – 52.5 m2, then social standard To heat a living space during the heating season:
- for the provision of aid – for coal – 1.87 tons, for firewood – 6.22 tons;
- for the provision of subsidies: for coal – 2.23 tons, for firewood – 7.41 tons.
The amount of solid fuel subsidized for the heating season was increased from 2 tonnes to 2.23 tonnes of coal and 7.41 tonnes of wood.
The authors of the project are also revising the price limit for solid fuels, taking into account the new approach. In particular, it is recommended that coal and firewood prices be determined separately at the market average level in 2023:
- 9.609 UAH – for 1 ton of coal;
- 1,494 UAH – per 1 ton of wood.
Subsidies will increase: What will be the impact of the innovation?
As mentioned Focus housing allowance is provided once a year to cover the cost of housing and communal services, liquefied gas, solid and liquid heating household fuel, trial lawyer Alena Oskolkova and is assigned if the household does not receive a public service for the supply of thermal energy for central heating (heat supply) and does not use natural gas. or electrical energy for individual heating.
According to the draft decision, Fuel standards have been increased for heating houses with solid fuel, It is especially important for heating with wood. “Per a family of 2, the subsidized volume of solid fuel (for the heating season) will be 2.23 tonnes of coal or 7.41 tonnes of wood (currently 2 tonnes of solid fuel regardless of type); “The maximum cost of solid fuel for which the subsidy is provided reaches 9,609 UAH per 1 ton of coal and 1,494 UAH per 1 ton of wood (currently – 3,486.44 UAH per 1 ton of solid fuel, regardless of its type),” he explained.
Important
At the same time, Oskolkova stated that the total maximum amount of subsidy that can be provided without taking into account the compulsory payment rate that the family must pay on its own (currently UAH 6,972.88) and this amount should not exceed 15%. His total income will be:
- 21,428.07 UAH – in case of purchasing coal;
- In case of purchase of wood – 11,070.54 UAH.
The maximum subsidy amount will increase from 6,972.88 UAH to 21,428.07 UAH for the purchase of coal and to 11,070.54 UAH for the purchase of wood.
“In the future, the cost of fuel will be indexed to increasing consumer prices, which will make it possible to adjust the size of the subsidy annually according to the inflation index. In general, it should be noted that “The new approach will increase the size of subsidies and make life easier for low-income people.”“, summarized Khmelevsky.
Let us remind you that getting support in the Diya application will become even easier, thanks to a new service that has started to be tested in Ukraine. Applying will be three times faster and will only take 10 minutes.
Moreover Focus He wrote that currently subsidies for housing and communal services are used by 1.3 million families, their average amount is 760 hryvnia. Additionally, 1.2 million families receive assistance from housing and communal services amounting to an average of UAH 850 per month.
Source: Focus
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