Lawyer warned of changes in the rules for processing subsidies for housing and utility bills

Registration of subsidies for payment of housing and utility bills through the portal "Gosuservices" from December 25 will require an electronic signature of a citizen. This was announced on December 15 by public figure, expert on housing and communal services Dmitry Bondar.

He explained that this was done to improve the security of the process, minimize errors and forgery when submitting applications. The expert specified that the provision of an incomplete set of documents can lead to a suspension of the application for 10 working days to correct deficiencies.

Bondar reminded that on September 25, new rules came into force, complicating the procedure for obtaining subsidies for violators of obligations to pay for housing and utilities services. Thus, social services will have to take into account when considering applications data from the state system of housing and communal services with the history of payments of citizens for the last three years. If there is a court-confirmed debt in the provision of subsidies may be denied.

The lawyer also told what category of citizens is entitled to receive subsidies.

"To receive subsidies are entitled to citizens who own or use housing under rental agreements, are members of housing cooperatives or owners of residential premises. In this case, the mandatory condition remains the presence of permanent registration in this housing and the absence of judicially confirmed debt on payment of housing and utility services," - quotes the expert "RIA Novosti".

To all this, Bondar added that the right to a benefit is granted if the cost of paying for utilities exceeds the percentage of total family income established in the region.

Speaking about the tightening of rules on subsidies, the lawyer spoke about the increased number of fraud, which is estimated at millions of rubles annually. He noted that people often forge documents or use fake payments, hide their real income or the fact that they own several properties.

Earlier, November 30, general director of the professional legal group AID, lawyer David Adams told "Izvestia" that pensioners can claim a number of subsidies and compensations related to the payment of housing and communal services (HCS).

However, he also reminded that in some cases, benefits and subsidies may be lost, for example, in case of court-confirmed arrears in payment of housing and communal services. Also, a pensioner may lose benefits if his or her life circumstances change, for example, if he or she becomes employed or ceases to meet the requirements for housing space.