In November, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a law on veterans' issues.
The document, which comes into force on May 1, 2025, is aimed at increasing the social protection of veterans and war victims.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection explained what support measures are currently being provided to veterans and how they will be strengthened next year.
How Veteran Support Measures Will Be Strengthened in 2025
Veterans of the Great Patriotic War are provided with social benefits in the housing sector, in the field of healthcare and spa treatment, travel, etc.
Benefits include free travel on all types of public transport, free provision of medicines and technical means of social rehabilitation, free spa treatment, free production and repair of dentures, discounts on housing and communal services and home repairs at the expense of local budgets.
The total monthly payment to the pension in the form of an increase, age supplement and care allowance for war veterans and disabled people ranges from 435 to 655 rubles, and for Leningrad blockade survivors – more than 270 rubles.
The average pension for war veterans is about 1,300 rubles, for war invalids – 1,455 rubles.
Traditional financial assistance for Victory Day this year was received by more than 8.4 thousand war veterans and those who suffered from its consequences in amounts from 1,000 to 4,000 rubles. Budget funds in the amount of 9.2 million rubles are provided for next year.
Attention is also paid to the social and domestic issues of veterans. Every year, representatives of local authorities, educational institutions and youth public organizations conduct a survey of the living conditions of veterans to provide them with social and domestic assistance: provision of food, medicine, essential items, cleaning, repair of residential premises, gas and stove equipment, installation/replacement of API, etc.
Over the first 9 months of this year, various social support measures were provided to 1,500 people for more than 350,000 rubles.
The Veterans Affairs Act, which comes into effect on May 1 next year, will significantly increase support.
Thus, those awarded orders/medals of the USSR for impeccable military service in the rear will be granted the status of WWII participant, the pension increase will be increased from 50 to 250% of the minimum old-age pension, and annual financial assistance for health improvement in the amount of 10 basic pensions will be provided.
Those awarded orders/medals of the USSR for selfless work in the rear will have their pension increase increased from 50 to 100% of the minimum old-age pension and will be granted the right to priority service in healthcare organizations, priority hospitalization and priority admission in government agencies and other organizations, regardless of their form of ownership.
A similar right will be granted to those awarded the “Resident of Blockaded Leningrad” badge, the “For the Defense of Leningrad” medal, as well as those who worked at air defense facilities and the construction of other military facilities.
Substantial benefits are also provided for former prisoners of fascism; veterans of military operations in other countries from among military personnel; veterans of military operations in other countries from among persons sent in 1979-89 to work in Afghanistan; spouses of deceased military personnel who have not remarried.
