Since the beginning of the year, residents of the four new constituent entities of Russia have received more than one million services from the Social Fund. Most payments and support measures under Russian legislation began to be processed in the new regions starting in March, while certain services were available from the beginning of the year.
The most in-demand services among residents of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, have been the issuance of SNILS (individual insurance account number) and the assignment of pensions. Residents also frequently apply for child benefits and social support measures for families with children — primarily maternity capital and the unified benefit for children under 17 and pregnant women. Furthermore, citizens of the new territories have applied for additional financial support granted for outstanding achievements and merits to Heroes of the USSR and the Russian Federation, Heroes of Socialist Labor and Labor of the Russian Federation, those awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland," and others.
Special interdepartmental commissions operate in the new regions, where Chernobyl disaster survivors and combat veterans can apply to confirm their status under Russian law. The interdepartmental commission also assists residents in obtaining certificates of employment history and contribution records required for processing Russian pensions and other support programs.