There are no plans to introduce food cards for the poor in 2019, despite repeated proposals to stimulate consumer demand with food stamps and support the poor. This was announced by Arkady Ponomarev, a member of the Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues, at Agroholdings of Russia-2018.

Who is eligible to claim the benefit?

The launch of the food subsidy program was planned first in 2018 and then in 2019. Several years ago, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed creating a supplementary nutrition system in Russia for the low-income population. It was proposed that special bank cards of citizens of this category be credited with funds that could be spent on certain domestic products - fresh, perishable. According to Ponomarev, the implementation of this proposal will stimulate domestic demand and the development of processing industries.

An important clarification: the Ministry of Industry and Trade was going to issue food cards only to those citizens who found themselves below the poverty line due to external circumstances and could prove it. The state will definitely not support parasites who are able to work but do not want to. Russians who hide their real income and only pretend to be poor - freelancers, entrepreneurs, owners of subsidiary plots - should also not count on help.

If the program is launched in 2020, how can a citizen understand whether he can take part in the food card program? To do this, he needs to make some simple calculations.

Add up all the income his family received over the last 3 months. Benefits, subsidies, scholarships also need to be taken into account.

Divide the resulting amount by 3 to derive the arithmetic mean.

Divide the result by the number of family members (including children and pensioners).

If the final value is below the subsistence level, you can safely apply for a food card for the poor in 2020 (provided that the program is launched).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade does not specify what documents are needed to obtain a food card. It is known that control over the distribution of cards will be the responsibility of social security authorities - a low-income citizen should not have a question about where to get a food card, because he is probably familiar with the address of the local social security department. To apply for a benefit, you will not only have to bring the required papers, but also undergo an interview - a kind of “lice test”. Anyone who receives a food card in Russia will be required to make every effort to find a job (if there is none) in order to avoid the spread of parasitism.

It is expected that the list of citizens entitled to benefits will be reviewed every 6 months. A low-income citizen will have to bring documents confirming his preferential status to social security every six months.

What can you buy?

The holder of a food card, alas, will not be able to purchase with its help any products that catch his eye - he will only have access to those things without which a Russian’s daily diet is impossible to imagine. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will provide an exact list of available products at the launch of the program. The list will include:

Meat and fish.

Eggs and milk.

Salt, sugar, spices.

Vegetables, fruits, dried fruits.

In addition, “social products” include pet food, hygiene products (soap, washing powder, etc.), seeds and seedlings.

The benefit will not apply to alcohol and cigarettes. The Ministry of Industry and Trade categorically states that it is not going to support the bad habits of Russians.

Card holders will also not be able to spend preferential funds on surplus products - say, candy. A low-income citizen who wants to please his child with sweets will have to spend his own money on it. The most controversial position so far is medicines - the Ministry of Industry and Trade has not decided whether to include them in the list of “social products”.

Those Russians who will be issued food cards should pay attention to one more limitation: only Russian products will be able to be paid for with preferential funds. Due to this restriction, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will try to “catch up with the second hare” - namely, to support domestic producers and give them an advantage in competition with importers.

Point payment system - what is it?

Food certificates will be issued in the Mir payment system. The state will not transfer rubles to the cards at all, but bonus points - monthly in an amount equivalent to 1,200 or 1,400 rubles. The holder of a food certificate will have to put up with a number of restrictions.

Points cannot be accumulated. If a low-income citizen does not spend all the bonus rubles by the end of the month, the rest of the amount will be burned.

Points cannot be cashed out. You can pay with bonus rubles only in stores participating in the state program. It is expected that from 2019 the cards will be accepted in some canteens and cafes.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade clarifies that cardholders will be able to deposit personal funds into bonus accounts. Why should low-income citizens top up food cards with “their own hard-earned money”? If only for the following reason: the state promises that a citizen will be able to receive from 30% to 50% of the top-up amount monthly - this is a pretty solid profit. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, apparently, has not yet decided what will happen to personal funds at the end of the month and whether they will burn out along with the bonus rubles.

Experience of the USSR and foreign countries

The distribution of “cards for the poor” is not at all an innovative solution for a crisis economy. We can say that food cards are returning to Russia - a similar system was already in effect in the USSR.

Grocery cards in the USSR appeared along with the USSR itself - in 1917. The coupon payment system was introduced periodically, but this was not at all connected with the widespread poverty of Russians (as it is now), but with constant supply crises. Many of the products in the Soviet Union were considered scarce - they could only be obtained with a special coupon and only in limited quantities (to avoid speculation). The coupon system in the USSR reached its peak in the period 1988 - 1991, when citizens could not purchase either sugar or sunflower oil. Since 1992, food certificates began to disappear due to the spread of free trade.

But the coupon system is by no means a relic of the past. Nowadays, the practice of providing food certificates to low-income citizens is used all over the world, including in developed countries.

In the United States, low-income citizens have been paying for food stamps for 50 years, receiving about $115 per person each month. The Americans consider this system fair and are not going to abandon it.

In Great Britain, the coupon system was introduced after the Second World War due to food shortages. The program was resumed in 2014.

In Cuba, food cards have been issued to the poor for over 50 years, but now the coupon system on Liberty Island is on its way out. It is interesting that cigarettes were excluded from the number of “preferential” goods in Cuba only in 2016.

Food certificates were also introduced in modern Russia – at the regional level. For example, in 2013, 3 thousand food cards were issued for large families in the Kirov region.

Both market experts and ordinary citizens for the most part have a positive attitude towards the idea of ​​reviving the system of food cards in Russia for pensioners and other citizens in need of financial support. This was confirmed by a survey organized by VTsIOM: almost 80% of respondents were in favor. But if the idea of ​​introducing an analogue of the coupon system into the economy is so good, no matter how you look at it, why is the Ministry of Industry and Trade delaying its implementation? The answer to this question is simple: the state cannot yet find enough money to bring the idea to life. According to preliminary estimates, almost 70 billion rubles will be needed - finding such an amount in a country with a crisis economy, alas, is extremely problematic.

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Existing realities of life

Existing shortcomings

Expert opinions

Results

• improvement of trade.

• single mothers;
• unemployed citizens;

In addition to the introduction in 2017

Grocery cards for the poor 2018: who will be issued and how to get them

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The older generation remembers very well the time when it was possible to buy something important and necessary in our country only with cards. Now I remember it as pleasant nostalgia. However, it is quite possible that all this will return to our lives. Today this topic is again on the agenda in the cabinets of ministers.

What's the matter?

It is planned that from 2016 food cards for the poor will appear in Russia.

Will the Soviet card system be repeated? No. It will be something different. The previous system, which was introduced to combat shortages, is not relevant today. If you remember, in Soviet times a person could buy certain categories of goods only with cards. In addition, it was impossible to purchase more of them than the norm established. Today we are not talking about this, but about state support for the poor. It is worth noting that the concept of the project was developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and has already been submitted to the government for consideration.

How does the poor live?

According to all statistics, more than 15% of the country's population receives less than the subsistence level. In fact, there are many more of them! Need I tell you at length that the diet of low-income families is completely lacking in variety? And very often what is on the table in such families is not healthy. The food of poor people is what is inexpensive and lasts a long time. These are cereals, pasta and potatoes.

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Typically, such families rarely see or do not eat fresh vegetables and fruits, fish and meat.

How can cards help?

Initially, the idea was this: the state issues a plastic card to the poor, which receives a certain amount each month, or rather, a certain number of points. Using the card, a person will be able to buy food.

Can I buy everything?

No, no and NO! The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to include only perishable goods in the program, and, importantly, they must be of Russian origin! The list includes fresh vegetables, fruits and berries, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, dairy products and more. After all, this is a healthy food that is rich in all necessary vitamins and microelements. That is, everything that poor people lack so much. In addition, it is planned that such grocery cards will only work at those retail outlets that join the program.

People will know and see those stores where such social cards are accepted. They will definitely be marked with some kind of signs, like “Here you can use food cards.”

Will all low-income people receive such cards?

This is not yet known with complete certainty, but it is planned that categories of people will be determined by federal law. Most likely, these will be large families and some of today's beneficiaries.

What is a food card?

The Ministry of Industry and Trade currently offers two options - get a special card or negotiate with your bank so that the points are credited to a regular one.

Will the amount be infinite?

No. But what exactly it will be is still unknown. Most likely, each region will approve its own. Perhaps several thousand rubles a month.

A co-financing program may also be available. If the person himself puts money on the card, the state will add another 30-50% of this amount. But it’s unlikely that you will be able to accumulate points. You won't be allowed to do this. You will have to spend it monthly.

How effective will this program be?

No one can tell you for sure at this stage. However, back in 2013, food cards began to work in test mode in Kirov. Large families received them there. But it was a slightly different system. There was a thousand rubles on the card. Several dozen manufacturers and stores have joined the program. If a person bought products from the “right” manufacturers in the “right” stores, his expenses were reimbursed the next month. As a result, cardholders spent 7.4% of the money allocated by the budget without any compensation. Some people withdrew money from the card, although there was a huge commission. But still, the majority of owners of plastic wealth used it as they should. But local commodity producers did not notice any special support from such a system.

Reality or talk?

It must be said that they first started talking about food cards a long time ago, back during the crisis of 2008-2099.

However, at that time there was no constructive conversation, and the ministries decided to postpone the issue until worse times. Now they have arrived. And today there is a high probability that social food cards will be introduced. Well, for example, one of the signs of the importance and relevance of the issue can be considered the orders of Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, who instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to develop a program. And this is the first step.

Galina Anikeeva sorted it out.

Visitor comments

Anonymous (guest),

It's a good thing. But with our state, only a few will receive it, God willing, those who are truly in need.

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Food cards in Russia: reasons and purposes of introduction

The concept of food assistance in the Russian Federation being developed by the government introduces food cards. The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation said that food cards, as one of the types of support for citizens, have both advantages and disadvantages. The main directions of the proposed program are supporting regional agricultural producers and targeted assistance to the socially vulnerable population of the country.

What is food aid

The program is government support that is aimed at helping certain segments of the population. Assistance will be provided under the guise of a certain set of food products or an amount of money that can be spent on purchasing these products.

Food cards for Russians will make it possible, through market methods, to provide assistance to Russian agricultural producers. With the support of stable demand for their products, there is an opportunity for further improvement. This is also one of the methods of import substitution.

Russia is preparing for the return of food cards

In April 2015, the Government presented a model of a ration card system. They are intended for those citizens who have the right to subsidies from the state. The Ministry of Industry and Trade believes that food cards will support not only socially vulnerable segments of the population, but also the state, mainly regional agricultural production. The decision to introduce food cards into everyday use was formed based on the experience of world powers, where they have been successfully used for a long time.

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How food cards work

Despite the fact that the introduction of this innovation is expected in 2017, the concept of food cards is already known:

1. A family considered socially vulnerable is issued a bank card.
2. Funds from the budget are credited to it every month.
3. It will be impossible to withdraw funds; they can only be used to pay in certain stores and for a certain period of time.
4. The introduction of food cards will apply only to products with a short shelf life. This is planned to eliminate accumulation. This includes foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits.
5. The exact amount of funds transferred to the card is not yet known. The department believes that the amount will depend on the cost of living established in the region, the level of family income, all social deductions, and the food cost ratio.

Conditions for receiving food cards

In order to receive food cards for the poor, you must complete several steps. You will need to submit an application to the executive branch in your region of residence, collect a package of necessary documents, and undergo an interview. If the answer is positive, the applicant is issued an electronic grocery card, which will receive funds. Or you can connect an existing one by signing an agreement with your bank.

To mitigate the risk of dependency, the unemployed will be required to get a job within a specified time frame.

It is likely that Sberbank of the Russian Federation will participate in the implementation of the designated program. The Food Card program will require, at the most preliminary calculation, 240 billion rubles.

Existing realities of life

There is one very serious obstacle to the implementation of the program - the state does not have financial resources. Of course, the program will be implemented entirely by the state. But since in 2015 the country’s budget was adopted with a deficit of 2,680 million rubles, and as of May 1, 2015, the regions’ debt exceeded two trillion. rub., it is difficult to imagine an easy and quick implementation of the food card program.

Existing shortcomings

Despite the lack of the necessary funds in the federal budget to implement the program, there are several issues that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has not been able to resolve for a long time. Food cards and their implementation imply a clear scheme for choosing producers, which still does not exist. Secondly, there is no clear mechanism for checking the required quality of goods.

Expert opinions

For experts, one main question remains open: what is more important for the state - support for local producers or well-fed low-income citizens?

Borisov A., Chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the Development of the Consumer Market, believes that the introduction of cards will make changes to the system of supporting manufacturers. In this case, agricultural producers will be able to receive financial resources by increasing demand and stimulating it, and not directly.

Vostrikov Dm. (Rusprodsoyuz) approves food cards. He believes this will help local production better than price regulation.

Krupnov Yu., head of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Demography and Regional Development, believes that this program is a gift that can stimulate local agricultural producers and the Russian economy. He believes that Russia is preparing for the return of food cards and that this will solve most of the problems associated with food safety on a national scale. The program, in his words, is a giant food order for agricultural producers.

Mamikonyan M., President of the Meat Union, says that in the world this practice of helping the poor represents the strongest support for local producers. But he doubts that in the realities of Russia this support will be insignificant. The President believes that this program is intended for a limited circle of consumers, and the funds allocated monthly will be small; it is unlikely that they will be used to buy meat - a rather expensive product.

Reasons for introducing ration cards

The government assures that this program is in no way related to food shortages. According to them, food cards in Russia and the assistance provided through them will develop for several reasons:

1. The rules for Russia’s accession to the WTO oblige our country to reduce the amount of direct assistance to agricultural producers under the guise of various grants, subsidies, preferential loans, etc. Along with this, WTO rules may allow support for local agronomists through domestic food assistance during the implementation of the Green Box program.
2. Today in the country the number of citizens who are entitled to food cards is increasing: these are those below the poverty line and the poor. Over the past 8 years, their number has grown to 21 million people. These are citizens who need government support.

Stages of introducing food aid

According to preliminary data, the launch of the program will begin in 2017. Today, the amount that will be transferred to the card will be 1,400 rubles. monthly. It is expected that products under the program will be available for purchase on separate counters in retail chains. It is unlikely that social stores will be built separately for this program.

The next stage will begin at the beginning of 2018. It consists of opening social canteens where you can get hot meals by presenting the appropriate card.

What does the implementation of the program entail?

The return of ration cards, according to the government, has only the best intentions.

To support local producers, changes have been made to the trade law. These amendments eliminate any fees from suppliers and reduce settlement times. Today, retail chains can delay settlements with small farms for up to one and a half months. In other words, big business gets credit for free at the expense of small business. That is, theoretically, entry into retail chains will be open to local small agricultural producers, the stimulation of which is implied by the program for the introduction of food cards.

Results

The program for introducing food cards implies:

• support for local producers;
• support for the poor;
• improvement of trade.

In 2016, food cards in Russia will be available to:

• the majority of pensioners who are below the poverty line, taking into account the average pension for 2015;
• single mothers;
• unemployed citizens;
• such ethnic groups as the peoples of the Far North, Tajiks, Roma.

To receive cards, they need to contact the relevant authorities with an application and a package of documents.

In addition to the introduction in 2017

MILITARY PENSIONERS FOR RUSSIA AND ITS ARMED FORCES

food cards, in 2018 it is planned to introduce a program for preferential meals, which will provide the opportunity for low-income people to receive free lunch in a canteen/cafe.

Most experts in this field believe that food cards are the most important and effective project of the Russian Federation. They will provide an opportunity to support not only local production and consumption, but also the consumer market and the economy as a whole. The most important thing now is that this program of assistance to socially vulnerable citizens passes without any violations.

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The Ministry of Industry and Trade carried out preliminary calculations of the program of targeted food assistance to low-income citizens. It will be approximately 10 thousand rubles. per year per person, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis told reporters during the events of Russian Retail Week.

“There are preliminary calculations that we carried out with our colleagues; for the year it is somewhere around 10 thousand rubles,” Manturov said.

Earlier, the minister noted that a program of targeted assistance to the population through food certificates, which will be credited monthly to the Mir card, could be launched in the second half of 2018.

The minister explained that “the whole principle of the program is monthly accrual using these funds for one month.”

That is, the program participant will receive approximately 850 rubles on the card every month, which they can spend only on the purchase of food and only during the calendar month.

After this period, the remaining funds under the program are burned out, and the amount for the next month is credited to the card. “This will motivate people to spend money on food products,” the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is confident.

There is no unequivocal support for Manturov’s proposal in the financial and economic bloc of the government, a government official told Gazeta.Ru. First of all, I don’t like the fact that the issue with existing benefits is not being resolved and new small benefits are being added to each individual address card proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade for issue.

A possible solution could be to abolish all benefits by category of citizens and replace them with a single poverty benefit. “But politically no one is ready for this,” says Gazeta.Ru’s interlocutor.

When will food cards for the poor be introduced in Russia in 2019? Basic concepts on the topic, the amount allocated, the list of available products, the mechanism for applying for benefits - these aspects are touched upon in the proposed article.

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The unfavorable economic situation in the country has an impact on the well-being of Russians. Today, a large number of individuals and families are considered poor. In this regard, the state is taking various measures to improve the quality of life of citizens.

One of the promising innovations is the provision of social food cards to the population. According to experts, this innovation will improve the economic situation in the country.

general information

The idea of ​​introducing food cards for low-income Russian citizens was put forward by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2015. Today, the spread of this type of assistance no longer seems impossible.

Grocery cards are intended for citizens who cannot fully provide for their lives. More than 22 million people are recognized as low-income people in Russia.

This is the official figure, in practice there are much more. It is estimated that about 15% of the population needs additional government support.

• assistance to low-income citizens of the Russian Federation, large families and other vulnerable categories of people;
• supporting domestic producers, strengthening the Russian economy;
• improving the quality of nutrition of the population.

Main concepts

Basic concepts on the topic of the article are presented in the table:

Low-income citizens	These are citizens of the Russian Federation whose monthly income is below the subsistence level established in a particular region
Grocery cards	These are food coupons issued to low-income categories of citizens.
Ministry of Industry and Trade	This is the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Russian Federation
Living wage	This is an amount sufficient for a person’s normal life, ensuring his health, basic nutritional needs, non-food products, and a minimum set of services

Who has the right to them

Food cards will be provided to low-income families and citizens in the near future.

To do this, they will need to confirm their difficult financial situation, namely, prove the fact that their monthly income is below the subsistence level established in the subject of residence of the citizen.

To do this, a person must calculate his income as follows:

• low-income citizens;
• large families;
• single mothers;
• unemployed (persons registered at the labor exchange).

Legal basis

The main document regulating the procedure for assigning and issuing food cards is the Document of the Ministry of Industry and Trade “Strategy for the Development of Trade of the Russian Federation for 2014-2016. and the period until 2020."

It addresses the following issues:

• agricultural markets;
• development of trade in Russia;
• food support for populations considered low-income.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation is also involved in issues of food cards. The main goal is to regulate the agro-industrial complex and the market for agricultural products.

The ration card program is still at the development stage, but it is already nearing completion and implementation in the coming year.

Questions you are interested in

Experts believe that the introduction of food cards will significantly improve the situation of citizens of the Russian Federation, and will also support the domestic economy.

These goals will be achieved due to the fact that funds from the state budget can only be spent on Russian-made products.

In 2019-19, it is planned to introduce electronic grocery cards or certificates for the purchase of goods in Russia.

Funds will be transferred to them monthly (different in each region of Russia), which will expire if not used. These cards can be used to pay for essential goods at any grocery store.

What amount will be allocated?

The start of the Ministry of Industry and Trade program in test mode is scheduled for the second half of 2019. The innovation will come into full effect in 2019.

The amount of payments per program participant will be about 10 thousand rubles per year. Funds will be credited to electronic cards every month. You can pay with the card in grocery stores like a regular bank card.

However, you cannot transfer funds or withdraw cash from it, since the system will be serviced by points.

The support system will consist of awarding points, with one point being equivalent to one ruble.

Citizens will be provided with special plastic cards, which will receive points monthly (from 850 to 1,200 rubles, depending on the region of residence of citizens). Unspent funds will expire at the end of the month.

The card can be refilled by the holder himself, and about 40% of the amount of his own replenishment will be awarded as a bonus. And cash withdrawal from the card will not be possible in order to avoid spending funds on other needs.

List of products that can be purchased

The provided food cards can only be spent on certain types of goods, without which it is impossible to create a balanced human diet.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has not yet provided an exact list of products, but the goods that will definitely be included in it are known.

These include:

• meat and fish products;
• bread products, flour;
• eggs, dairy products;
• salt, sugar, spices;
• fresh vegetables and fruits;
• dried fruits;
• water;
• vegetable oil.

Also, the number of products provided may include food for pets, human hygiene products (soap, washing powder), seeds and seedlings for summer residents.

The issue of including medicinal products in the list of provided products is being considered. Of course, the benefit will not apply to alcohol and tobacco products.

The important point here is that only Russian-made goods can be purchased with food cards. This rule was introduced to support domestic producers and strengthen the Russian economy.

Mechanism for issuing food cards for the poor

The exact mechanism for issuing food stamps is not yet known. However, it is indisputable that the card will be provided only after the citizen has officially confirmed his low-income status.

The main document required is certificates confirming the low level of family income. You will also need to write an application and undergo an interview with a specialist.

Documents for issuing food cards will need to be submitted to the social protection authorities at the place of residence.

The support will be exclusively targeted, that is, it will be available to people who are officially recognized as poor.

After receiving a food card, you can use it to pay for purchases in grocery stores like a regular bank card.

The only difference is that money cannot be transferred or withdrawn, and only goods that are on the list of acceptable ones can be paid for.

At the end of the month, unused points will expire. This function was introduced to avoid the accumulation of funds and encourage the population to buy fresh products.